A verb meaning to swear a false oath or to break a sworn commitment. Compound of epi (upon) + horkos (oath), suggesting the weight of a violated oath pressing down. Used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5:33 declares, 'You shall not swear falsely.' Jesus quotes and then transcends this command. The entire framework of oath-swearing exists because human truthfulness is compromised. In the Kingdom of God, epiorkeō is made unnecessary by a new integrity — let your yes be yes and your no be no (Matthew 5:37). The disciple whose every word is trustworthy has no need for oaths — their entire life is the oath. James 5:12 echoes this: a simple affirmation replaces the oath entirely. Epiorkeō is not merely legal violation; it is a fracture in the image of the God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2).