H7621 H7621
An oath or sworn promise, often invoking God as witness; rarely a curse or self-imprecation.
A solemn sworn commitment, frequently appearing in covenantal contexts where God is invoked as guarantor. The Hebrew שְׁבוּעָה covers the full spectrum from personal promises (Gen 24:8) to national covenants (Gen 26:3) and priestly adjurations (Num 5:21). Spanish "juramento" and German "Eid" consistently render the promissory sense, while in one striking passage (Isa 65:15), the oath becomes a byword of cursing — a name left behind as a formula of imprecation.
Senses
1. oath, sworn promise — The dominant sense (29x): a solemn vow or sworn commitment invoking divine witness. Translations uniformly treat this as a binding promise — Spanish "juramento," German "Eid," French "serment." It covers oaths of friendship (2 Sam 21:7), covenantal pledges (Gen 26:3), oaths of innocence (Exod 22:11), and vows alongside נדר (Num 30:3). The phrase שְׁבֻעַת יהוה marks oaths sworn to or before the LORD. 29×
AR["أَحْلَافٍ", "أَقْسَامٌ", "الـ-قَسَمَ", "القَسَمَ", "القَسَمِ", "اليَمينِ", "الْ-قَسَمَ", "الْقَسَمَ", "بِ-يَمِينٍ", "بِـ-حَلِفٍ", "حَلِفًا", "حَلِفِ", "حِلْفَ", "شْبُوعَه", "قَسَمِ", "مِن-قَسَمِكِ", "يَمينُ", "يَمِينِ"]·ben["-মধ্যে", "-সেই-শপথ", "তোমার-শপথ-থেকে", "শপথ", "শপথ-যে", "শপথকে", "শপথগুলি-", "শপথে", "শপথের"]·DE["Eid", "Eid-von", "[השבועה]", "[שבועה]", "[שבועת]", "[שבעות]", "den-Schwur", "der-Eid", "der-oath", "der-oath-von", "mit-Eid", "mit-ein-Eid", "oath-von", "von-dein-Eid"]·EN["from-your-oath", "oath", "oath-of", "oaths", "oaths-of", "the-oath", "the-oath-of", "with-an-oath", "with-oath"]·FR["[השבועה]", "avec-serment", "avec-un-serment", "de-ton-serment", "le-serment", "le-serment-de", "serment", "serment-de"]·heb["ב-שבועה", "ה-שבועה", "מ-שבועתך", "שבועה", "שבועות", "שבועת"]·HI["की-शपथ", "तेरी-शपथ-से", "शपथ", "शपथ-की", "शपथ-में", "शपथें", "शपथों"]·ID["dari-sumpahmu", "dengan-sumpah", "sumpah", "sumpah-itu", "sumpah-sumpah"]·IT["[השבועה]", "[שבעות]", "con-giuramento", "con-un-giuramento", "da-tuo-giuramento", "giuramento", "giuramento-di", "il-giuramento", "il-giuramento-di", "il-oath", "oath", "oath-di", "oath-of"]·jav["Sumpah", "ing-sumpah", "mawi-sumpah", "mawi-supata", "saking-sumpah-sampeyan", "sumpah", "sumpah-sumpah", "sumpahing", "supata"]·KO["그-맹세", "그-맹세를", "그-맹세에", "네-맹세에서", "맹세", "맹세-의", "맹세-한", "맹세가", "맹세들이", "맹세로", "맹세를"]·PT["Juramento-de", "com-juramento", "do-teu-juramento", "em-juramento", "juramento", "juramento-de", "juramentos", "juramentos-de-", "o-juramento"]·RU["-клятвы", "в-клятве", "и-он", "клятва", "клятве", "клятвой", "клятву", "клятвы", "от-клятвы-твоей"]·ES["con-juramento", "de-tu-juramento", "el-juramento", "juramento", "juramento-de", "juramentos", "juramentos-de-"]·SW["kiapo", "kiapo-cha", "kiapo-hicho", "kiapo-kwa", "kumlazimisha", "kutoka-kiapo-chako", "kwa-kiapo", "na-amri", "viapo"]·TR["-da-yemin", "-yemini", "-yeminle", "yemin", "yeminden", "yemini", "yeminin", "yemininden-", "yeminler"]·urd["-قسم", "تیری-قَسم-سے", "قسم", "قسم-", "قسم-سے", "قسم-میں", "قسموں-کی", "قسمیں"]
2. curse, imprecation — A rare but distinct sense (1x at Isa 65:15): the oath formula takes on the character of a curse or imprecation. God declares that the names of the disobedient will be left as a שְׁבוּעָה — a formula of malediction for the chosen to invoke. Spanish renders this "para maldición" (for a curse), revealing the shift from promissory oath to self-imprecatory curse. 1×
AR["لِ-لَعْنَةٍ"]·ben["শপথের-জন্য"]·DE["[לשבועה]"]·EN["for-an-oath"]·FR["[לשבועה]"]·heb["ל-שבועה"]·HI["शाप-के-लिए"]·ID["sebagai-sumpah"]·IT["[לשבועה]"]·jav["kangge-sumpah"]·KO["에-맹세로"]·PT["para-juramento"]·RU["для-клятвы"]·ES["para-maldición"]·SW["kuwa-laana"]·TR["lanet-icin"]·urd["قسم-کے-لیے"]
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
† שְׁבוּעָה, שְׁבֻעָה n.f. (Jos 2:17 read הַזּה AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 116) oath, curse;—abs. שְׁבוּ׳ Jos 9:20 +, שְׁבֻ׳ Gn 26:3 +; cstr. שְׁבֻעַת Ex 22:10 +; sf. שְׁבֻעָתִי Gn 24:8, etc.; pl. שְׁבֻעוֹת abs. Ez 21:28, cstr. Hb 3:9 [Je 5:24 Ez 45:21 v. שָׁבוּעַ" dir="rtl" >שָׁבוּעַ];—oath [as acc. cogn. c. הִשָּׁבַע etc. Nu 30:3 + (in rel. cl.) 5 times]: 1. of man: a. attesting innocence Ex 22:10…