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100 Bible Verses about Oaths

Matthew 5:33-37 ESV / 523 helpful votes

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

James 5:12 ESV / 476 helpful votes

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Numbers 30:2 ESV / 383 helpful votes

If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23 ESV / 273 helpful votes

“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.

Leviticus 19:12 ESV / 187 helpful votes

You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

Matthew 23:16-22 ESV / 180 helpful votes

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ...

Hebrews 6:16 ESV / 148 helpful votes

For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.

Exodus 20:7 ESV / 133 helpful votes

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

2 Corinthians 1:23 ESV / 127 helpful votes

But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.

Psalm 15:4 ESV / 127 helpful votes

In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

Hebrews 6:13 ESV / 117 helpful votes

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,

Hebrews 6:17 ESV / 95 helpful votes

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,

Matthew 5:34 ESV / 90 helpful votes

But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 ESV / 85 helpful votes

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

Hebrews 7:28 ESV / 81 helpful votes

For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Deuteronomy 6:13 ESV / 78 helpful votes

It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.

Jeremiah 4:2 ESV / 74 helpful votes

And if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”

Hebrews 6:16-17 ESV / 72 helpful votes

For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,

Hebrews 3:18 ESV / 72 helpful votes

And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

Matthew 5:37 ESV / 68 helpful votes

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Hebrews 7:21 ESV / 62 helpful votes

But this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’”

Judges 11:30-39 ESV / 62 helpful votes

And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. ...

Ecclesiastes 5:4 ESV / 61 helpful votes

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.

Genesis 22:16-17 ESV / 60 helpful votes

And said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,

Matthew 23:18-22 ESV / 58 helpful votes

And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Jeremiah 12:16 ESV / 57 helpful votes

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people.

Matthew 14:7-9 ESV / 56 helpful votes

So that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given.

Matthew 5:33 ESV / 55 helpful votes

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’

Galatians 1:20 ESV / 52 helpful votes

(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

Deuteronomy 10:20 ESV / 52 helpful votes

You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.

Matthew 26:63 ESV / 48 helpful votes

But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

Exodus 22:11 ESV / 48 helpful votes

An oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution.

Luke 1:73 ESV / 47 helpful votes

The oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

Matthew 5:1-48 ESV / 46 helpful votes

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ...

Jeremiah 11:5 ESV / 46 helpful votes

That I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.” Then I answered, “So be it, Lord.”

Nehemiah 5:12 ESV / 45 helpful votes

Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.

Judges 21:5 ESV / 45 helpful votes

And the people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?” For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”

Acts 23:12-14 ESV / 44 helpful votes

When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.

Hebrews 4:3 ESV / 43 helpful votes

For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Philippians 1:8 ESV / 42 helpful votes

For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Matthew 5:34-37 ESV / 42 helpful votes

But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Romans 1:9 ESV / 41 helpful votes

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you

Ecclesiastes 8:2 ESV / 41 helpful votes

I say: Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him.

1 Kings 2:23 ESV / 41 helpful votes

Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life!

Numbers 5:21 ESV / 41 helpful votes

Then’ (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) ‘the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell.

Leviticus 5:4-5 ESV / 41 helpful votes

Or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed,

Jeremiah 38:16 ESV / 40 helpful votes

Then King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the Lord lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”

Leviticus 5:4-6 ESV / 40 helpful votes

Or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

Ruth 1:17 ESV / 39 helpful votes

Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Genesis 50:25 ESV / 39 helpful votes

Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

Deuteronomy 23:21 ESV / 38 helpful votes

“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.

Matthew 23:22 ESV / 37 helpful votes

And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Jeremiah 5:2 ESV / 37 helpful votes

Though they say, “As the Lord lives,” yet they swear falsely.

Genesis 47:29 ESV / 37 helpful votes

And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt,

Genesis 22:16 ESV / 37 helpful votes

And said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,

Matthew 26:63-64 ESV / 36 helpful votes

But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

1 Kings 8:31 ESV / 36 helpful votes

“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house,

1 Samuel 1:11 ESV / 36 helpful votes

And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

Ruth 3:13 ESV / 36 helpful votes

Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

Genesis 24:2 ESV / 36 helpful votes

And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh,

James 4:14 ESV / 35 helpful votes

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Matthew 6:33 ESV / 33 helpful votes

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Daniel 9:11 ESV / 33 helpful votes

All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.

Jeremiah 5:7 ESV / 33 helpful votes

“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores.

2 Samuel 3:35 ESV / 33 helpful votes

Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!”

1 Samuel 19:6 ESV / 33 helpful votes

And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.”

Hebrews 3:11 ESV / 32 helpful votes

As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

1 Samuel 20:3 ESV / 32 helpful votes

But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

Judges 11:30-40 ESV / 32 helpful votes

And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. ...

Numbers 5:19 ESV / 32 helpful votes

Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband's authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse.

Isaiah 45:23 ESV / 31 helpful votes

By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

Genesis 24:9 ESV / 31 helpful votes

So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

Genesis 21:23 ESV / 31 helpful votes

Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.”

Exodus 22:10-11 ESV / 30 helpful votes

“If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution.

Ezra 10:5 ESV / 29 helpful votes

Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.

Genesis 26:3 ESV / 29 helpful votes

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.

1 Peter 3:18-22 ESV / 28 helpful votes

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Matthew 5:36 ESV / 28 helpful votes

And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

Genesis 26:31 ESV / 28 helpful votes

In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace.

Genesis 14:22 ESV / 28 helpful votes

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,

Jeremiah 42:5 ESV / 27 helpful votes

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us.

Psalm 110:4 ESV / 27 helpful votes

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 6:14 ESV / 26 helpful votes

Saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”

Hebrews 6:13-17 ESV / 25 helpful votes

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,

John 14:6 ESV / 25 helpful votes

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Mark 14:71 ESV / 25 helpful votes

But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”

Matthew 14:3-12 ESV / 25 helpful votes

For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. ...

Isaiah 48:1 ESV / 25 helpful votes

Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.

2 Kings 6:31 ESV / 25 helpful votes

And he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”

1 John 1:9 ESV / 24 helpful votes

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 7:20-22 ESV / 24 helpful votes

And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’” This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

Colossians 2:1-23 ESV / 24 helpful votes

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. ...

Matthew 5:35 ESV / 24 helpful votes

Or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Proverbs 20:25 ESV / 24 helpful votes

It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after making vows.

Judges 11:29-40 ESV / 24 helpful votes

Then the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. ...

Genesis 22:16-18 ESV / 24 helpful votes

And said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

1 Thessalonians 5:27 ESV / 23 helpful votes

I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

Psalm 95:11 ESV / 23 helpful votes

Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV / 22 helpful votes

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

Luke 1:37 ESV / 22 helpful votes

For nothing will be impossible with God.”

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