Hebrews 6 · Verse 13

Hebrews 6:13

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Hebrews 6:13, King James Version

Hebrews 6:13 in other translations

BSBWhen God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,
WEBFor when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,
ASVFor when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself,
YLTFor to Abraham God, having made promise, seeing He was able to swear by no greater, did swear by Himself,
DARBYFor God, having promised to Abraham, since he had no greater to swear by, swore by himself,
BBEFor when God made his oath to Abraham, because there was no greater oath, he made it by himself,
WebsterFor when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself,

What does Hebrews 6:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. For--confirming the reasonableness of resting on "the promises" as infallibly sure, resting as they do on God's oath, by the instance of Abraham. "He now gives consolation, by the oath of God's grace, to those whom, in the second, third, and fourth chapters, he had warned by the oath of God's 'wrath.' The oath of wrath did not primarily extend its force beyond the wilderness; but the oath of grace is in force for ever" [Bengel].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 13. For when God made promise to Abraham. That he would bless him, and multiply his seed as the stars of heaven, Gen 22:16,17. The object of introducing this example here is to encourage those to whom the apostle was writing to persevere in the Christian life. This he does by showing that God had given the highest possible assurance of his purpose to bless his people by an oath. Reference is made to Abraham in this argument probably, for two reasons.

(1.) To show the nature of the evidence which Christians have that they will be saved, or the ground of encouragement--being the same as that made to Abraham, and depending, as in his case, on the promise of God; and

(2.) because the example of Abraham was just in point. He had persevered. He had relied firmly and solely on the promise of God. He did this when appearances were much against the fulfilment of the promise, and he thus showed the advantage of perseverance and fidelity in the cause of God.

Because he could swear by no greater. There is no being greater than God. In taking an oath among men it is always implied that the appeal is to one of superior power, who is able to punish for its infraction. But this could not occur in the case of God himself. There was no greater being than himself, and the oath, therefore, was by his own existence.

He sware by himself. Gen 22:16: "By myself have I sworn." Comp. Isa 45:23. In an oath of this kind God pledges his veracity; declares that the event shall be as certain as his existence; and secures it by all the perfections of his nature. The usual form of the oath is, "As I live, saith the Lord." See Nu 14:21,28; Eze 33:11.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 When God made promise to Abraham - The promise referred to is that made to Abraham when he had offered his son Isaac on the altar, Gen 22:16-18 : "By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord; for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thy only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Of this promise the apostle only quotes a part, as is generally the case, because he knew that his readers were well acquainted with the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and particularly with the law. He sware by himself - He pledged his eternal power and Godhead for the fulfillment of the promise; there was no being superior to himself to whom he could make appeal, or by whom he could be bound, therefore he appeals to and pledges his immutable truth and Godhead.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 6:11-20

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…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 6:11-20 →

Hebrews 6:13 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

τῷtō<the>G3588
γὰρgarForG1063
ἈβραὰμAbraamto AbrahamG11
ἐπαγγειλάμενοςepangeilamenoshaving made His promiseG1861
ὁho<the>G3588
θεός,theosGod,G2316
ἐπεὶepeisinceG1893
κατ᾽kat᾽byG2596
οὐδενὸςoudenosno [one]G3762
εἶχενeichenHe hadG2192
μείζονοςmeizonosgreaterG3173
ὀμόσαι,omosaito swear,G3660
ὤμοσενōmosenHe sworeG3660
καθ᾽kath᾽byG2596
ἑαυτοῦhe'autouHimselfG1438

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 6:13

  • Genesis 22:15-18

    And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

  • Luke 1:73

    The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

  • Psalms 105:9-10

    Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

  • Micah 7:20

    Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

  • Isaiah 45:23

    I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

  • Jeremiah 22:5

    But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.

  • Hebrews 6:16-18

    For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

  • Jeremiah 49:13

    For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

  • Ezekiel 32:13

    I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he sware.
16-18; Ge 22:15-18; Eze 32:13; Ps 105:9,10; Isa 45:23; Jer 22:5
Jer 49:13; Mic 7:20; Lu 1:73

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Hebrews 6:12

    That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

  • Hebrews 6:13

    For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

  • Hebrews 6:14

    Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

Read all of Hebrews 6

Hebrews 6:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque prometiendo Dios á Abraham, no pudiendo jurar por otro mayor, juró por sí mismo,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car lorsque Dieu fit la promesse à Abraham, puisqu’il n’avait personne de plus grand par qui jurer, il jura par lui-même,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn als Gott dem Abraham Verheißung gab, schwur er, weil er bei keinem Größeren zu schwören hatte, bei sich selbst
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Abrahæ namque promittens Deus, quoniam neminem habuit, per quem juraret, majorem, juravit per semetipsum,