Reference: Oath
American
A solemn affirmation accompanied by an appeal to the Supreme Being. God has prohibited all false oaths, and all useless and customary swearing in ordinary discourse; but when the necessity or importance of a matter requires an oath, he allows men to swear by his name, Ex 22:11; Le 5:1. To swear by a false god was an act of idolatry, Jer 5:7; 12:16.
Among the Hebrews an oath was administered by the judge, who stood up, and adjured the party who was to be sworn. In this manner our Lord was adjured by Caiaphas, Mt 26:63. Jesus had remained silent under long examination, when the high priest, rising up, knowing he had a sure mode of obtaining an answer said, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ." To this oath, thus solemnly administered, Jesus replied that he was indeed the Messiah.
An oath is a solemn appeal to God, as to an all-seeing witness that what we say is true, and an almighty avenger if what we say be false, Heb 6:16. Its force depends upon our conviction of the infinite justice of God; that he will not hold those guiltless who take his name in vain; and that the loss of his favor immeasurable outweighs all that could be gained by false witness. It is an act of religious worship; on which account God requires it to be taken in his name, De 10:20, and points out the manner in which it ought to be administered, and the duty of the person who swears, Ex 22:11; De 6:18; Ps 15:4; 24:4. Hence atheists, who profess to believe that there is no God, and persons who do not believe in a future state of reward and punishment, cannot consistently take an oath. In their mouths an oath can be only profane mockery.
God himself is represented as confirming his promise by oath, and thus conforming to what is practiced among men, Heb 6:13,16-17. The oaths forbidden in Mt 5:34-35; Jas 5:12, must refer to the unthinking, hasty, and vicious practices of the Jews; otherwise Paul would have acted against the command of Christ, Ro 1:9; Ga 1:20; 2Co 1:23. That person is obliged to take an oath whose duty requires him to declare the truth in the most solemn and judicial manner; though undoubtedly oaths are too often administered unnecessarily and irreverently, and taken with but slight consciousness of the responsibility thus assumed. As we are bound to manifest every possible degree of reverence towards God, the greatest care is to be taken that we swear neither rashly nor negligently in making promises. To neglect performance is perjury, unless the promise be contrary to the law of nature and of God; in which case no oath is binding. See CORBAN, and VOWS.
A customary formula of taking an oath was "The Lord do so to me, and more also;" that is, the lord slay me, as the victim sacrificed on many such occasions was slain, and punish me even more than this, if I speak not the truth, Ru 1:17; 1Sa 3:17. Similar phrases are these: "As the Lord liveth," Jg 8:19 "Before God I lie not," Ro 9:1; "I say the truth in Christ," 1Ti 2:7; "God is my record," Php 1.8. Several acts are alluded to as accompaniments of an oath; as putting the hand under the thigh, Ge 24:2; 47:29; and raising the hand towards heaven, Ge 14:22-23; De 32:40; Re 10:5.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abram answered the king of Sodom, "I lift up my hand unto the LORD God most high, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take of all that is thine, so much as a thread or a shoe latchet, lest thou shouldest say 'I have made Abram rich.'
And he said unto his eldest servant of his house which had the rule over all that he had, "Put thy hand under my thigh
When the time drew nigh that Israel must die, he sent for his son Joseph and said unto him, "If I have found grace in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh and deal mercifully and truly with me, that thou bury me not in Egypt:
then shall an oath of the LORD go between them, whether he have put his hand unto his neighbor's good, and the owner of it shall take the oath, and the other shall not make it good.
then shall an oath of the LORD go between them, whether he have put his hand unto his neighbor's good, and the owner of it shall take the oath, and the other shall not make it good.
When a soul hath sinned and heard the voice of cursing and is a witness: whether he hath seen or known of it, if he have not uttered it, he shall bear his sin.
and see thou do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that thou mayest prosper and that thou mayest go and conquer that good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God and serve him and cleave unto him and swear by his name,
For I will lift up my hand to heaven, and will say: I live ever.
And he said, "They were my brethren, even my mother's children. And as truly as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved their lives, I would not slay you."
Where thou diest, I will die, and there will be buried. The LORD do so and so to me, except that death only depart thee and me asunder."
He that sitteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes, and maketh much of them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not, though it were to his own hindrance.
Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, and that hath not lift up his mind unto vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbour.
