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 Living Translation (NLT)Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding.

Context of Hebrews 6:16

14saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

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 6:13For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
• Genesis 14:22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth,
• Genesis 21:23Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”
• Matthew 23:20Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.
• Genesis 21:30And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.”
• Genesis 31:53The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
• Exodus 22:11then an oath of the Lord shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good.
• Joshua 9:15So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.
• 2 Samuel 21:2So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.
• Ezekiel 17:16‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—with him in the midst of Babylon he shall 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