ὄμνῡμι G3660
to swear, take an oath — to bind oneself solemnly by invoking a higher authority or sacred object
Omnumi (and its variant omnuo) means to swear an oath, to make a solemn vow by invoking something greater than oneself as guarantor. Its 26 NT occurrences concentrate in two dramatic contexts. First, Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount prohibits oath-swearing entirely: 'Do not swear at all — not by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by earth, nor by Jerusalem' (Matt 5:34-36), and later he exposes the Pharisees' casuistry about swearing by the temple versus its gold (Matt 23:16-22). Second, the verb appears in solemn divine oaths: God swore to Abraham (Luke 1:73; Acts 2:30; Heb 7:21), and in Hebrews the divine oath becomes the basis for the superiority of Christ's priesthood (Heb 6:13; 7:21). Peter's denial involves swearing that he does not know Jesus (Matt 26:74; Mark 14:71). Herod swears rashly to give Salome whatever she asks (Matt 14:7; Mark 6:23). Spanish 'jurar,' French 'jurer,' and German 'schworen' all carry the same solemn binding force.
Senses
1. swear, take an oath — To swear an oath or make a solemn vow, invoking a higher authority as witness and guarantor. Appears in Jesus' prohibition of oath-taking in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:34-36) and his critique of Pharisaic oath casuistry (Matt 23:16-22), in divine oath traditions where God swore to Abraham (Luke 1:73; Acts 2:30; Heb 6:13; 7:21), in Peter's denial under oath (Matt 26:74; Mark 14:71), and in Herod's rash banquet vow (Matt 14:7; Mark 6:23). The range from divine promise to human folly shows the theological weight of oath-language. 26×
AR["أَقسَمَ", "أَقْسَمَ", "أَنْ-يُقْسِمَ", "الحالِفُ", "تَحْلِفُوا", "يَحلِفُ", "يَحْلِفُ"]·ben["তিনি-শপথ-করলেন", "শপথ-করতে", "শপথ-করলেন", "শপথ-করার", "শপথ-করিলেন", "শপথ-করে", "শপথ-করেছিলেন"]·DE["schwoeren", "schwört"]·EN["having-sworn", "he-swore", "swears", "swore", "to-swear"]·FR["jurer"]·heb["יִשָּׁבַע", "לְ-הִשָּׁבֵעַ", "לְ-הִשָּׁבַע", "לְהִשָּׁבֵעַ", "לְהִשָׁבֵעַ", "נִשְׁבַּע", "נִשְׁבָּע"]·HI["उसने", "उसने-शपथ-खाई", "कसम-खाने", "खाई", "शपथ-खाई", "शपथ-खाए", "शपथ-खाता-है", "शपथ-खाना", "शपथ-खानेवाला", "शपथ-ली", "शपथ-लेने,"]·ID["Dia-bersumpah", "Ia-bersumpah", "Telah-bersumpah", "bersumpah", "dia-bersumpah", "untuk-bersumpah", "yang-bersumpah"]·IT["giurare", "nondimeno"]·jav["ingkang-sumpah", "sampun-dipun-sumpahaken", "sampun-sumpah", "sumpah"]·KO["그-", "맹세하기-를", "맹세하기를", "맹세하라", "맹세하면", "맹세하셨느냐", "맹세하셨으니", "맹세하신", "맹세하였으니", "맹세한-자는", "맹세한다", "맹세했다"]·PT["Jurou", "a-jurar", "jurar", "jurou", "para-jurar"]·RU["Клялся", "божиться", "клялся", "клянётся", "клясться", "поклявшийся", "поклялся"]·ES["Juró", "a-jurar", "jura", "jurar", "jure", "juró", "que-juró"]·SW["-", "Ameapa", "akaapa", "aliapa", "alimwapia", "ape", "kuapa", "kwa"]·TR["Yemin-etti", "ona", "yaptı", "yemin-eden", "yemin-eder", "yemin-ederse", "yemin-etmek", "yemin-etmeye", "yemin-etti"]·urd["قسم-کھائی", "قسم-کھائے", "قسم-کھاتا-ہے", "قسم-کھانا", "قسم-کھانے-والا", "قسم-کھانے-کو", "کھائی"]
Matt 5:34, Matt 5:36, Matt 23:16, Matt 23:16, Matt 23:18, Matt 23:18, Matt 23:20, Matt 23:20, Matt 23:21, Matt 23:21, Matt 23:22, Matt 23:22 (+14 more)
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὄμνῡμι, Refs 5th c.BC+; imperative ὄμνῠθι Refs 8th c.BC+; 3rd.pers. singular ὀμνύτω Refs; 3rd.pers. plural ὀμνύντων. Foed. cited in Refs 5th c.BC+: imperfect ὤμνυν Refs 5th c.BC+: also (from present ὀμνύω) 3rd.pers. singular imperative ὀμνῠέτω Refs 8th c.BC+; participle ὀμνύουσα Refs 4th c.BC+: imperfect ὤμνῠον Refs 8th c.BC+ (for present indicative the Trag. and Refs 5th c.BC+ which also occurs…