Oath
Summary
An oath is a solemn appeal to God in attestation of truth or in confirmation of a promise, considered binding by divine authority.
☩Nature and Purpose
An oath is an appeal to divine authority to ratify an assertion or promise. The Hebrew language has two main words for oath: 'alah,' which involves invoking a curse upon oneself if the statement is false, and 'shebhu'ah,' which literally means "to seven oneself," referring to the ancient practice of confirming declarations with seven witnesses or victims. The principle underlying the oath is stated in Hebrews 6:16, which describes it as "an ultimate appeal to divine authority." Among men, an oath for confirmation is "the end of all strife," and God Himself confirmed the immutability of His counsel by an oath. The oath has always been held most binding when appealing to the highest authority.
☩Biblical Examples
Oaths were commonly used in both private intercourse and public transactions throughout Scripture. Abraham and Abimelech swore oaths to establish peace. Jacob and Laban confirmed their covenant by oath. The Mosaic Law regulated oaths, forbidding false swearing and swearing by false gods, while acknowledging oaths made to the Lord as binding. Witnesses could be compelled to testify when placed under oath, as when Jesus responded to the high priest's adjuration. Paul frequently called God to witness the truth of his statements, demonstrating the apostolic acceptance of solemn oaths.
☩Forms of Swearing
Various forms of oaths are mentioned in Scripture. Common formulae included "As the Lord liveth," "God do so to me and more also," and "God is witness between me and thee." Physical gestures accompanying oaths included lifting up the hand to heaven and placing the hand under the thigh of the person to whom the promise was made. Oaths were sometimes taken before the altar or facing toward the temple. The ritual of dividing a victim and passing between the pieces symbolized the covenant bond.
☩Jesus' Teaching on Oaths
Jesus addressed the misuse of oaths in the Sermon on the Mount, commanding "Swear not at all." This teaching was directed against the casuistry of the scribes who distinguished between more and less binding oaths, considering those that did not invoke God's name directly as non-binding. Jesus showed that all oaths implicitly appeal to God: heaven is His throne, earth His footstool, Jerusalem is the city of the great King, and even one's head is under God's sovereign care. His teaching establishes that a Christian's simple "yes" or "no" should be as reliable as any oath. This does not forbid judicial oaths on solemn occasions, as demonstrated by Jesus accepting the high priest's adjuration and Paul's frequent appeals to God.
Related Verses135 mentions
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Oath," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.John McClintock and James Strong, "Oath," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 3.George Morrish, "Oath," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Oath," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 5.James Hastings (ed.), "Oaths," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).