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…