📖 Biblical Definition
Swearing of oaths is the calling of God or a sacred thing as witness to one’s speech. Jesus commanded: "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne... But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Matthew 5:34-37; James 5:12). The teaching does not abolish all judicial oaths (Paul swears under God in his epistles, Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 1:20; God Himself swore by Himself to Abraham, Hebrews 6:13-18); it forbids the casual, self-promoting, or evasive use of oaths in ordinary speech. The Christian man’s plain word should be reliable enough that no oath is needed for it.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
OATH — a solemn affirmation or declaration, made with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed.
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OATH, n. — A solemn affirmation or declaration, made with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed. The appeal to God in an oath implies that the person imprecates His vengeance and renounces His favor if the declaration is false. The Christian under the New Covenant is bound to such transparent honesty that the oath becomes superfluous, and Christ Himself forbade the casual taking of oaths.
📖 Key Scripture
Matthew 5:34 — "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne."
Matthew 5:37 — "But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."
James 5:12 — "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment."
Matthew 5:36 — "Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The casual oath — “I swear to God,” “on my mother's grave” — is forbidden by Christ.
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Jesus did not regulate the taking of oaths; He forbade the casual ones. The reason is the believer's integrity: a yes that is yes and a no that is no does not require divine reinforcement. Every “I swear to God” in modern speech is a tacit confession that the speaker's ordinary word is unreliable.
The corruption is the substitution of oath-strength for character-strength. Christ's command is not a ceremonial nicety; it is the reform of speech itself. Whatever is more than yes-yes and no-no, He says, comes from the evil one. The cure is plain truth-telling without garnish.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek omnyō (to swear); horkos (oath); paired with naí (yes) and ou (no) in Christ's reform.
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G3660 — omnyō — to swear, take an oath
G3727 — horkos — oath; a solemn appeal to God
G3483 — nai — yes — the doubled affirmation Christ commands
Usage
"Do not swear at all (Matthew 5:34)."
"Let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No (Matthew 5:37)."
"The casual oath confesses the ordinary lie."