James 5:12

JAMES—NOTE ON James 5:12 It is not entirely clear how do not swear is connected to vv. James 5:7. Above all may begin a three-part conclusion to the letter (vv. James 5:12, James 5:13, James 5:19). Yet it could also refer back to the sins of the tongue and the grumbling of v. James 5:9. Oaths were allowed in Israel, but the person was required to fulfill them. This was especially so because they often involved swearing by God’s name (see Leviticus 19:12; Jeremiah 5:2). James’s ban on oaths builds on Jesus’ in Matthew 5:33 (see also Matthew 23:16). The point in both cases is that a believer’s word should be enough. This does not mean all oaths (e.g., official oaths) are prohibited.