Hebrews 6:16

Hebrews 6:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
• New International Version (NIV)People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.

Context of Hebrews 6:16

14saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.” 15And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, obtained the promise. Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. 17So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. 18Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

Hebrews 6:16 word by word

ἄνθρωποι γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ μείζονος ὀμνύουσιν, καὶ πάσης αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογίας πέρας εἰς βεβαίωσιν ὁ ὅρκος·Read the interlinear

• ·γάρgar · forG1063
• Menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• swearὄμνυμιomnuō · to swearG3660
• byκατάkata · according toG2596
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• greaterμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• oathὅρκοςhorkos · oathG3727
• serves asεἰςeis · towardG1519
• a confirmationβεβαίωσιςbebaiōsis · confirmationG951
• to endπέραςperas · endG4009
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• ·αὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• argumentἀντιλογίαantilogia · disputeG485

Cross-references for Hebrews 6:16

• Hebrews 6:13When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,
• Genesis 14:22But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
• Genesis 21:23Now, 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.”
• Matthew 23:20So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
• Genesis 21:30He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.”
• Genesis 31:53May 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.
• Exodus 22:11an oath before the LORD shall be made between the parties to determine whether or not the man has taken his neighbor’s property. The owner must accept the oath and require no restitution.
• Joshua 9:15And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
• 2 Samuel 21:2At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)
• Ezekiel 17:16‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.

Commentaries on Hebrews 6:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Men verily swear by the greater - One who has greater authority; who can take cognizance of the obligation, and punish the breach of it. An oath for confirmation - "This observation teaches us," says Dr. Macknight, "that both promissory oaths concerning things lawful and in our power, and oaths for the confirmation of things doubtful, when required by proper authority, and taken religiously, are allowable under the Gospel."Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16For men verily swear by the greater - That is, they appeal to God. They never swear by one who is inferior to themselves. The object of the apostle in this declaration is to show that as far as this could be done it had been by God. He could not indeed swear by one greater than himself, but he could make his promise as certain as an oath taken by people was when they solemnly appealed to him. He could appeal to his own existence and veracity, which was at…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-20Verses 11-20 The hope here meant, is a sure looking for good things promised, through those promises, with love, desire, and valuing of them. Hope has its degrees, as faith also. The promise of blessedness God has made to believers, is from God's eternal purpose, settled between the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. These promises of God may safely be depended upon; for here we have two things which cannot change, the counsel and the oath of God, in which…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16In human relationships, when people take an oath, it is considered binding. If oaths assure truth among humans, an oath from God should inspire even more confidence (Hebrews 6:17–19). someone greater than themselves: Compare with 6:13.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. for confirmation--not to be joined, as English Version, to "an oath"; but to "an end" [Alford]. I prefer, "The oath is to them, in respect to confirmation (of one's solemn promise or covenant; as here, God's), an end of all contradiction (so the Greek is translated, He 12:3), or "gainsaying." This passage shows: (1) an oath is sanctioned even in the Christian dispensation as lawful; (2) that the limits to its use are, that it only be employed where it…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 6:16

• Contracts
• God
• Oath
• Righteous

In the dictionaries

• Afresh
• Anchor
• Counsel
• Covenant
• Crucify
• Enlighten
• Immutable
• Nigh
• Oath
• Persuade

Commentaries on Hebrews 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings