35 Bible Verses about Oaths, Human

If a man makes a vow to Jehovah that he will do something or swears an oath that he will not do something, he must not break his word. He must do everything he said he would do.

When you vow to Jehovah your God do not delay the payback. It would be sin, and Jehovah your God will surely require it of you.

Woe to you, you blind guides! You say, 'When you swear by the temple, it is nothing.' Then you say, 'When you swear by the gold of the temple, you are obligated.' You fools! You blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? When you swear by an altar, you owe nothing. When you swear by the gift left on the altar, you are obligated.read more.
You blind men! What is more important, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? He who swears by the altar, swears by it and everything on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him that dwells within it. Thus, he who swears by heaven also swears by the throne of God and him who sits on it.

You must respect Jehovah your God. Serve him and swear by his name!

Who will go up to the mountain of Jehovah? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up (turned) to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully.

If with all their hearts they will accept the religion of my people and will swear: As Jehovah lives, as they once taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will also be a part of my people and will prosper.

Do not swear falsely by my name, so as to profane the name of your God. I am Jehovah.

Never use the name of Jehovah your God in a false and evil way. Jehovah will make sure that anyone who is false, evil, careless and vain with his name will be punished.

Do not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain. Jehovah will not leave him unpunished who takes his name in vain.

If you find something that someone lost and lie about it under oath, or commit any other sin like this, you have sinned and are guilty. Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found, or whatever it was that you swore falsely about. Pay it back in full plus one-fifth more. Give it back to its owner on the day you bring your guilt offering.

He continued: This is the curse that is upon the land. Every one who steals will be acquitted. Every one who swears falsely will be innocent. I will cause it to happen, said Jehovah of Hosts, and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of he who swears falsely by my name. The curse will abide in the midst of his house and will consume it with the timber and the stones of the house.

The case between them must be settled by swearing an oath to Jehovah that the neighbor did not take the other person's animal. The owner must accept the oath. The neighbor does not have to make up for the loss.

The priest will say to her: 'If no other man has had sexual intercourse with you and you have not been unfaithful to your husband, you are not guilty. This bitter water that can bring a curse will not harm you.

When a person is accused of wronging another and is brought to your altar in this Temple to take an oath that he is innocent,

In the seventh year Jehoiada the priest sent for the officers in charge of the royal bodyguard and of the palace guards, and told them to come to the Temple. He made them agree under oath to what he planned to do. He showed them King Ahaziah's son Joash

So King Zedekiah promised me in secret: I swear by the living God, the God who gave us life, that I will not put you to death or hand you over to the men who want to kill you.

He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land,

Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham. They said: God is with you in all that you do. Swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity. Consider the kindness that I have shown to you. Please show it to me and to the land in which you have sojourned. Abraham said: I swear it.read more.
Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water that the servants of Abimelech had seized. Abimelech said: I do not know who has done this thing. You did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today. Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. Abimelech asked Abraham: What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves? He said: You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this well. Therefore he called that place Beer-sheba, because there the two of them took an oath.

Abimelech came from Gerar with Ahuzzath, his friend (companion), and Phicol, the commander of his army, to see Isaac. Isaac asked: Why have you now come to see me? You were so unfriendly to me before and made me leave your country. They answered: Now we know that Jehovah is with you. We think that there should be a solemn agreement between us. We want you to promiseread more.
that you will not harm us. We did not harm you. We were kind to you and let you go peacefully. Now it is clear that Jehovah has blessed you. Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank. Early the next morning each man made his promise and sealed it with a vow. Isaac said good-bye to them. They parted as friends.

Now, let us make an agreement (covenant) and let it stand as a witness between you and me. Jacob took a stone and set it up as a marker. Jacob said to his relatives: Gather some stones. They took stones, put them into a pile, and ate there by the pile of stones.read more.
In his language, Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha (Witness Pile), but Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said: This pile of stones stands as a witness between you and me today. This is why it was named Galeed, and also Mizpah (Watchtower), because he said: May Jehovah watch between you and me when we are unable to see each other. If you mistreat my daughters or marry other women behind my back, remember that God stands as a witness between you and me. Laban also said to Jacob: Here is the pile of stones. Here is the marker that I have set up between you and me. This pile of stones and this marker stand as witnesses that I will not go past the pile of stones to harm you, and that you will not go past the pile of stones or marker to harm me. May the God of Abraham and Nahor the God of their father judge between us. So Jacob swore this oath out of respect for his father Isaac.

