שָׁבַע186 H7650
To swear or take an oath (Niphal); to cause to swear, adjure, or administer an oath (Hiphil).
Rooted in the number seven -- to 'seven oneself' was to bind oneself by invoking sacred completeness -- this verb governs the entire oath-making domain in the Hebrew Bible. In its Niphal (reflexive/passive) form, it means to swear, whether committing to a covenant, affirming a truth, or calling down curses on oneself if unfaithful. In its Hiphil (causative) form, it means to make another person swear, to administer or impose an oath. Abraham's servant is 'made to swear' (Gen 24:3), and Joshua adjures Israel at Jericho (Josh 6:26). The etymological connection to 'seven' surfaces in Abraham's covenant at Beersheba, where seven ewe lambs seal the oath (Gen 21:28-31). Spanish 'jurar,' French 'jurer,' and German 'schwören' all maintain this single-root flexibility across both active and administered oaths.
1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) — To swear or take an oath (Niphal stem). The subject binds himself or herself by an oath, whether promissory (committing to a future action, as in covenant-making), assertory (affirming the truth of a statement), or imprecatory (invoking God as witness with implicit self-curse if false). This is the dominant sense at 154 occurrences. God swears to Abraham (Gen 24:7), David and Jonathan swear mutual loyalty (1 Sam 20:42), and Nehemiah makes the people swear not to intermarry (Neh 13:25). The reflexive Niphal form highlights that oath-taking is self-binding. 154×
AR["أَقْسَمَ","حَلَفَ"]·ben["তিনি-শপথ-করেছিলেন","তিনি-শপথ-করেছেন","শপথ-করেছিলেন","শপথ-করেছিলেন-","শপথ-করেছেন"]·DE["Er-schwor","er-geschworen-hat","er-schwor","geschworen-hat-","schwor"]·EN["He-swore","he-swore","swore"]·FR["Il-jura","il-jura","jura"]·heb["נשבע"]·HI["उन्हें","तुम्हारे-पूर्वजों-की","शपथ-खाई","शपथ-खाई-उसने","शपथ-ली-थी"]·ID["Dia-bersumpah","Ia-bersumpah","bersumpah","bersumpah-Nya"]·IT["Egli-giuro","Egli-giurò","egli-giuro","giuro","giurò"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-sampun-sumpah","Panjenenganipun-supaos","dipunsumpahaken","sampun-sumpah","sumpah","sumpah-"]·KO["그가-맹세한","맹세하셨느니라","맹세하셨다","맹세하신"]·PT["jurou"]·RU["-клялся","клялся"]·ES["juró"]·SW["aliapa","aliomwita","alivyoapa","kuapika"]·TR["ant-içti","yemin-etti","yemin-etti-"]·urd["قسم-کھائی","قسم-کھائی-تھی","قسم-کھائی-ہے"]
Gen 24:7, Gen 24:9, Gen 25:33, Gen 31:53, Gen 47:31, Gen 50:24, Exod 13:5, Exod 13:11, Num 14:16, Num 32:10, Deut 1:8, Deut 1:34 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. cause to swear, adjure (Hiphil) — To cause to swear, adjure, or administer an oath (Hiphil stem). The subject compels or solemnly charges another party to swear. Abraham makes his servant swear (Gen 24:3), Joseph makes the sons of Israel swear to carry his bones (Gen 50:25), and the Song of Solomon's refrain 'I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem' (Song 2:7; 3:5) uses this causative form. About 31 occurrences carry this sense. The Hiphil shifts agency: the swearer acts under another's authority or solemn charge. 31×