"Should I then, for all this, have mercy upon thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. And albeit they were bound to me in marriage, yet they fell to adultery, and hunted harlots' houses.
And if they, namely that trouble my people, will learn the ways of them, to swear by my name, 'The LORD liveth' - like as they learned my people to swear by Baal - then shall they be reckoned among my people.
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's seat: nor yet by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of that great King:
But Jesus held his peace. And the chief priest answered, and said to him, "I charge thee in the name of the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be Christ the son of God."
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit, in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
I say the truth in Christ, and lie not, in that whereof my conscience beareth me witness in the holy ghost,
The things which I write, behold, God knoweth I lie not.
if ye continue grounded and established in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, whereof ye have heard, how that it is preached among all creatures, which are under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister.
whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle - I tell the truth in Christ and lie not - being the teacher of the gentiles in faith and verity.
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he had no greater thing to swear by, he sware by himself,
Men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves; And an oath to confirm the thing, is among them an end of all strife.
Men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves; And an oath to confirm the thing, is among them an end of all strife. So God, willing very abundantly to show, unto the heirs of promise, the stableness of his counsel; he added an oath,
But above all things, my brethren, swear not: neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath. Let your yea be "yea," and your nay, "nay," lest ye fall into hypocrisy.
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea, and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven,
Easton
a solemn appeal to God, permitted on fitting occasions (De 6:13; Jer 4:2), in various forms (Ge 16:5; 2Sa 12:5; Ru 1:17; Ho 4:15; Ro 1:9), and taken in different ways (Ge 14:22; 24:2; 2Ch 6:22). God is represented as taking an oath (Heb 6:16-18), so also Christ (Mt 26:64), and Paul (Ro 9:1; Ga 1:20; Php 1:8). The precept, "Swear not at all," refers probably to ordinary conversation between man and man (Mt 5:34,37). But if the words are taken as referring to oaths, then their intention may have been to show "that the proper state of Christians is to require no oaths; that when evil is expelled from among them every yea and nay will be as decisive as an oath, every promise as binding as a vow."
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abram answered the king of Sodom, "I lift up my hand unto the LORD God most high, possessor of heaven and earth,
Then said Sarai unto Abram, "Thou dost me unright, for I have given my maid into thy bosom: and now because she seeth that she hath conceived, I am despised in her sight: the LORD judge between thee and me."
And he said unto his eldest servant of his house which had the rule over all that he had, "Put thy hand under my thigh
But fear the LORD thy God and serve him, and swear by his name,
Where thou diest, I will die, and there will be buried. The LORD do so and so to me, except that death only depart thee and me asunder."
And shalt swear, 'The LORD liveth' in truth, in equity and righteousness: and all people shall be fortunable and joyful in him."
Though thou, Israel, are disposed to play the harlot, yet shouldest not thou have offended, O Judah. Thou shouldest not have run to Gilgal, nor gone up to Bethaven, nor have sworn, 'The LORD liveth.'
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's seat:
But your communication shall be, 'Yea, Yea; Nay, nay': for whatsoever is more than that cometh of evil.
Jesus said to him, "Thou hast said. Nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the son of man sitting on the righthand of power, and come in the clouds of the sky."
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit, in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
I say the truth in Christ, and lie not, in that whereof my conscience beareth me witness in the holy ghost,
The things which I write, behold, God knoweth I lie not.
For God beareth me record how greatly I long after you all from the very heart-root in Jesus Christ.
Men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves; And an oath to confirm the thing, is among them an end of all strife. So God, willing very abundantly to show, unto the heirs of promise, the stableness of his counsel; he added an oath, read more. that by two immutable things - in which it was impossible that God should lie - we might have perfect consolation, which have fled, for to hold fast the hope that is set before us:
Fausets
Heb 6:16; "an oath for confirmation is the end of strife (contradiction)." Therefore, Christianity sanctions oaths, but they are to be used only to put an end to contradiction in disputes and for confirmation of solemn promises. God, in condescension to man's mode of confirming covenants, confirmed His word by oath; by these "two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." And "because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself": also Heb 7:28. Jesus Himself accepted the high priest's adjuration (Mt 26:63). Paul often calls God to witness the truth of his assertions (Ac 26:29; Ro 1:9; 9:1; 2Co 1:23; 11:31; Ga 1:20; Php 1:8). So the angel, Re 10:6. The prohibition "swear not at all" (Mt 5:34; Jas 5:12) refers to trivial occasions, not to oaths on solemn occasions and before magistrates. In every day conversation your simple yea or nay suffices to establish your word.
