Hebrews 6 · Verse 16

Hebrews 6:16

For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Hebrews 6:16, King James Version

Hebrews 6:16 in other translations

BSBMen swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument.
WEBFor men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
ASVFor men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
YLTfor men indeed do swear by the greater, and an end of all controversy to them for confirmation is the oath,
DARBYFor men indeed swear by a greater, and with them the oath is a term to all dispute, as making matters sure.
BBEFor men at all times make their oaths by what is greater; and any argument is ended by the decision of the oath.
WebsterFor men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all contradiction.

What does Hebrews 6:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. for confirmation--not to be joined, as English Version, to "an oath"; but to "an end" [Alford]. I prefer, "The oath is to them, in respect to confirmation (of one's solemn promise or covenant; as here, God's), an end of all contradiction (so the Greek is translated, He 12:3), or "gainsaying." This passage shows: (1) an oath is sanctioned even in the Christian dispensation as lawful; (2) that the limits to its use are, that it only be employed where it can put an end to contradiction in disputes, and for confirmation of a solemn promise.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 16. For men verily swear by the greater. That is, they appeal to God. They never swear by one who is inferior to themselves. The object of the apostle in this declaration is to show that, as far as this could be done, it had been by God. He could not indeed swear by one greater than himself, but he could make his promise as certain as an oath taken by men was when they solemnly appealed to Him. He could appeal to his own existence and veracity, which was at any time the most solemn form of an oath, and thus put the mind to rest in regard to the hope of heaven.

And an oath for confirmation. An oath taken to confirm or establish anything.

Is to them an end of all strife. That is, when two parties are at variance, or have a cause at issue, an oath binds them to adhere to the terms of agreement concluded on, or contracting parties bind themselves by a solemn oath to adhere to the conditions of an agreement, and this puts an end to all strife. They rest satisfied when a solemn oath has been taken, and they feel assured that the agreement will be complied with. Or it may refer to cases where a man was accused of wrong before a court, and where he took a solemn oath that the thing had not beer, done, and his oath was admitted to be sufficient to put an end to the controversy. The general meaning is clear, that, in disputes between man and man, an appeal was made to an oath, and that was allowed to settle it. The connexion here is, that, as far as the case would admit of, the same thing was done by God. His oath by himself made his promise firm.

(a) "oath" Ex 22:11

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
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."

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 6:16 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.

ἄνθρωποιanthrōpoiMenG444
γὰρgarforG1063
κατὰkatabyG2596
τοῦtou[one]G3588
μείζονοςmeizonosgreaterG3173
ὀμνύουσιν,omnuousinswear,G3660
καὶkaiandG2532
πάσηςpasēsin allG3956
αὐτοῖςautoistheirG846
ἀντιλογίαςantilogiasdisputesG485
πέραςperasfinallyG4009
εἰςeis[comes] toG1519
βεβαίωσινbebaiōsinconfirmationG951
ὁhoin theG3588
ὅρκος·horkosoath;G3727

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

Cross references for Hebrews 6:16

  • Exodus 22:11

    Then shall an oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.

  • Hebrews 6:13

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

  • Genesis 21:30-31

    And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. Wherefore he called that place Beer–sheba; because there they sware both of them.

  • Joshua 9:15-20

    And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them. And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath–jearim. And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. …

  • Genesis 31:53

    The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

  • Genesis 14:22

    And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

  • Ezekiel 17:16-20

    As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons: Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. …

  • Genesis 21:23

    Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

  • 2 Samuel 21:2

    And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)

  • Matthew 23:20-22

    Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
swear.
13; Ge 14:22; 21:23; Mt 23:20-22
an oath.
Ge 21:30,31; 31:53; Ex 22:11; Jos 9:15-20; 2Sa 21:2; Eze 17:16-20

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

Context

  • Hebrews 6:15

    And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

  • Hebrews 6:16

    For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

  • Hebrews 6:17

    Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

Read all of Hebrews 6

Hebrews 6:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque los hombres ciertamente por el mayor que ellos juran: y el fin de todas sus controversias es el juramento para confirmación.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car les hommes jurent par quelqu’un qui est plus grand qu’eux, et le serment est pour eux un terme à toute dispute, pour rendre ferme ce qui est convenu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn Menschen schwören wohl bei einem Größeren, und der Eid ist ihnen ein Ende alles Widerspruchs zur Bestätigung;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Homines enim per majorem sui jurant: et omnis controversiæ eorum finis, ad confirmationem, est juramentum.