AR["أقسَمتِنا","أَحْلَفَ","أَستَحلِفُكَ","أُحَلِّفُكَ","أُحَلِّفْكَ","أُقْسِمُكُمْ","بِـ-إِحْلافِ","فَاسْتَحْلَفَ","لِـ-يُحَلِّفَ","هِشْبَعْتِي","وَ-أقسَمَ","وَ-أَحْلَفْتُهُمْ","وَ-أَسْتَحْلَفَ","وَ-يُحَلِّفُ","وَأُحَلِّفُكَ","وَاسْتَحْلَفْتُهُمْ"]·ben["-শপথ-করানোর-সময়","আমি-শপথ-দিই","আর-আমি-শপথ-করালাম-তাদের","আর-শপথ-করাল","আর-শপথ-করালাম-তাদের","এবং-আমি-শপথ-করাব-তোমাকে","এবং-শপথ-করাবে","এবং-শপথ-করিয়েছিলেন","এবং-সে-শপথ-নিয়েছে","শপথ-করাচ্ছি-তোমাকে","শপথ-করাতে","শপথ-করিয়েছিলাম-তোমাকে","শপথ-করিয়েছিলে-আমাদেরকে","শপথ-করিয়েছেন","শপথ-দিই-তোমাকে"]·DE["adjure-du","bound-bei-oath","du-machte-uns-schwoeren","ich-beschwor","ich-mache-du-schwoere","schwoeren","und-es-ließ-schwören","und-ich-will-dich-schwören-lassen","und-machte-schwoere","und-machte-schwoeren","und-schwor","und-soll-setzen-unter-Eid","wann-bound-bei-oath","zu-mache-schwoere"]·EN["I-adjure","I-make-you-swear","adjure-you","and-I-made-them-swear","and-I-will-make-you-swear","and-made-swear","and-shall-put-under-oath","bound-by-oath","making-you-swear","to-make-swear","when-bound-by-oath","you-made-us-swear"]·FR["Je-vous-adjure,","adjure-tu","et-Je---faire-tu-jurer","et-devra-mettre-sous-serment","et-fit-jure","et-fit-jurer","et-jurer","je-fais-tu-jure","jurer","lié-par-serment","quand-lié-par-serment","tu-fit-nous-jurer","à-fais-jure"]·heb["ב-השביע","השביע","השבעת אותנו","השבעתי","השבעתיך","ו-השביע","ו-נשבע","ו-נשבע-ך","ו-נשבע-ם","ל-השביע","משביעך","נשבע-ך"]·HI["और-शपथ-खिलाई","और-शपथ-दिलाई","और-शपथ-दिलाऊँगा-तुझे","और-शपथ-दिलाए","और-शपथ-ली-उनसे","कसम-खिलाता-हूँ-तुझे","मैं-शपथ-दिलाती-हूँ","मैंने-शपथ-दिलाई-तुझे","शपथ-खिलाई-तूने-हमसे","शपथ-दिलन","शपथ-दिलवाता-हूँ-तुझे","शपथ-दिलाई","शपथ-दिलाते-समय","शपथ-देती-हूँ-मैं"]·ID["Aku-bersumpahkan-kamu","aku-menyuruhmu-bersumpah","dan-akan-menyumpahkan","dan-aku-menyumpahi-mereka","dan-aku-menyuruh-mereka-bersumpah","dan-bersumpahlah","dan-mengambil-sumpah","dan-menyumpahkan","kau-mintakan-kami-bersumpah","ketika-bersumpah","menyumpahimu","supaya-aku-menyumpahimu","telah-bersumpah","untuk-menyumpahi"]·IT["a-fa-giura","adjure-tu","e-dovra-porre-sotto-giuramento","e-fece-giura","e-fece-giurare","e-giurare","e-io-will-fare-tu-giurare","giurare","io-fa-tu-giura","legò-da-giuramento","quando-legò-da-giuramento","tu-fece-noi-giurare"]·jav["Kula-nyumpahaken","Lajeng-ndhawuhi-sumpah","Lan-piyambakipun-sumpah","Lan-supados-kula-sumpahaken-panjenengan","kangge-njurung","kula-sumpahaken-panjenengan","lan-kula-sumpah","lan-nyumpah","lan-sumpah","nalika-sumpah","ngajengaken-panjenengan-sumpah","nyumpahaken-panjenengan","sampeyan-sumpahaken-kawula","sampun-sumpah"]·KO["그리고-내가-맹세하게-했다-그들에게","그리고-맹세시켰다","그리고-맹세하게-하리라","그리고-맹세하게-하리라-너를","그리고-맹세하게-하였다","그리고-맹세하게-했다-내가-그들을","그리고-맹세하였다","내-가-맹세시키노라","내가-맹세하게-했다-너를","맹세시킨다-너를","맹세하게-하셨다","맹세하게-하였다","맹세하게-했을-때에","부탁한다-너에게"]·PT["Conjuro-vos","E-farei-te-jurar","E-fará-jurar","E-fez-jurar","e-fez-jurar","e-fiz-os-jurar","e-os-fiz-jurar","fazer-jurar","fez-jurar","fiz-te-jurar","juramentando-te","nos-fizeste-jurar","quando-jurou","te-conjuro"]·RU["Заклинаю-я","И-заклял","И-поклялся","заклинал-я-тебя","заклинаю-тебя","заклял","заставила-клясться-нас-ты","и-заклинал","и-закляну-тебя","и-заставил-я-клясться-их","и-поклянётся","и-привёл-к-клятве-их","клястися","когда-заклинал"]·ES["E-hizo-jurar","Os-conjuro","cuando-juramentar","e-hizo-jurar","juramentó","nos-hiciste-jurar","para-hacer-jurar","te-hago-jurar","te-hice-jurar","y-hará-jurar","y-juró","y-les-hice-jurar","y-los-hice-jurar","y-te-haré-jurar"]·SW["Na-nitakuapisha","Uhshbia","akamta","aliwafanya-kuapa","kumwapisha","kwa-kuwafanya-kuapa","na-akaapa","na-aliuapisha","na-kukuonya","na-nikawaapisha","nakuapisha","nawaapisha","ulituwapisha"]·TR["Ve-yemin-ettirdi","Ve-yemin-ettireyim-seni","ant-içirmesinde","ve-yemin-ettirdi","ve-yemin-ettirdim-onlara","ve-yemin-ettirecek","yemin-ettirdi","yemin-ettirdim-seni","yemin-ettirdin-bizi","yemin-ettiririm","yemin-ettiriyorum-sana","yemin-ettiriyorum-seni","yemin-ettirmeye"]·urd["اور-قسم-دلاؤں-گا-تجھے","اور-قسم-دلائی","اور-قسم-دلائی-میں-نے","اور-قسم-دلائے","اور-قسم-دلوائی","اور-قسم-لی","تجھے-قسم-دُوں","جب-قسم-دلوائی","دلوائی-تھی","قسم-دلایا","قسم-دیلاؤں-تجھے","قسم-نہیں-دلوائی-تجھے","لی-ہے-تو-نے-ہم-سے","میں-قسم-دلواتی-ہوں"]
3. sense 3 — A rare participial or Qal passive form describing those who are 'sworn with oaths' or oath-bound (Ezek 21:23). This single occurrence is textually difficult -- the Septuagint and Syriac omit it, and some scholars repoint to relate it to 'weeks' rather than 'oaths.' The passage describes Zedekiah's broken oath to Nebuchadnezzar, and the phrase 'sworn with oaths' emphasizes the gravity of covenant violation. 1×
AR["مُحَلِّفِو"]·ben["শপথীদের"]·DE["schwoeren"]·EN["sworn-of"]·FR["jurer"]·heb["שבועי"]·HI["शपथें"]·ID["bersumpah"]·IT["giurare"]·jav["sumpah-sumpahipun"]·KO["맹세한-자들의"]·PT["juramentos-de"]·RU["им"]·ES["juramentos-de"]·SW["wanaoapa"]·TR["yemin-edenlerin"]·urd["قسمیں"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[שָׁבַע186] vb. swear (prob., so to say, seven oneself, or bind oneself by seven things, cf. Thes (as altern.), Gerb 108 ff.; NH Niph. = BH; 𝔗 שְׁבַע Ithpe. Aph.; v. also Dr Gn 21:28 KöHast.DB number, 565 RSSem. i. 166, 2nd ed., 182 We Reste ArabicHeid. 2, 186);— Qal (according to Thes Rob Ges) Pt. pass. שְׁבֻעֵי שְׁבֻעוֹת Ez 21:28 those sworn with (= who have sworn) oaths; both from שְׁבוּעָה,…