The Jews held oaths not binding if God's name did not directly occur (Lightfoot, Hor. Heb.). "Thou shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths" meant in the Jews' view, which Christ combats, if not sworn to the Lord the oath is not binding. Jesus says on the contrary, every oath by the creature, heaven, earth, etc., is by the Creator whether His name be mentioned or not, and is therefore binding. In the perfect Christian state all oaths would be needless, for distrust of another's word and untruth would not exist. Meantime, they are needed on solemn occasions. But men do not escape the guilt of "taking God's name in vain" by avoiding the name itself, as in the oaths, "faith!" "gracious!" "by heaven," etc. The connection in Jas 5:12 is, Swear not through impatience to which trials may tempt you (Jas 5:10-11); in contrast stands the proper use of the tongue, Jas 5:13.
To appeal to a pagan god by oath is to acknowledge his deity, and is therefore forbidden (Jos 23:7; Jer 5:7; 12:16; Am 8:14), as in swearing to appeal to God is recognizing Him (De 6:13; Isa 19:18; 65:16). An oath even to a pagan king is so binding that Jehovah's chief reason for dethroning Zedekiah and giving him over to die in Babylon was his violating his oath to Nebuchadnezzar (Eze 17:13-20; 2Ch 36:13). Jewish criminal procedure admitted the accused to clear himself or herself by oath (Nu 5:19-22; 1Ki 8:31); our Lord, Mt 26:63. Oath gestures were "lifting up the hand" (De 32:40; Ge 14:22; Isa 3:7; Eze 20:5-6). Witnesses laid their hands on the head of the accused (Le 24:14).
Putting the hand under the thigh of the superior to whom the oath was taken in sign of subjection and obedience (Aben Ezra): Ge 24:2; 47:29; or else because the hip was the part from which the posterity issued (Ge 46:26) and the seat of vital power. In making (Hebrew "cutting") a covenant the victim was divided, and the contracting parties passed between the portions, in token that the two became joined in one. (See COVENANT.) In Ge 15:8-17 Abram was there, and God signified His presence by the burning lamp which passed between the pieces (Jer 34:18). Compare Jg 19:29; 1Sa 11:7, where a similar slaughter of the oxen of any who should not follow Saul is symbolized.
The false witness was doomed to the punishment due to the crime which he attested (De 19:16-19). Blasphemy was punishable with death (Le 24:11,16). The obligation in Le 5:1 to testify when adjured (for "swearing" translated "adjuration," 'alah) was that on which our Lord acted before Caiaphas (Mt 26:63). Alah, from 'Eel "God," is used for "imprecations" (Nu 5:23). "Shaba," from sheba' "seven" the sacred number, is the general word "swear"; compare the seven ewe lambs given by Abraham to Abimelech in covenanting (Ge 21:30).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abram answered the king of Sodom, "I lift up my hand unto the LORD God most high, possessor of heaven and earth,
And he said, "LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall possess it?" And he said unto him, "Take a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon." read more. And he took all these and divided them in the midst, and laid every piece, one over against another. But the fowls divided he not. And the birds fell on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. And when the sun was down, there fell a slumber upon Abram. And lo, fear and great darkness came upon him. And he said unto Abram, "Know this of a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that pertaineth not unto them. And they shall make bondmen of them and entreat them evil, four hundred years. But the nation whom they shall serve, will I judge. And afterward shall they come out with great substance. Nevertheless, thou shalt go unto thy fathers in peace, and shalt be buried when thou art of a good age: and in the fourth generation they shall come hither again, for the wickedness of the Amorites is not yet full." When the sun was down and it was waxed dark, behold, there was a smoking furnace and a fire brand that went between the said pieces.
And he answered, "Seven lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well."
And he said unto his eldest servant of his house which had the rule over all that he had, "Put thy hand under my thigh
All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt which came out of his loins - beside his son's wives - were all together sixty and six souls.
