What is meant by “swear” in this passage? Why is swearing condemned? Is it wrong to swear in court, in official documents? What does James mean about our Yes be Yes? Should Christians take oaths - like the oath of office? Should our word be our bond?
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...
BUT ABOVE ALL THINGS - That is be especially careful on this point; whatever else is done, let not this be. The manner in which James speaks of the practice referred to here, shows that he regarded it...
V. THE COMING OF THE LORD AND THE LIFE OF FAITH CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The oppression by the rich and their coming doom (James 5:1)_ 2. Be patient unto the coming of the Lord (James 5:7) 3. The prayers of...
JAMES 5:12. A disconnected maxim, warning Jews against a very prevalent sin, and again directly quoting the unnamed Master (Matthew 5:34 ff; cf. Matthew 23:16). The Quaker-like self-control which make...
THE WORTHLESSNESS OF RICHES (James 5:1-3)...
ABOVE. before. App-104. NEITHER. Greek. _mete_. HEAVEN. the heaven. See Matthew 6:9; Matthew 6:10. ANY. App-123. OTHER. App-124. NAY. App-105. INTO. The texts read "under". App-104. CONDEMNATIO...
Oaths 12. _above all things, my brethren, swear not_ The passage presents so close a parallel with Matthew 5:33-37 that it is almost a necessary inference that St James, if not himself a hearer of the...
ΠΡῸ ΠΆΝΤΩΝ marks the importance of what follows. ΜῊ ὈΜΝΎΕΤΕ κ.τ.λ. This emphatic rule is founded on the Lord’s words, recorded by St Matthew only, Matthew 5:33 ff. μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως κ.τ.λ. Comp. Matthew...
_REFRAIN FROM IMPROPER SPEECH -- JAMES 5:12:_ James condemns vain and rash swearing._ _ The expression "Above all things" shows the importance of the right kind of speech. "Above all things" carries t...
ΟΜΝΎΕΤΕ _praes. imper. act. от_ ΌΜΝΎΩ (G3660) клясться, ΌΡΚΟΣ клятва (_см._ Matthew 5:33). _Praes. imper._ с отр. ΜΉ (G3361) запрещает привычное действие, ΉΤ _praes. imper. act. от_ ΕΊΜΊ (G1510) бы...
BUT ABOVE ALL THINGS—SWEAR NOT,— Some consider this verse as joined to what goes before, to intimate that they were to be aware of _impatience,_ and particularly as it might lead them into rash and pr...
VICTORY WILL COME, FOR GOD IS REAL _Text 5:10-12_ James 5:10 Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and patience, the prophets who spake in the name of the Lord. 11. Behold, we call them bles...
CHAPTER X _RESIST FIERCELY, BRETHREN!_ James 5:7-12 _Introduction_ After the very vivid account of the vengeance that belongs to God, and the just judgment that will come to their persecutor, James...
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. BUT AB...
VERSE 12 BUT ABOVE ALL THINGS, MY BRETHREN, SWEAR NOT. When we remember that these brethren were undergoing persecution, and further that they were called upon to swear, and that some, to avoid punish...
12 This prohibition is essentially the same as that given by our Lord (Mat_5:34). 15 "The prayer of faith will save the sick" is a very loose rendering of this passage. The word which they translate ...
See Matthew 5:33. It was a common Jewish sin to confirm statements by an oath or curse (Matthew 23:16; Mark 14:71). The question of judicial oaths is not touched either here or in the Gospels. ABOVE A...
REBUKE AND ENCOURAGEMENT 2. Are corrupted, etc.] prophetic tense, in which the future is spoken of as though it were already come to pass....
WHAT *FAITH SHOULD DO JAMES _IAN MACKERVOY_ The word list at the end explains words with a *star by them. CHAPTER 5 JUDGEMENT OF THE RICH 5:1-6 V1 Now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud. Th...
The question of the lawfulness of oaths has oftentimes perplexed alike the doctors of the Church and its simpler hearers of God’s word. The text, taken as it stands, would support the views of the Ess...
CHAPTER 25 THE PROHIBITION OF SWEARING-THE RELATION OF THE LANGUAGE OF ST. JAMES TO RECORDED SAYINGS OF CHRIST. James 5:12 THE main portion of the Epistle is already concluded. St. James has worked...
f1Πρὸ πάντων …: The most natural way of understanding these words would be to take them in connection with something that immediately preceded, but as there is not the remotest connection between this...
EFFECTUAL PRAYER James 5:12 In view of the judgment-seat, at which we shall have to give an account of our words, we shall do well to employ the simplest, plainest speech, Matthew 5:34; Matthew 12:3...
Approaching the conclusion of his letter, the writer addressed a terrible indictment and solemn warning to the rich. He showed the failure of possessions, and how they may become the curse of life. S...
THOSE WHO ENDURE ARE BLESSED The prophets suffered for God. The Greek word for "suffering" which James uses in reference to the prophets is one which designates external pressure (Matthew 23:34; Luke...
(7) But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let (f) your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation....
but above all things....swear not, &c. This earnest admonition is against all kind of oaths in common conversation, (not against oaths made on just and necessary occasions) and in the very same words,...
