SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:12
¶ Tambin hermanos míos, ante todas las cosas no juris, ni por el cielo, ni por la tierra, ni por otro cualquier juramento; mas vuestro sí sea sí; y vuestro no, no; para que no caigis en condenacin.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 5:12
Verse 12. Above all things-swear not] What relation this exhortation can have to the subject in question, I confess I cannot see. It may not have been designed to stand in any connection, but to be a separate piece of advice, as in the several cases which immediately follow. That the Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing is allowed on all hands; and that swearing by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, the temple, the altar, different parts of the body, was not considered by them as binding oaths, has been sufficiently proved. Rabbi Akiba taught that "a man might swear with his lips, and annul it in his heart; and then the oath was not binding." See the notes on Matt. v. 33, &c., where the subject is considered in great detail. Let your yea be yea, &c.] Do not pretend to say yea with your lips, and annul it in your heart; let the yea or the nay which you express be bona fide such. Do not imagine that any mental reservation can cancel any such expressions of obligation in the sight of God.
Lest ye fall into condemnation.] ina mh upo krisin peshte? Lest ye fall under judgment. Several MSS. join upo and krisin together, upokrisin, and prefix eiv, into, which makes a widely different reading: Lest ye fall into hypocrisy. Now, as it is a fact, that the Jews did teach that there might be mental reservation, that would annul the oath, how solemnly soever it was taken; the object of St. James, if the last reading be genuine, and it is supported by a great number of excellent MSS., some versions, and some of the most eminent of the fathers, was to guard against that hypocritical method of taking an oath, which is subversive of all moral feeling, and must make conscience itself callous.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not , etc.] As impatience should not show itself in secret sighs, groans, murmurings, and repinings, so more especially it should not break forth in rash oaths, or in profane swearing; for of such sort of swearing, and of such oaths, is the apostle to be understood; otherwise an oath is very lawful, when taken in the fear and name of God, and made by the living God, and is used for the confirmation of anything of moment, and in order to put an end to strife; God himself, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and angels, and good men, are in Scripture sometimes represented as swearing: and that the apostle is so to be understood, appears from the form of swearing prohibited, neither by the heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath ; of the like kind; such as are forbidden, and cautioned, and reasoned against by our Lord, in ( Matthew 5:34,35,36) to which the apostle manifestly refers; (see Gill on Matthew 5:34-36). But let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay ; that is, whenever there is an occasion for affirming, or denying anything, let it be done nakedly, simply, and absolutely, without any form of oath annexed to it; for whatever addition of that kind is made comes from evil, and tends to it, and is evil: lest ye fall into condemnation ; by the Lord; for either false, or rash, or profane swearing; for he will not suffer it to go unpunished; (see Exodus 20:7). Some copies read, lest ye fall into hypocrisy; or dissimulation, and get into a habit and custom of lying and deceiving, as common swearers do; and so reads the Arabic version.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-18 - The sin of swearing is condemned; but how many make light of commo profane swearing! Such swearing expressly throws contempt upon God' name and authority. This sin brings neither gain, nor pleasure, no reputation, but is showing enmity to God without occasion and withou advantage It shows a man to be an enemy to God, however he pretends to call himself by his name, or sometimes joins in acts of worship. But the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. In day of affliction nothing is more seasonable than prayer. The spirit i then most humble, and the heart is broken and tender. It is necessar to exercise faith and hope under afflictions; and prayer is the appointed means for obtaining and increasing these graces. Observe that the saving of the sick is not ascribed to the anointing with oil but to prayer. In a time of sickness it is not cold and formal praye that is effectual, but the prayer of faith. The great thing we shoul beg of God for ourselves and others in the time of sickness is, the pardon of sin. Let nothing be done to encourage any to delay, under the mistaken fancy that a confession, a prayer, a minister's absolution an exhortation, or the sacrament, will set all right at last, where the duties of a godly life have been disregarded. To acknowledge our fault to each other, will tend greatly to peace and brotherly love. And when a righteous person, a true believer, justified in Christ, and by his grace walking before God in holy obedience, presents an effectua fervent prayer, wrought in his heart by the power of the Holy Spirit raising holy affections and believing expectations and so leadin earnestly to plead the promises of God at his mercy-seat, it avail much. The power of prayer is proved from the history of Elijah. I prayer we must not look to the merit of man, but to the grace of God It is not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer. Thought must be fixed, desires must be firm and ardent, and graces exercised This instance of the power of prayer, encourages every Christian to be earnest in prayer. God never says to any of the seed of Jacob, Seek m face in vain. Where there may not be so much of miracle in God' answering our prayers, yet there may be as much of grace.
Greek Textus Receptus
προ 4253 παντων 3956 3956 δε 1161 αδελφοι 80 μου 3450 μη 3361 ομνυετε 3660 5720 μητε 3383 τον 3588 ουρανον 3772 μητε 3383 την 3588 γην 1093 μητε 3383 αλλον 243 τινα 5100 ορκον 3727 ητω 2277 5749 δε 1161 υμων 5216 το 3588 ναι 3483 ναι 3483 και 2532 το 3588 ου 3756 ου 3756 ινα 2443 μη 3361 {1: εις 1519 υποκρισιν 5272 } {2: υπο 5259 κρισιν 2920 } πεσητε 4098 5632
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Any other oath. See the common formulas of swearing, Matthew v. 35, 36.