When the time drew nigh that Israel must die, he sent for his son Joseph and said unto him, "If I have found grace in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh and deal mercifully and truly with me, that thou bury me not in Egypt:
When a soul hath sinned and heard the voice of cursing and is a witness: whether he hath seen or known of it, if he have not uttered it, he shall bear his sin.
And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name and cursed, and they brought him unto Moses. And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.
"Bring him that cursed without the host; and let all that heard him put their hands upon his head, and let all the multitude stone him.
And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall die for it: all the multitude shall stone him to death. And the stranger as well as the Israelite if he curse the name, shall die for it.'
If no man have lain with thee, neither hast gone aside and defiled thyself behind thy husband, then have thou no harm of this bitter, cursing water. But and if thou hast gone aside behind thine husband and art defiled and some other man hath lain with thee, beside thine husband - read more. and let the priest conjure her with the conjuration of the curse, and say unto her: the LORD make thee a curse and a conjuration among thy people: so that the LORD make thy thigh rot, and thy womb to burst, and this bitter cursing water go into the bowels of thee, that thy womb burst and thy thigh rot. And the wife shall say: Amen, Amen. "'And the priest shall write this curse in a bill and wash it out in the bitter water.
But fear the LORD thy God and serve him, and swear by his name,
If an unrighteous witness rise up against a man to accuse him of trespass: then let both the men which strive together stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges which shall be in those days, read more. and let the judges enquire a good. And if the witness be found false and that he hath given false witness against his brother, then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to do unto his brother, and so thou shalt put evil away from thee.
For I will lift up my hand to heaven, and will say: I live ever.
and that ye go not unto these nations that remain with you: and that ye neither make mention or swear by the names of their gods, and that ye neither serve them nor bow yourselves unto them.
And when he was come unto his house, he took a dressing knife, and caught his concubine and divided her through the bones into twelve pieces, and sent her into all quarters of Israel.
Then shall he swear and say, "I cannot help you. Moreover, there is neither meat nor clothing in my house, make me no ruler of the people."
In that day shall the five cities of Egypt speak with the Canaanites' tongue, and swear by the LORD of Hosts: the city of desolation shall be called one of them.
Whoso rejoiceth upon earth, shall rejoice in the true God: And whoso sweareth upon earth, shall swear in the true God. For the old enmity shall be forgotten, and taken away out of my sight.
"Should I then, for all this, have mercy upon thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. And albeit they were bound to me in marriage, yet they fell to adultery, and hunted harlots' houses.
And if they, namely that trouble my people, will learn the ways of them, to swear by my name, 'The LORD liveth' - like as they learned my people to swear by Baal - then shall they be reckoned among my people.
Yea, those men that have broken my covenant, and not kept the words of the covenant which they made before me - when they hewed the calf in two, and when there went through the two halves thereof -
He took of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and took an oath of him: The princes of the land toke he with him also, that the land might be held in subjection, and not to rebel, but keep the covenant, and fulfill it. read more. But he fell from him, and sent his Ambassadors into Egypt that he might have horses and much people. Should that prosper? Should he be kept safe, that doth such things? Or should he escape, that breaketh his covenant? As truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God, he shall die at Babylon: in the place where the king dwelleth, that made him king, whose oath he hath despised, and whose covenant he hath broken. Neither shall Pharaoh, with his great host and multitude of people, maintain him in the war: when they cast up ditches, and set up bulwarks to destroy much people. For seeing he hath despised the oath, and broken the covenant - whereas he yet gave his hand thereupon - and done all these things, he shall not escape. Therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: As truly as I live, I will bring mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, upon his own head. I will cast my net about him, and catch him in my yarn. To Babylon will I carry him: there will I punish him, because of the great offense that he made me.
"'In the day when I chose Israel, and lift up mine hand upon the seed of the house of Jacob, and showed myself unto them in the land of Egypt; Yea, when I lift up mine hand over them, and said, 'I am the LORD your God,' even in the day that I lift up mine hand over them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, into a land that I have provided for them, which floweth with milk and honey, and it is a pleasant land among all others:
yea even they that swear in the offense of Samaria, and say, 'As truly as thy God liveth at Dan, and as truly as thy God liveth at Beersheba' These shall fall, and never rise up again."
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's seat:
But Jesus held his peace. And the chief priest answered, and said to him, "I charge thee in the name of the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be Christ the son of God."
But Jesus held his peace. And the chief priest answered, and said to him, "I charge thee in the name of the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be Christ the son of God."
