Oath

How Nave’s arranged it

• (A solemn qualification) -Used in solemnizing covenants
• Between Abraham and the king of SodomGenesis 14:22Genesis 14:23
• Between Abraham and AbimelechGenesis 21:22Genesis 21:23
• Between Isaac and AbimelechGenesis 26:26–29Genesis 26:31
• Abraham requires oath of his servant EliezerGenesis 24:2Genesis 24:3Genesis 24:9
• Esau confirms the sale of his birthright byGenesis 25:33
• Jacob confirms the covenant between him and Laban byGenesis 31:53
• Requires Joseph to swear that he would bury him with his forefathersGenesis 47:28–31
• Joseph requires a similar oathGenesis 50:25
• Rahab requires an oath from the spiesJoshua 2:12–14Joshua 6:22
• The Israelites confirm the covenant with the HivitesJoshua 9:3–20
• Moses covenants with Caleb byJoshua 14:9

The passages, in Bible order (104)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 14:22

   But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

   ›Commentary on Genesis 14:222 voices

   “It is good to learn of others how to order our speech concerning God, and to imitate those who speak well in divine things. (2.) The ceremony used in this oath; I have lift up my hand - In religious swearing we appeal to God's knowledge of our truth and sincerity, and imprecate his wrath if we swear falsely; and the lifting up of the hands is expressive of both.

   “I have lift up mine hand - The primitive mode of appealing to God, and calling him to witness a particular transaction; this no doubt generally obtained among the faithful till circumcision, the sign of the covenant, was established. After this, in swearing, the hand was often placed on the circumcised part; see Gen 24:2, Gen 24:9.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 14:22→

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2. Genesis 14:23

   that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

   ›Commentary on Genesis 14:232 voices

   “It is characteristic of the perfect mind not to take for itself any earthly thing, anything prone to bodily seduction. This is why Abraham says, "I will take nothing of what is yours." He avoids intemperance like the plague. He flees from sensual bodily temptations as from filth. He rejects worldly pleasures to seek those that are above the world. This is what it means to raise one's hands to the Lord. The hand that does good is the virtue of the soul.

   “From a thread even to a shoelatchet - This was certainly a proverbial mode of expression, the full meaning of which is perhaps not known. Among the rabbinical writers חוט chut, or חוטי chuti, signifies a fillet worn by young women to tie up their hair; taken in this sense it will give a good meaning here.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 14:23→

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3. Genesis 21:22

   At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 21:221 voice

   “At that time - This may either refer to the transactions recorded in the preceding chapter, or to the time of Ishmael’s marriage, but most probably to the former. God is with thee - מימרא דיי meimera daiya, the Word of Jehovah; see before, Gen 15:1. That the Chaldee paraphrasts use this term, not for a word spoken, but in the same sense in which St. John uses the λογος του Θεου, the Word of God, (Joh 1:1), must be evident to every unprejudiced reader. See on Gen 15:1 (note).

   Everything gathered on Genesis 21:22→

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4. Genesis 21:23

   Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you.”

   ›Commentary on Genesis 21:232 voices

   “Now therefore swear unto me - The oath on such occasions probably meant no more than the mutual promise of both the parties, when they slew an animal, poured out the blood as a sacrifice to God, and then passed between the pieces. See this ceremony, Gen 15:18 (note), and on Genesis 15 (note).

   “After these things, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, for they saw that God was with him and had helped him in the wars of the kings and had also promised him the land of the Canaanites.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 21:23→

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5. Genesis 22:16

   saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Genesis 24:2

   So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,

   ›Commentary on Genesis 24:22 voices

   “when the most faithful Abraham wished to make his servant swear with more than usual solemnity by the circumcision as being a seal royal, Place, he said, thine hand under my thigh, instead of under the seal royal, that is, the circumcision

   “Eldest servant - As this eldest servant is stated to have been the ruler over all that he had, it is very likely that Eliezer is meant. See Gen 15:2, Gen 15:3. Put, I pray thee, thy hand - See note on Gen 24:9.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 24:2→

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7. Genesis 24:3

   and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,

   ›Commentary on Genesis 24:31 voice

   “Thus God swears his servants to their work, that, having sworn, they may perform it. Honour is here done to the eternal God; for he it is that is sworn by, to whom alone these appeals ought to be made. And some think honour is done to the covenant of circumcision by the ceremony here used of putting his hand under his thigh.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 24:3→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Genesis 24:9

   So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 24:92 voices

   “(Chapter 24, Verse 9) And the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore to him concerning this matter. The Hebrews say that he swore at his consecration, that is, at his circumcision. But we say that he swore by the seed of Abraham, that is, by Christ, who was to be born from him, according to the Gospel of Matthew, which says: The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).

   “Put his hand under the thigh of Abraham - This form of swearing has greatly puzzled the commentators; but it is useless to detail opinions which I neither believe myself, nor would wish my readers to credit. I believe the true sense is given in the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, and that called the Jerusalem Targum. In the former it is said, Put now thy hand בגזית מהולתי bigzirath mehulathi, in sectione circumcisionis meoe; in the latter תחות ירך קימי techoth yerech keyami, sub femore foederis mei.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 24:9→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Genesis 25:33

   “Swear to me first,” Jacob said. So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birthright.

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Genesis 26:26–29

    Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.

    ›Commentary on Genesis 26:26–291 voice

    “(Verse 26.) And Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his counselor, and Phicol the commander of his army. Regarding Ahuzzath his counselor, in Hebrew it means his group of friends: it signifies not so much a single person as a crowd of friends who came with the king, among whom was also Phicol the commander of his army.

    Everything gathered on Genesis 26:26–29→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. Genesis 26:31

    And they got up early the next morning and swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Genesis 31:53

    May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

    ›Commentary on Genesis 31:531 voice

    “The God of their father - As Laban certainly speaks of the true God here, with what propriety can he say that this God was the God of Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor? It is certain that Terah was an idolater; of this we have the most positive proof, Jos 24:2. Because the clause is not in the Septuagint, and is besides wanting in some MSS., Dr. Kennicott considers it an interpolation.

    Everything gathered on Genesis 31:53→

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13. Genesis 47:28–31

    And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the length of his life was 147 years.

    ›Commentary on Genesis 47:28–311 voice

    “Jacob lived seventeen years after he came into Egypt, far beyond his own expectation: seventeen years he had nourished Joseph, for so old he was when he was sold from him, and now, seventeen years Joseph nourished him.

    Everything gathered on Genesis 47:28–31→

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14. Genesis 50:25

    And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

    ›Commentary on Genesis 50:251 voice

    “Ye shall carry up my bones - That I may finally rest with my ancestors in the land which God gave to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and which is a pledge as it is a type of the kingdom of Heaven. Thus says the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Heb 11:22: “By Faith Joseph, when he died, (τελευτων, when dying), made mention of the departure (εξοδου, of the Exodus) of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

    Everything gathered on Genesis 50:25→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Exodus 20:7

    You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.

    ›Commentary on Exodus 20:71 voice

    “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain - This precept not only forbids all false oaths, but all common swearing where the name of God is used, or where he is appealed to as a witness of the truth. It also necessarily forbids all light and irreverent mention of God, or any of his attributes; and this the original word לשוא lashshav particularly imports: and we may safely add to all these, that every prayer, ejaculation, etc., that is not accompanied with deep reverence and the genuine spirit of piety, is here condemned also.

    Everything gathered on Exodus 20:7→

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16. Exodus 22:10

    If a man gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any other animal to be cared for by his neighbor, but it dies or is injured or stolen while no one is watching,

    ›Commentary on Exodus 22:102 voices

    “If a man deliver to his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast to keep,.... And he keeps it without a reward, as the Targum of Jonathan; but Jarchi and Aben Ezra more rightly interpret this of one that keeps for hire, as herdsmen, shepherds, &c.

    “This law appears to relate chiefly to herdsmen employed by the owners of cattle. When an animal was stolen Exo 22:12, it was presumed either that the herdsman might have prevented it, or that he could find the thief and bring him to justice (see Exo 22:4). When an animal was killed by a wild beast, the keeper had to produce the mangled carcass, not only in proof of the fact, but to show that he had, by his vigilance and courage, deprived the wild beast of its prey.

    Everything gathered on Exodus 22:10→

    Verse page →Original language →