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oath

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

Appeals to God to attest the truth of an assertion in early use

(Gen. 21:23; 26:3²³Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. (Genesis 21:23)
³Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; (Genesis 26:3); Heb. 6:16¹⁶For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. (Hebrews 6:16)). Regulated in Ex. 20:7⁷Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7); Lev. 19:12¹²And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:12). Forms: lifting hands (Gen. 14:22²²And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (Genesis 14:22)); placing hand under thigh (Gen. 24:2²And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: (Genesis 24:2)); before the altar (1 Kings 8:31³¹If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: (1 Kings 8:31)); laying hand on the law.

Concise Bible Dictionary:

A solemn asseveration with an appeal to God that what is said is true. The apostle said that among men an oath for confirmation is the “end of all strife” or dispute; and God, willing to show “the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things [His word and His oath] in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation” (Heb. 6:16-18¹⁶For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. ¹⁷Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: ¹⁸That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (Hebrews 6:16‑18)). Jehovah swore that the Lord Jesus should be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Psa. 110:4⁴The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4)).

Leviticus 5:1¹And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity. (Leviticus 5:1) has been interpreted as signifying that when the voice of adjuration was heard, persons were compelled to confess what they knew as to any charge. Thus the Lord Jesus when adjured by the high priest answered him. The Lord was under an accusation, and was adjured to say if it was true. He acknowledged that He was “the Christ the Son of God” (Matt. 26:63-64⁶³But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. ⁶⁴Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:63‑64)).

The Lord exposed the folly of the tradition that some oaths were not binding (Matt. 23:16-22¹⁶Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! ¹⁷Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? ¹⁸And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. ¹⁹Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? ²⁰Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. ²¹And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. ²²And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. (Matthew 23:16‑22)).

In the common intercourse of life there should be no oaths, the simple “yea” and “nay” should be enough, “swear not at all” (Matt. 5:34-37³⁴But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: ³⁵Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. ³⁷But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:34‑37); James 5:12¹²But 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. (James 5:12)): the context of these passages shows that they do not refer to judicial oaths (compare also Heb. 6:13,16¹³For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, (Hebrews 6:13)
¹⁶For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. (Hebrews 6:16); Heb. 7:21²¹(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) (Hebrews 7:21); Rev. 10:6⁶And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: (Revelation 10:6)).

Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:

Number:

3728 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Greek:

ὁρκωμοσία

Transliteration:

horkomosia

Phonic:

hor-ko-mos-ee’ah

Meaning:

from a compound of 3727 and a derivative of 3660; asseveration on oath

KJV Usage:

oath