But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
(James 5:12, NASB)
This is one of those verses of which I’m rather unsure, so I visited a couple of commentaries.
The Adam Clarke Commentary offered some illumination: Apparently, the Jews were “notoriously guilty of common swearing ... 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.”
So instead of swearing by something, just do what you say you’re going to do.
Don’t say “yes” and then turn around and do “no.” To do so would be hypocritical (a couple of the commentaries I read said that “judgment” could be translated as “hypocrisy”).
How many times have you said you're going to do something, and did the opposite? Or how often have you promised not to do something and done it anyway?
Be true to your word. And be true to yourself.
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