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. (13) Is an...
To the reader who enters on the consideration of the epistle of James from the epistles of Paul, the change is great and sudden, and by no means least of all from the epistle to the Hebrews, which, in...
12_But above all things_. It has been a common vice almost in all ages, to swear lightly and inconsiderately. For so bad is our nature that we do not consider what an atrocious crime it is to profane...
The two classes in Israel are distinctly marked here in contrast with one another, with the addition of the walk which the Christian ought to pursue when chastised by the Lord. The apostle gives the c...
BUT ABOVE ALL THINGS, MY BRETHREN, SWEAR NOT,.... As impatience should not show itself in secret sighs, groans, murmurings, and repinings, so more especially it should not break forth in rash oaths, o...
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and _your_ nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. Ver. 12...
_But above all things, swear not_ However provoked. The Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing, though not so much by God himself as by some of his creatures. The apostle here forbids these o...
SWEAR NOT; in ordinary conversation. LET YOUR YEA, BE YEA; AND YOUR NAY, NAY; let your yea and nay be steadfast and reliable, so that they shall need no oath to support them. Profaneness is a great s...
BUT ABOVE ALL THINGS, MY BRETHREN, SWEAR NOT, NEITHER BY HEAVEN, NEITHER BY THE EARTH, NEITHER BY ANY OTHER OATH; BUT LET YOUR YEA BE YEA, AND YOUR NAY, NAY, LEST YE FALL INTO CONDEMNATION....
The improper and the proper use of God's name:...
Verses 1 Timothy 6 are addressed to rich men, and no doubt specially to those who make some claim of having the knowledge of God. They are bidden to weep and howl for the miseries that will take them,...
OATHS James 5:12 "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment"."But...
12-18 The sin of swearing is condemned; but how many make light of common profane swearing! Such swearing expressly throws contempt upon God's name and authority. This sin brings neither gain, nor pl...
Because it is a great sin to swear upon every slight occasion, and it was very usual among the Jews, and it was the more difficult to bring them off from it who were so much accustomed to it; therefor...
James 5:12 But G1161 above G4253 all G3956 my G3450 brethren G80 not G3361 swear G3660 (G5720) either...
FINAL EXHORTATION TO PRAYER AND FAITH (JAMES 5:12). Having faced up men and women to judgment in different ways James now ends as he began by putting great emphasis on the need for faith and prayer, a...
THE CALL FOR COMPLETE HONESTY (JAMES 5:12). This command follows a series of commands and precedes the command to pray and praise. Those commands were as follows: · Be patiently enduring (James 5:7)...
James 5:12. Next follows a caution against swearing. There does not seem to be any connection between this caution and what precedes. St. James was perhaps led to it by the circumstances of his reader...
James 5:7-20. St. James concludes his Epistle with a variety of admonitions. He first exhorts his readers to patience; they are to exercise forbearance toward their oppressors and trust toward God, be...
ABOVE ALL THINGS (προ παντων). No connection with what immediately precedes. Probably an allusion to the words of Jesus (Matthew 5:34-37). It is not out of place here. See the same phrase in 1 Peter...
CONTENTS: Warning to the rich. Exhortations in view of Christ's second coming. CHARACTERS: Christ, Job, Elias, James. CONCLUSION: Great amassing of wealth will be a sign of the last days, but woe to...
James 5:1. _Go to now,_ or go now, _ye rich men._ He had taught them humility, because their glory vanished away as the flower of the field: chap. James 1:10. He now calls upon them _to weep and howl_...
DO NOT USE AN OATH. Jesus said this same thing in Matthew 5:33-37 and notes there. Our modern sin of _profanity_ grew out of the habit of using an oath (vow) to affirm a promise. Since Jews believed s...
SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY Let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay. James 5:12. There is a quaint proverb which says that “a hero's word and an elephant's tooth remain fixed.” I never t...
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 l
_CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES_ James 5:13. MERRY.—Of good cheer, gladsome at heart. PSALM.—The word suggests a composition fitted to an accompaniment of music. _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— J...
EXPOSITION JAMES 5:1 DENUNCIATION OF THE RICH FOR (1) GRINDING DOWN THE POOR AND KEEPING BACK THEIR WAGES;...
Now in chapter five he takes on the rich. So this doesn't apply to many of us. Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, your garment...
1 Corinthians 11:34; 1 Peter 4:8; 2 Corinthians 1:17; 3 John 1:2;...
Any other oath. See the common formulas of swearing, Matthew 5:35; Matthew 5:36....
Swear not — However provoked. The Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing, though not so much by God himself as by some of his creatures. The apostle here particularly forbids these oaths, as...
Is oath-taking forbidden or blessed? PROBLEM: This and many other verses (cf. Hosea 4:2; Matthew 5:33-37) condemn oath- taking. In James’ words, “Above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven...
Observe, that an oath here is not absolutely forbidden, but restrained: ABOVE ALL THINGS, MY BRETHREN. Note, with what vehemency and earnestness the apostle speaks, SWEAR NOT, that is, swear not vainl...