Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Matthew 5:35

εἰς. The change from ἐν τῇ γῇ to εἰς Ἱερ. is to be explained by the etymological identity of εἰς (ἐνς) and ἐν. εἰς is used in late Greek where there is no idea of motion, as ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός, John 1:18 … where ἐν would be required in Classical Greek; other instances are ἀποθανεῖν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, Acts 18:21, τὰ παιδία μου μετʼ ἐμοῦ εἰς τὴν κοίτην εἰσίν, Luke 11:7. εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα, Luke 11:32. εἰς διαταγὰς�, Acts 7:53. ἵνʼ αὐτὸ λούσῃ εἰς σκάφην, Epict. III. 22. 71. Conversely ἐν is found for εἰς, Epict. II. 20. 23, ἀπελθεῖν ἐν βαλανείῳ and Id. I. 11. 32, νῦν ἐν Ῥώμῃ�. In the common spoken dialect of modern Greek εἰς is used to the exclusion of ἐν. Clyde, Greek Gram. § 83, Obs. 4. Vincent and Dickson, Handbook to Modern Greek, § 80.

The construction of ὄμνυμι in classical Greek is τι or κατά τινος. The first is found in James 5:12, a passage closely parallel to this, μὴ ὀμνύετε μήτε τὸν οὐρανὸν κ.τ.λ.; the second Hebrews 6:16, ἄνθρωποι γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ μείζονος ὀμνύουσιν. The construction with ἐν and εἰς is a rendering of the Hebrew idiom.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Matthew 5:35

Old Testament

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