For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,
Parallel translations
- KJV For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
- BSB When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,
- NKJV For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
- NASB For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
- NLT For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:
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
When God promised Abraham, having no one greater, he swore by himself. God's oath to Abraham guarantees the certainty of his promise.
Overview
Recalling Genesis 22:16-17, the writer notes that God confirmed His promise to Abraham with an oath sworn on His own name. Because nothing is greater than God, He could only swear by Himself, making the promise utterly secure. This becomes the basis for assuring believers of the unshakable hope they have in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Gen 22:15–18Yahweh’s angel called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,
- Ps 105:9–10the covenant which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac,
- Luke 1:73the oath which he swore to Abraham, our father,
- Mic 7:20You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
- Isa 45:23I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
- Heb 6:16–18For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
- Jer 22:5But if you will not hear these words, I swear by myself,” says Yahweh, “that this house shall become a desolation.”’”
- Jer 49:13For I have sworn by myself,” says Yahweh, “that Bozrah will become an astonishment, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. All its cities will be perpetual wastes.”
- Ezek 32:13I will destroy also all its animals from beside many waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of animals trouble them.
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
How Hebrews 6:13 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
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