5:37a

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’: This clause indicates that believers are to say only Yes when they truly mean Yes. In the same way, they are to say only No when they truly mean No. They must not use oaths to persuade people to believe what they say. In both cases Jesus emphasizes that believers must be perfectly truthful in their answers.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ (Good News Translation)
-or-
All you need say is ‘Yes’ if you mean yes, ‘No’ if you mean no (New Jerusalem Bible)

5:37b

Anything more: The phrase Anything more refers to any kind of words that are stronger or in addition to a simple “yes” or “no.” This phrase includes using oaths.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

Anything more than that (God’s Word)
-or-
If you say more than yes or no (New Century Version)

comes from: The phrase comes from indicates the origin or source of such oaths. In this verse, it is “the evil one” (that is, the devil) who causes or inspires the oath taking. It is not of God.

the evil one: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the evil one:

(1) It refers to the evil one, Satan. For example:

the devil (Contemporary English Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) It refers to evil. For example:

anything more than this comes from evil (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (1996))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of English versions and commentators.

Here are some other ways to translate this entire clause:

Any statement more than that comes from the Evil One, the Devil.

-or-

If you add an oath ⌊to your “yes” or “no”⌋ ⌊so that people will believe you⌋, it comes from ⌊the Devil, who is⌋ the Evil One.

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