the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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King James Version
Hebrews 6:16
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People always use the name of someone greater than themselves to make a promise with an oath. The oath proves that what they say is true, and there is no more arguing about it.
Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
Men verely sweare by him that is greater then them selves and an othe to confyrme the thynge ys amonge them an ende of all stryfe.
For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
For people swear an oath by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
People always use the name of someone greater than themselves when they swear. The oath proves that what they say is true, and this ends all arguing.
For men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation [is] to them an end of all contradiction.
For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all contradiction.
For men swear by what is greater than themselves; and with them an oath in confirmation of a statement always puts an end to a dispute.
For men sweren bi a grettere than hem silf, and the ende of al her ple is an ooth to confirmacioun.
For men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument.
When anyone wants to settle an argument, they make a vow by using the name of someone or something greater than themselves.
Indeed men swear [an oath] by one greater than themselves, and with them [in all disputes] the oath serves as confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute.
For men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
For men at all times make their oaths by what is greater; and any argument is ended by the decision of the oath.
Now people swear oaths by someone greater than themselves, and confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute.
For men indeed swear by a greater, and with them the oath is a term to all dispute, as making matters sure.
For people swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all argument.Exodus 22:11;">[xr]
For men swear by one greater than themselves: and every controversy which occurs among them hath a sure conclusion in the oath.
For men swear by one greater than themselves: and in every controversy that occurs among them, the sure termination of it is by an oath.
For men verily sweare by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding.
When men make a promise, they use a name greater than themselves. They do this to make sure they will do what they promise. In this way, no one argues about it.
Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute.
For men verely sweare by him that is greater then themselues, and an othe for confirmation is among them an ende of all strife.
For men swear by one who is greater than themselves: and in every dispute among them, the true settlement is by oaths.
For, men, by the greater one, swear, and, with them, an end of all gainsaying by way of confirmation is, the oath:
For men swear by one greater than themselves: and an oath for confirmation is the end of all their controversy.
For men veryly sweare by the greater, and an oth for confirmation, is to them an ende of all stryfe.
When we make a vow, we use the name of someone greater than ourselves, and the vow settles all arguments.
For people swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute.
For people swear by what is greater than themselves, and the oath for confirmation is the end of all dispute for them.
For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath to make things sure is to them the end of all gainsaying.
for men indeed do swear by the greater, and an end of all controversy to them for confirmation [is] the oath,
As for men, they sweare by him that is greater then them selues: and the ooth is the ende of all stryfe to confirme the thinge amoge them.
for when men swear by a superior, the ratifying what they say with an oath, puts an end to all further debate.
For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute.
For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.
When people make a promise, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. A promise made like this can't be broken.
For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
swear: Hebrews 6:13, Genesis 14:22, Genesis 21:23, Matthew 23:20-22
an oath: Genesis 21:30, Genesis 21:31, Genesis 31:53, Exodus 22:11, Joshua 9:15-20, 2 Samuel 21:2, Ezekiel 17:16-20
Reciprocal: Genesis 21:24 - General Genesis 24:3 - swear Genesis 25:33 - Swear Genesis 26:28 - Let there Genesis 26:31 - sware Exodus 20:7 - take Deuteronomy 26:3 - which the Ruth 3:13 - the Lord liveth 1 Samuel 20:3 - sware 1 Samuel 24:21 - Swear 2 Samuel 19:23 - sware 1 Kings 18:15 - As the Lord Psalms 18:24 - the Lord recompensed me Isaiah 14:24 - Lord Isaiah 54:9 - General Luke 1:73 - General Hebrews 2:16 - verily Hebrews 6:17 - confirmed it Hebrews 7:21 - sware
Cross-References
And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord ; and she despised him in her heart.
And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.
The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered;
Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.
When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For men verily swear by the greater,.... These words contain a reason why God swore by himself, and why his promises, having an oath annexed to them, ought to be believed. Men when they swear, they swear by the greater; not by themselves, as God does, because there is one greater than they; not by any of the creatures on earth, nor by the angels in heaven, but by God; because he is the God of truth, the searcher of hearts, and who can take vengeance on perjurers: and an oath may lawfully be taken, when it is truth that is sworn to, and is just and good; and in cases of weight and moment; and in what is possible and right to perform; and when it is done with deliberation, in the fear of God, with a view to his glory, and the good of men: for an oath is of a moral nature, what God has commanded, and he himself has taken; it has been used by Christ, and by the saints of the Old and New Testament; and is prophesied of the New Testament saints, as what they should practise; and is a part of religious worship:
and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife; it is used to confirm things that are doubtful, and in dispute; and to put an end to strife and contention; so Philo o the Jew says,
"by an oath things doubtful are determined, and things uncertain are confirmed, and what were not believed receive credit.''
The manner in which an oath was taken among the Jews, to which, the apostle writing to such, must be thought to have respect, was this;
"he that swore took the book of the law in his hand, and he stood and swore by the name (of God), or by his surnames; and the judges did not suffer anyone to swear but in the holy tongue; and thus he said, behold I swear by the God of Israel, by him whose name is merciful and gracious, that I do not owe this man anything p.''
The Hebrew word שבעה, used for an oath, is of the root שבע, which signifies to "fill, satiate, satisfy": for an oath being taken about matters in controversy, not clear but doubtful give content unto and satisfy the minds of men; and the same word also signifies "seven", a number of fulness and perfection; an oath being for the perfecting and finishing an affair in debate; agreeably, when covenants were made by oaths, seven witnesses were used, Genesis 21:28 and Herodotus says q as Cocceius r observes, that the Arabians, when they swore at making covenants, anointed the stones with blood.
o De Somniis, p. 567. p Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Torah, pr. Affirm. 123. q Thalia, l. 3. c. 8. r Lexic. Rad. שבע col. 848.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For men verily swear by the greater - That is, they appeal to God. They never swear by one who is inferior to themselves. The object of the apostle in this declaration is to show that as far as this could be done it had been by God. He could not indeed swear by one greater than himself, but he could make his promise as certain as an oath taken by people was when they solemnly appealed to him. He could appeal to his own existence and veracity, which was at any time the most solemn form of an oath, and thus put the mind to rest in regard to the hope of heaven.
And an oath for confirmation - An oath taken to confirm or establish anything.
Is to them an end of all strife - That is, when two parties are at variance, or have a cause at issue, an oath binds them to adhere to the terms of agreement concluded on, or contracting parties bind themselves by a solemn oath to adhere to the conditions of an agreement, and this puts an end to all strife. They rest satisfied when a solemn oath has been taken, and they feel assured that the agreement will be complied with. Or it may refer to cases where a man was accused of wrong before a court, and where he took a solemn oath that the thing had not been done, and his oath was admitted to be sufficient to put an end to the controversy. The general meaning is clear, that in disputes between man and man, an appeal was made to an oath, and that was allowed to settle it. The connection here is, that as far as the case would admit of, the same thing was done by God. His oath by himself made his promise firm.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. Men verily swear by the greater — One who has greater authority; who can take cognizance of the obligation, and punish the breach of it.
An oath for confirmation — "This observation teaches us," says Dr. Macknight, "that both promissory oaths concerning things lawful and in our power, and oaths for the confirmation of things doubtful, when required by proper authority, and taken religiously, are allowable under the Gospel."
