ὅρκος G3727
Oath, sworn pledge — a solemn declaration invoking God as witness, binding the swearer to a promise
The noun horkos (ὅρκος) denotes a solemn sworn declaration or binding vow, typically invoking a divine witness. Jesus addresses the tradition of oath-keeping — 'you shall not swear falsely but perform your oaths to the Lord' (Matt 5:33) — before urging his followers not to swear at all. Herod's rash oath at Herodias's banquet trapped him into ordering the Baptist's execution (Matt 14:7,9). Most theologically, God himself swore an oath to Abraham (Luke 1:73; Acts 2:30), and Hebrews argues that since God could swear by none greater, he swore by himself (Heb 6:16-17). The oath thus functions as the ultimate guarantee of divine faithfulness. Spanish 'juramento,' Hindi 'shapath,' Arabic 'qasam,' Korean 'maengse,' and Swahili 'kiapo' all converge on one meaning: a binding sworn commitment.
Senses
1. oath, sworn pledge — A solemn sworn declaration or vow, often invoking God as guarantor, that binds the swearer to fulfill a promise. Covers human oaths — Herod's rash banquet vow (Matt 14:7,9), the OT tradition of performing oaths to the Lord (Matt 5:33), and Peter's denial under oath (Matt 26:72 par.) — and divine oaths — God's covenant pledge to Abraham (Luke 1:73; Acts 2:30) and the theological argument that an oath ends every dispute (Heb 6:16-17). Singular and plural forms (Spanish 'juramento/juramentos,' Arabic 'qasam/aqsam,' Swahili 'kiapo/viapo') represent inflectional variants of one core meaning. 10×
AR["أَيْمَانَكَ", "الأَقْسامِ", "الأَقْسَامِ", "القَسَمُ", "الْقَسَمَ", "بِقَسَمٍ", "قَسَمٍ"]·ben["শপথ", "শপথগুলি", "শপথে", "শপথের", "হোক"]·DE["Eid", "ὅρκον", "ὅρκου", "ὅρκους", "ὅρκῳ"]·EN["an-oath", "by-an-oath", "by-oath", "oath", "oaths"]·FR["serment"]·heb["בִּשְׁבוּעָה", "שְׁבֻעוֹת", "שְׁבוּעָה", "שְׁבוּעוֹת"]·HI["शपथ", "शपथ,", "शपथ-खाई", "शपथों-को", "शपथोन", "शपथ।", "साथ-में-बैठे-हुओं"]·ID["dengan-sumpah", "sumpah", "sumpah;"]·IT["giuramento", "orkon", "orkos", "orkō"]·jav["kanthi-sumpah", "mawi-sumpah", "sumpah", "sumpah,", "sumpah-sumpahipun", "sumpah;"]·KO["맹세", "맹세-를", "맹세가", "맹세들", "맹세들과", "맹세로", "맹세로;", "맹세의", "에-관해"]·PT["com-juramento", "juramento", "juramentos"]·RU["клятв", "клятва", "клятвой", "клятвой;", "клятвою", "клятву", "клятвы"]·ES["con-juramento", "juramento", "juramentos"]·SW["kiapo", "kwa-kiapo", "viapo"]·TR["yemin", "yemini", "yeminle", "yeminle-söz-verdi", "yeminler", "yeminlerin", "yeminlerini"]·urd["قسم", "قسم-سے", "قسم-کے", "قسم-ہے", "قسم؛", "قسموں-کے", "قسمیں"]
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
ὅρκος, ὁ, the object by which one swears, as the Styx among the gods, Στυγὸς ὕδωρ, ὅς τε μέγιστος ὅ. δεινότατός τε πέλει μακάρεσσι θεοῖσι Refs 8th c.BC+; or as Zeus among mortals, Refs 5th c.BC+; so of things, ὅρκον δ᾽ ἐνοσφίσθης μέγαν, ἅλας τε καὶ τράπεζαν Refs 7th c.BC+ __2 oath, mostly with epithet μέγας, καρτερός, Refs 8th c.BC+, etc.; θεῶν ὅ. an oath by the gods, Refs 8th c.BC+; ὅ. πλατύς a…