“If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;
Parallel translations
- KJV If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;
- BSB When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,
- NKJV “If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,
- NASB “If someone sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,
- NLT “If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar at this Temple,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Solomon prayed about cases where a man wrongs his neighbor and swears an oath before God's altar. He asked God to be the judge in disputes brought to his house.
Overview
The first specific petition concerned legal oaths taken at the altar to resolve disputes between neighbors. Solomon asked God to oversee such solemn matters of truth and justice. This appeal to God as the righteous judge reflects his role as the final arbiter of all human dealings, before whom all hearts are open.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Exod 22:11the oath of Yahweh shall be between them both, whether he hasn’t put his hand to his neighbor’s goods; and its owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.
- Lev 5:1“‘If anyone sins, in that he hears the voice of adjuration, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesn’t report it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
- Prov 30:9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
- Matt 23:18‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’
- 1 Kgs 8:31–32“If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;
- Num 5:19–22The priest shall cause her to swear, and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 6:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.