When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, They resorted to a ruse (scheme) (trick). They acted as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, worn out, torn, and mended. They had worn out and patched shoes on their feet, they wore old garments; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.read more.
They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel: We come from a distant country, make a treaty with us. The men of Israel said to the Hivites: Perhaps you live near us. How can we make a treaty with you? They said: We are your servants. Joshua said to them: Who are you? Where do you come from? They said: From a very far country, your servants came because of the name of Jehovah your God, for we have heard about him and all he did in Egypt; and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying: 'Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them: We are your servants. Therefore make a treaty with us.' We took hot fresh bread for our provision out of our houses on the day we came to you. Now it is dry, and it is moldy: These bottles of wine, which we filled, were new and now they are cracked. Our garments and shoes have become old by reason of the very long journey. The men sampled their provisions but did not ask for counsel from Jehovah. Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live. The leaders of the congregation ratified it by an oath. At the end of three days after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them. The children of Israel journeyed to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. The children of Israel did not kill them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Jehovah God of Israel. The entire congregation murmured against the princes. But all the leaders said to the entire congregation: We have sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them. We will even let them live in case we become angry. This is because of the oath we swore to them. The leaders said to them: Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water to the entire congregation as the leaders had promised them.

Joshua pronounced an oath at that time, saying: Cursed be the man before Jehovah, that rises up and builds this city Jericho. He will lay the foundation at the cost of his firstborn. He will set up the gates at the cost of his youngest son.

When he reached the gate, another saw him and said: This man was with Jesus the Nazarene. Again he denied with an oath: I have no knowledge of the man. A few moments later, those who were near approached and said to Peter: Indeed, you are one of them, because the way you speak gives you away.read more.
Then with curses and oaths he said: I do not know the man! And immediately a rooster crowed.

Peter denied it again. Later the bystanders accused Peter again saying: You cannot deny that you are one of them, because you, too, are from Galilee. Then Peter said: I swear I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I lie! I do not know the man you are talking about!

But Abram said to the king of Sodom: I have sworn to Jehovah, God Most High, maker of heaven and earth: I will take nothing. Not a thread or a sandal strap. You will not be able to say: 'I have made Abram rich.'

I want you to swear by Jehovah God of heaven and earth that you will not get my son a wife from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living. Instead, you will go to the land of my relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac. The servant asked: What if the young woman will not leave home to come with me to this land? Shall I send your son back to the land you came from?read more.
Abraham answered: Make sure that you do not send my son back there! Jehovah, the God of heaven, took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth. He spoke to me and swore to me. He said: I will give this land to your descendants. He will send his angel before you. You will take a wife for my son from there. You will be free from this oath if the woman is not willing to follow you. Only do not take my son back there. The servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master. He swore to him concerning this matter.

Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, until he was a hundred and forty-seven years old. When the time drew near for him to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him: Place your hand under my thighs and make a solemn vow that you will not bury me in Egypt. I want to be buried where my fathers are. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried. Joseph answered: I will do as you say.read more.
Jacob said: Make a vow that you will. Joseph made the vow. Jacob gave thanks there on his bed.

Before Joseph died, he told his brothers: I will not live much longer. God will take care of you. He will lead you out of Egypt to the land he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Promise me that you will take my body with you when God leads you to that land.

Jehovah, remember David and all his affliction. Remember how he swore an oath to Jehovah and made this vow to the Mighty One of Jacob. He said: I will not step inside my house,read more.
get into my bed, shut my eyes, or close my eyelids until I find a place for Jehovah, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.

Jacob answered: First make a vow that you will give me your birthright. Esau made the vow and gave his rights as firstborn to Jacob.

When you pledge a vow in haste about what you will or will not do, as some people do, and then ignore it; although you know what you said, you will be guilty.

It was Herod's birthday. The daughter of Herodias danced for him and pleased him. So he promised with an oath to give her anything she wanted.

When the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod and his guests, she pleased him so much he promised her anything she desired. He pledged to her, Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, up to half of my kingdom.

Above all things, my brothers do not swear by heaven, or by earth, or by any other oath. Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No. That way you will not fall under judgment.

You were also told that you should keep a promise (oath). Always keep your promises (vows) to Jehovah. I tell you, offer no promises at all, not by heaven, because it is God's throne. Not by earth, for it is the footstool under His feet. Not by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.read more.
And do not promise by your head, for you cannot even control the hair on your head. Let your answer be 'Yes' or 'No.' Anything more than this is from the evil one.