But Jesus held his peace. And the chief priest answered, and said to him, "I charge thee in the name of the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be Christ the son of God."
And Paul said, "I would to God that not only thou: but also all that hear me today, were not somewhat only, but altogether such as I am; except these bonds. I might persuade not thee only, but all them that hear me this day, to be such as I am, these bonds except."
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit, in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
I say the truth in Christ, and lie not, in that whereof my conscience beareth me witness in the holy ghost,
The things which I write, behold, God knoweth I lie not.
For God beareth me record how greatly I long after you all from the very heart-root in Jesus Christ.
if ye continue grounded and established in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, whereof ye have heard, how that it is preached among all creatures, which are under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister.
Men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves; And an oath to confirm the thing, is among them an end of all strife.
For the law maketh men priests, which have infirmity: but the word of the oath that came since the law, maketh the son priest, which is perfect for evermore.
Take, my brethren, the prophets: for an example of suffering adversity, and of long patience, which spake in the name of the Lord. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have known what end the Lord made. For the Lord is very pitiful, and merciful. read more. But above all things, my brethren, swear not: neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath. Let your yea be "yea," and your nay, "nay," lest ye fall into hypocrisy.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not: neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath. Let your yea be "yea," and your nay, "nay," lest ye fall into hypocrisy. If any of you be evil vexed, let him pray. If any of you be merry, let him sing Psalms.
and swore by him that liveth forevermore, which created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which therein are; that there should be no longer time:
Morish
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 6:16-18. Jehovah swore that the Lord Jesus should be a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Ps 110:4.
Le 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." Mt 26:63-64.
The Lord exposed the folly of the tradition that some oaths were not binding. Mt 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," Mt 5:34-37; Jas 5:12; the context of these passages shows that they do not refer to judicial oaths: cf. also Heb 6:13,16; 7:21; Re 10:6.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
When a soul hath sinned and heard the voice of cursing and is a witness: whether he hath seen or known of it, if he have not uttered it, he shall bear his sin.
The LORD sware, and will not repent, "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's seat: nor yet by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of that great King: read more. neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one white hair or black: But your communication shall be, 'Yea, Yea; Nay, nay': for whatsoever is more than that cometh of evil.
Woe be unto you, blind guides, for ye which say, 'Whosoever swear by the temple, it is nothing: but whosoever swear by the gold of the temple, he offendeth.' Ye fools and blind: whether is greater; the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? read more. And, 'Whosoever sweareth by the altar it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the offering that lieth on the altar offendeth.' Ye fools and blind: whether is greater; the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering? Whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that thereon is. And whosoever sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the seat of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
But Jesus held his peace. And the chief priest answered, and said to him, "I charge thee in the name of the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be Christ the son of God." Jesus said to him, "Thou hast said. Nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the son of man sitting on the righthand of power, and come in the clouds of the sky."
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he had no greater thing to swear by, he sware by himself,
Men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves; And an oath to confirm the thing, is among them an end of all strife.
Men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves; And an oath to confirm the thing, is among them an end of all strife. So God, willing very abundantly to show, unto the heirs of promise, the stableness of his counsel; he added an oath, read more. that by two immutable things - in which it was impossible that God should lie - we might have perfect consolation, which have fled, for to hold fast the hope that is set before us:
Those priests were made without an oath: but this priest with an oath, by him that said unto him, "The Lord sware, and will not repent: Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
But above all things, my brethren, swear not: neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath. Let your yea be "yea," and your nay, "nay," lest ye fall into hypocrisy.
and swore by him that liveth forevermore, which created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which therein are; that there should be no longer time:
Smith
Oath,
The principle on which an oath is held to be binding is incidentally laid down in
viz. as an ultimate appeal to divine authority to ratify an assertion. On the same principle, that oath has always been held most binding which appealed to the highest authority, as regards both individuals and communities. As a consequence of this principle, appeals to God's name on the one hand, and to heathen deities on the other, are treated in scripture as tests of allegiance.
etc. So also the sovereign's name is sometimes used as a form of obligation.
