Swearing

An oath puts God’s name behind a promise, and the Bible takes that seriously. The law says, “ye shall not swear by my name falsely” (Leviticus 19:12). God himself is pictured as swearing: he “confirmed it by an oath” to the heirs of promise (Hebrews 6:17). Yet Jesus tells his hearers, “Swear not at all,” and James repeats it: “let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay.” Christians differ on whether this rules out every solemn oath, as in a courtroom, or only careless and false ones. Matthew 5:33-37 is the passage to read first.

235 verses

Genesis

Genesis 22:16

And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

Exodus

Exodus 20:7

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Exodus 22:10

If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:

Exodus 22:11

Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.

Exodus 23:1

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Leviticus

Leviticus 6:2

If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;

Leviticus 6:3

Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:

Leviticus 6:4

Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

Leviticus 6:5

Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.

Leviticus 19:12

And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 22:32

Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,

Leviticus 24:10

And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;

Leviticus 24:11

And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses:(and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)

Leviticus 24:12

And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.

Leviticus 24:13

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Leviticus 24:14

Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

Leviticus 24:15

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

Leviticus 24:16

And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Numbers

Numbers 5:19

And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:

Numbers 5:20

But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:

Numbers 5:21

Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;

Numbers 5:22

And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Numbers 5:23

And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:

Numbers 5:24

And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:11

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Deuteronomy 6:13

Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

Deuteronomy 10:20

Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.

Joshua

Joshua 2:12

Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:

Joshua 2:13

And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

Joshua 2:14

And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 24:21

Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.

1 Samuel 24:22

And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 12:14

Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

1 Kings

1 Kings 8:31

If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:

1 Kings 8:32

Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

2 Kings

2 Kings 18:22

But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

2 Kings 19:22

Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:19

And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.

Job

Job 9:16

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

Job 9:17

For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

Job 9:34

Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

Job 9:35

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

Job 10:2

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

Job 10:3

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Job 10:4

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

Job 10:5

Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

Job 10:6

That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

Job 10:7

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

Job 13:7

Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

Job 13:8

Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

Job 13:9

Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

Job 13:25

Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

Job 13:26

For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

Job 13:27

Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

Job 15:13

That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

Job 15:25

For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

Job 15:26

He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

Job 16:9

He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

Job 16:11

God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

Job 16:14

He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

Job 19:6

Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

Job 19:7

Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

Job 19:21

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

Job 19:22

Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

Job 21:13

They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

Job 21:14

Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

Job 22:12

Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

Job 22:13

And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

Job 22:14

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

Job 22:17

Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

Job 30:21

Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

Job 33:10

Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,

Job 33:11

He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

Job 34:5

For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

Job 34:6

Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.

Job 34:9

For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

Job 34:16

If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

Job 34:17

Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

Job 34:18

Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

Job 34:19

How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

Job 34:37

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

Job 37:20

Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.

Job 40:2

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Psalms

Psalms 5:1

To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

Psalms 5:2

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

Psalms 10:11

He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

Psalms 10:13

Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

Psalms 15:1

A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

Psalms 15:2

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Psalms 15:4

In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

Psalms 50:21

These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Psalms 73:9

They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

Psalms 73:11

And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

Psalms 74:18

Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

Psalms 78:19

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

Psalms 78:20

Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

Psalms 89:35

Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

Psalms 94:7

Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.

Psalms 95:11

Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

Psalms 105:9

Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.