SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:16
Porque los hombres ciertamente por el mayor que ellos juran; y el fin de todas sus controversias es el juramento para confirmacin.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 6:16
Verse 16. Men 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."
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. For men verily swear by the greater , etc..] These words contain a reason why God swore by himself, and why his promises, having an oath annexed to them, ought to be believed. Men when they swear, they swear by the greater; not by themselves, as God does, because there is one greater than they; not by any of the creatures on earth, nor by the angels in heaven, but by God; because he is the God of truth, the searcher of hearts, and who can take vengeance on perjurers: and an oath may lawfully be taken, when it is truth that is sworn to, and is just and good; and in cases of weight and moment; and in what is possible and right to perform; and when it is done with deliberation, in the fear of God, with a view to his glory, and the good of men: for an oath is of a moral nature, what God has commanded, and he himself has taken; it has been used by Christ, and by the saints of the Old and New Testament; and is prophesied of the New Testament saints, as what they should practise; and is a part of religious worship: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife ; it is used to confirm things that are doubtful, and in dispute; and to put an end to strife and contention; so Philo the Jew says, by an oath things doubtful are determined, and things uncertain are confirmed, and what were not believed receive credit.
The manner in which an oath was taken among the Jews, to which, the apostle writing to such, must be thought to have respect, was this; he that swore took the book of the law in his hand, and he stood and swore by the name (of God), or by his surnames; and the judges did not suffer anyone to swear but in the holy tongue; and thus he said, behold I swear by the God of Israel, by him whose name is merciful and gracious, that I do not owe this man anything f86 .
The Hebrew word h[b , used for an oath, is of the root [b , which signifies to fill, satiate, satisfy: for an oath being taken about matters in controversy, not clear but doubtful give content unto and satisfy the minds of men; and the same word also signifies seven, a number of fulness and perfection; an oath being for the perfecting and finishing an affair in debate; agreeably, when covenants were made by oaths, seven witnesses were used, ( Genesis 21:28-30) and Herodotus says as Cocceius f88 observes, that the Arabians, when they swore at making covenants, anointed the stones with blood.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-20 - The hope here meant, is a sure looking for good things promised through those promises, with love, desire, and valuing of them. Hop has its degrees, as faith also. The promise of blessedness God has mad 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 it is not possible for God to lie; it would be contrary to his nature as well as to his will. And a He cannot lie; the destruction of the unbeliever, and the salvation of the believer, are alike certain. Here observe, those to whom God ha given full security of happiness, have a title to the promises by inheritance. The consolations of God are strong enough to support his people under their heaviest trials. Here is a refuge for all sinner who flee to the mercy of God, through the redemption of Christ according to the covenant of grace, laying aside all other confidences We are in this world as a ship at sea, tossed up and down, and in danger of being cast away. We need an anchor to keep us sure an steady. Gospel hope is our anchor in the storms of this world. It is sure and stedfast, or it could not keep us so. The free grace of God the merits and mediation of Christ, and the powerful influences of his Spirit, are the grounds of this hope, and so it is a stedfast hope Christ is the object and ground of the believer's hope. Let u therefore set our affections on things above, and wait patiently for his appearance, when we shall certainly appear with him in glory __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ανθρωποι 444 μεν 3303 γαρ 1063 κατα 2596 του 3588 μειζονος 3173 ομνυουσιν 3660 5719 και 2532 πασης 3956 αυτοις 846 αντιλογιας 485 περας 4009 εις 1519 βεβαιωσιν 951 ο 3588 ορκος 3727
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. And an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife (kai pashv autoiv antilogiavperav eiv bebaiwn o orkov). FOR "an oath," rend. "the oath": generic. Const. for confirmation with end. "The oath is final for confirmation." Perav is the outermost point; the point beyond which one cannot go. With this exception always in N.T. in the plural, of the ends of the earth. See Matt. xii. 42; Rom. x. 18. So often in LXX. jAntilogia, strictly contradiction, only in Hebrews and Jude 11, on which see note.