Other forms of oath, serious or frivolous, are mentioned, some of which are condemned by our Lord.
and see
(There is, however, a world-wide difference between a solemn appeal to God and profane swearing.) The forms of adjuration mentioned in Scripture are --
1. Lifting up the hand. Witnesses laid their hands on the head of the accused.
Ge 14:22; Le 24:14; De 17:7; Isa 3:7
2. Putting the hand under the thigh of the person to whom the Promise was made.
3. Oaths were sometimes taken before the altar, or, as some understand the passage, if the persons were not in Jerusalem, in a position looking toward the temple.
4. Dividing a victim and passing between or distributing the pieces.
As the sanctity of oaths was carefully inculcated by the law, so the crime of perjury was strongly condemned; and to a false witness the same punishment was assigned which was due for the crime to which he testified.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abram answered the king of Sodom, "I lift up my hand unto the LORD God most high, possessor of heaven and earth,
And he took all these and divided them in the midst, and laid every piece, one over against another. But the fowls divided he not.
When the sun was down and it was waxed dark, behold, there was a smoking furnace and a fire brand that went between the said pieces.
And he said unto his eldest servant of his house which had the rule over all that he had, "Put thy hand under my thigh
Hereby ye shall be proved. For by the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go hence, until your youngest brother be come hither.
When the time drew nigh that Israel must die, he sent for his son Joseph and said unto him, "If I have found grace in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh and deal mercifully and truly with me, that thou bury me not in Egypt:
"Thou 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.
And in all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect. And make no rehearsal of the names of strange gods, neither let any man hear them out of your mouths.
And when the LORD walked before him, he cried, "LORD, LORD God full of compassion and mercy, which art not lightly angry but abundant in mercy and truth,
Ye shall not swear by my name falsely, that thou defilest not the name of thy God; I am the LORD.
"Bring him that cursed without the host; and let all that heard him put their hands upon his head, and let all the multitude stone him.
And the hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to kill him, and afterward the hands of all the people: so shalt thou put wickedness away from thee.
that thou shouldest come under the covenant of the LORD thy God, and under his oath which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day.
And if any man trespass against his neighbour, and his neighbour take an adjuration to adjure him withal, and the adjuration come before thine altar at this house,
Yea, those men that have broken my covenant, and not kept the words of the covenant which they made before me - when they hewed the calf in two, and when there went through the two halves thereof -
But rather, seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof; and all these things shall be ministered unto you.
Woe be unto you, blind guides, for ye which say, 'Whosoever swear by the temple, it is nothing: but whosoever swear by the gold of the temple, he offendeth.' Ye fools and blind: whether is greater; the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? read more. And, 'Whosoever sweareth by the altar it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the offering that lieth on the altar offendeth.' Ye fools and blind: whether is greater; the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering? Whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that thereon is. And whosoever sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the seat of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves; And an oath to confirm the thing, is among them an end of all strife.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not: neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath. Let your yea be "yea," and your nay, "nay," lest ye fall into hypocrisy.
Watsons
OATH, a solemn invocation of a superior power, admitted to be acquainted with all the secrets of our hearts, with our inward thoughts as well as our outward actions, to witness the truth of what we assert, and to inflict his vengeance upon us if we assert what is not true, or promise what we do not mean to perform. Almost all nations, whether savage or civilized, whether enjoying the light of revelation or led only by the light of reason, knowing the importance of truth, and willing to obtain a barrier against falsehood, have had recourse to oaths, by which they have endeavoured to make men fearful of uttering lies, under the dread of an avenging Deity. Among Christians, an oath is a solemn appeal for the truth of our assertions, the sincerity of our promises, and the fidelity of our engagements, to the one only God, the Judge of the whole earth, who is every where present, and sees, and hears, and knows, whatever is said, or done, or thought in any part of the world. Such is that Being whom Christians, when they take an oath, invoke to bear testimony to the truth of their words, and the integrity of their hearts. Surely, then, if oaths be a matter of so much moment, it well behoves us not to treat them with levity, nor ever to take them without due consideration. Hence we ought, with the utmost vigilance, to abstain from mingling oaths in our ordinary discourse, and from associating the name of God with low or disgusting images, or using it on trivial occasions, as not only a profane levity in itself, but tending to destroy that reverence for the supreme Majesty which ought to prevail in society, and to dwell in our own hearts.
The forms of oaths, says Dr. Paley, "like other religious ceremonies, have in all ages been various; consisting, however, for the most part of some bodily action, and of a prescribed form of words." Among the Jews, the juror held up his right hand toward heaven, Ps 144:8; Re 10:5. The same form is retained in Scotland still. Among the Jews, also, an oath of fidelity was taken by the servant's putting his hand under the thigh of his lord, Ge 24:2. Among the Greeks and Romans, the form varied with the subject and occasion of the oath; in private contracts, the parties took hold of each other's hands, while they swore to the performance; or they touched the altar of the god by whose divinity they swore: upon more solemn occasions, it was the custom to slay a victim; and the beast being struck down with certain ceremonies and invocations, gave birth to the expression, ferire pactum; and to our English phrase, translated from this, of "striking a bargain." The form of oaths in Christian countries is also very different: but in no country in the world worse contrived, either to convey the meaning or impress the obligation of an oath, than in our own. The juror with us, after repeating the promise or affirmation which the oath is intended to confirm, adds, "So help me God;" or, more frequently, the substance of the oath is repeated to the juror by the magistrate, who adds in the conclusion, "So help you God." The energy of this sentence resides in the particle so: So, that is, hac lege, upon condition of my speaking the truth, or performing this promise, and not otherwise, may God help me! The juror, while he hears or repeats the words of the oath, holds his right hand upon a Bible, or other book containing the Gospels, and at the conclusion kisses the book. This obscure and elliptical form, together with the levity and frequency of them, has brought about a general inadvertency to the obligation of oaths, which, both in a religious and political view, is much to be lamented; and it merits public consideration, whether the requiring of oaths upon so many frivolous occasions, especially in the customs, and in the qualification for petty offices, has any other effect than to make such sanctions cheap in the minds of the people. A pound of tea cannot travel regularly from the ship to the consumer, without costing half a dozen oaths at least; and the same security for the due discharge of their office, namely, that of an oath, is required from a churchwarden and an archbishop; from a petty constable and the chief justice of England. Oaths, however, are lawful; and whatever be the form, the signification is the same. Historians have justly remarked, that when the reverence for an oath began to diminish among the Romans, and the loose epicurean system, which discarded the belief of providence, was introduced, the Roman honour and prosperity from that period began to decline. The Quakers refuse to swear upon any occasion, founding their scruples concerning the lawfulness of oaths upon our Saviour's prohibition, "Swear not at all," Mt 5:34. But it seems our Lord there referred to the vicious, wanton, and unauthorized swearing in common discourse, and not to judicial oaths; for he himself answered, when interrogated, upon oath, Mt 26:63-64; Mr 14:61. The Apostle Paul also makes use of expressions which contain the nature of oaths, Ro 1:9; 1Co 15:31; 2Co 1:18; Ga 1:20; Heb 6:13-17. The administration of oaths supposes that God will punish false swearing with more severity than a simple lie, or breach of promise; for which belief there are the following reasons:
1. Perjury is a sin of greater deliberation. 2. It violates a superior confidence. 3. God directed the Israelites to swear by his name, De 6:13; 10:20; and was pleased to confirm his covenant with that people by an oath; neither of which, it is probable, he would have done, had he not intended to represent oaths as having some meaning and effect beyond the obligation of a bare promise.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And he said unto his eldest servant of his house which had the rule over all that he had, "Put thy hand under my thigh
But fear the LORD thy God and serve him, and swear by his name,
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God and serve him and cleave unto him and swear by his name,
whose mouth talketh of vanity, and their righthand is a righthand of falsity.
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's seat:
But Jesus held his peace. And the chief priest answered, and said to him, "I charge thee in the name of the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be Christ the son of God." Jesus said to him, "Thou hast said. Nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the son of man sitting on the righthand of power, and come in the clouds of the sky."
And he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the highest priest asked him, and said unto him, "Art thou the Christ, the son of the blessed?"
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit, in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
The things which I write, behold, God knoweth I lie not.
And he is the head of the body, that is, to wit, of the congregation: he is the beginning and first begotten of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he had no greater thing to swear by, he sware by himself, saying, "Surely I will bless thee, and multiply thee indeed." read more. And so after that he had tarried a long time, he enjoyed the promises. Men verily swear by him that is greater than themselves; And an oath to confirm the thing, is among them an end of all strife. So God, willing very abundantly to show, unto the heirs of promise, the stableness of his counsel; he added an oath,
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea, and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven,