a solemn appeal to God, permitted on fitting occasions (
Deuteronomy 6:13 ;
Jeremiah 4:2 ), in various forms (
Genesis 16:5 ;
2 Sam
12:5 ;
Ruth 1:17 ;
Hosea 4:15 ;
Romans 1:9 ), and taken in different ways (
Genesis 14:22 ;
24:2 ;
2 Chr
6:22 ). God is represented as taking an oath (
Hebrews 6:16-18 ), so also Christ (
Matthew 26:64 ), and Paul (
Romans 9:1 ;
Galatians 1:20 ; Phil
1:8 ). The precept, "Swear not at all," refers probably to ordinary conversation between man and man (
Matthew 5:34 Matthew 5:37 ). 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."
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.