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, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” 15And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. 17In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, 18so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie.

Hebrews 6:16 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• verilyμένmen · on the other handG3303
• swearὄμνυμιomnuō · to swearG3660
• byκατάkata · according toG2596
• the greaterμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• an oathὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• an oathὅρκοςhorkos · oathG3727
• forεἰςeis · towardG1519
• confirmationβεβαίωσιςbebaiōsis · confirmationG951
• to themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• an endπέραςperas · endG4009
• ofἀντιλογίαantilogia · disputeG485
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956

Cross-references for Hebrews 6:16

• Hebrews 6:13Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,
• Genesis 14:22But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow
• Genesis 21:23Now swear to me right here in God’s name that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. Show me, and the land where you are staying, the same loyalty that I have shown you.”
• Matthew 23:20So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
• Genesis 21:30He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof that I dug this well.”
• Genesis 31:53May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared.
• Exodus 22:11then there will be an oath to the Lord between the two of them, that he has not laid his hand on his neighbor’s goods, and its owner will accept this, and he will not have to pay.
• Joshua 9:15Joshua made a peace treaty with them and agreed to let them live. The leaders of the community sealed it with an oath.
• 2 Samuel 21:2So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)
• Ezekiel 17:16“‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, surely in the city of the king who crowned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke – in the middle of Babylon he will die!

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