Hebrews 6:13
in Hebrews 6When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself,
KJV
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
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This verse in Hebrews 6
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For when God made promise to Abraham - That he would bless him, and multiply his seed as the stars of heaven; Gen 22:16-17. The object of introducing this example here is, to encourage those to whom the apostle was writing to persevere in the Christian life, This he does by showing that God had given the highest possible assurance of his purpose to bless his people, by an oath.
This site's exposition
He swore by Himself
on Hebrews 6:13-15
The oath is Genesis 22:16 to 17: since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself. The words I will surely bless you keep the doubled Hebrew verb. Abraham obtained the promise after waiting patiently, makrothumesas, the long wait for Isaac.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Of those who through faith inherited the promises, many have died, but they were kept safe for others; he only remembers Abraham, both because of the dignity of his person and because he especially was deemed worthy and attained the promises. And through this, he …
As God has no one superior to him (he is saying), his oath was witness; he swore by himself, in fact.
Having boldly reflected on the faults of the Hebrews, and sufficiently alarmed them, he consoles them, first, by praises, and secondly (which also is the stronger ground), by the thought that they would certainly attain the object of their hope. Moreover he draws his consolation, not from things future, but again from the past, which indeed would the rather persuade them. For as in the case of punishment, he alarms them rather by those things future, so also in the case of the prizes set before them, he encourages them by these things past, showing herein God's way of dealing. And that is, not to bring in what has been promised immediately, but after a long time. And this He does, both to present the greatest proof of His power, and also to lead us to Faith, that they who are living in tribulation without having received the promises, or the rewards, may not faint under their troubles. And omitting all the rest, though he had many whom he might have mentioned, he brought forward Abraham both on account of the dignity of his person, and because this had occurred in a special way in his case. And yet at the end of the Epistle he says, that "all these, having seen the promises afar off, and having embraced them, received them not, that they without us should not be made perfect." "For when God made promise to Abraham" (he says) "because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." How then does he say at the end of the Epistle that "he received not the promises," and here, that "after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise"? How did he not receive? How did he obtain? He is not speaking of the same things in this place and in the other, but makes the consolation twofold. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Since there were many who inherited the promises by faith, he has for now passed over all the rest, leaving them for later, and recalls only Abraham, both because of the importance of his person, and especially because he both was deemed worthy of and …
311. – Above, the Apostle showed why he had confidence in them, namely, because of the good they performed; here he shows the same because of the promise made to the Patriarchs. Hence, he does two things: first, he mentions the promise; secondly, he assigns …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For - Ye have abundant encouragement, seeing no stronger promise could be made than that great promise which God made to Abraham, and in him to us.
For when God made promise to Abraham,....
The blessing of God is the blessedness of his people; and those whom he has blessed indeed he will go on to bless, and will multiply blessings, till he has brought them to perfect blessedness. (2.) What was the oath by which this promise was ratified: He swore by himself.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"He now gives consolation, by the oath of God's grace, to those whom, in the second, third, and fourth chapters, he had warned by the oath of God's 'wrath.' The oath of wrath did not primarily extend its force beyond the wilderness; but the oath of grace is in force for ever" [BENGEL].
When God made promise to Abraham - The promise referred to is that made to Abraham when he had offered his son Isaac on the altar, Gen 22:16-18: “By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord; for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thy only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Of this promise the apostle only quotes a part, as is generally the case, because he knew that his readers were well acquainted with the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and particularly with the law. He sware by himself - He pledged his eternal power and Godhead for the fulfillment of the promise; there was no being superior to himself to whom he could make appeal, or by whom he could be bound, therefore he appeals to and pledges his immutable truth and Godhead.
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | For | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | to Abraham | G11 → | 73 times |
| ἐπαγγειλάμενος | epangeilamenos | having made His promise | G1861 → | 15 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεός, | theos | God, | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἐπεὶ | epei | since | G1893 → | 26 times |
| κατ᾽ | kat᾽ | by | G2596 → | 468 times |
| οὐδενὸς | oudenos | no [one] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| εἶχεν | eichen | He had | G2192 → | 707 times |
| μείζονος | meizonos | greater | G3173 → | 243 times |
| ὀμόσαι, | omosai | to swear, | G3660 → | 26 times |
| ὤμοσεν | omosen | He swore | G3660 → | 26 times |
| καθ᾽ | kath᾽ | by | G2596 → | 468 times |
| ἑαυτοῦ | he'autou | Himself | G1438 → | 322 times |
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
γὰρFor
garG1063 →1039 times
Ἀβραὰμto Abraham
abraamG11 →73 times
ἐπαγγειλάμενοςhaving made His promise
epangeilamenosG1861 →15 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεός,God,
theosG2316 →1312 times
ἐπεὶsince
epeiG1893 →26 times
κατ᾽by
kat᾽G2596 →468 times
οὐδενὸςno [one]
oudenosG3762 →232 times
εἶχενHe had
eichenG2192 →707 times
μείζονοςgreater
meizonosG3173 →243 times
ὀμόσαι,to swear,
omosaiG3660 →26 times
ὤμοσενHe swore
omosenG3660 →26 times
καθ᾽by
kath᾽G2596 →468 times
ἑαυτοῦHimself
he'autouG1438 →322 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 45:23By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.
it leads to
- Philippians 2:10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
- Romans 14:10–12
Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
- Isaiah 55:11
so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.
- Hebrews 6:13–18
When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,
- Deuteronomy 6:13
Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
- Philippians 2:10
Through
Luke 1:73the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
it leads to
- Genesis 22:16–18
saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
- Psalms 105:9
the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac.
- Deuteronomy 7:8
But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand…
- Genesis 22:16–18
Where this verse is studied
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1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Hebrews; John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 11; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 6; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.