Westminster Confession, Chapter 22
Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth; and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth.
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Deuteronomy 10:2020You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
Exodus 20:77You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
Leviticus 19:1212You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
2 Chronicles 6:22-2322When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,
23then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
2 Corinthians 1:2323I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.
The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence; therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred. Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament, as well as under the Old, so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters ought to be taken.
Scripture references for paragraph 2
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Deuteronomy 6:1313Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
Isaiah 65:1616Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My sight.
2 Corinthians 1:2323I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.
Hebrews 6:1616Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument.
Exodus 20:77You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
Jeremiah 5:77“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.
Matthew 5:3434But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
Matthew 5:3737Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.
James 5:1212Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.
1 Kings 8:3131When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,
Ezra 10:2525And among the other Israelites, from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.
Nehemiah 13:2525I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!
Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth. Neither may any man bind himself by oath to anything but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform. Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touching anything that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority.
Scripture references for paragraph 3
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Exodus 20:77You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
Jeremiah 4:22and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
Exodus 22:7-117If a man gives his neighbor money or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.
8If the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has taken his neighbor’s property.
9In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any lost item that someone claims, ‘This is mine,’ both parties shall bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges find guilty must pay back double to his neighbor.
10If a man gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any other animal to be cared for by his neighbor, but it dies or is injured or stolen while no one is watching,
11an oath before the LORD shall be made between the parties to determine whether or not the man has taken his neighbor’s property. The owner must accept the oath and require no restitution.
Numbers 5:1919And he is to put the woman under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be immune to this bitter water that brings a curse.
Numbers 5:2121and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse—‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell.
Nehemiah 5:1212“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
Genesis 24:2-32So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
3and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,
Genesis 24:5-65The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”
6Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.
Genesis 24:8-98And if the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”
9So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation. It cannot oblige to sin; but in anything not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man's own hurt: nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics or infidels.
Scripture references for paragraph 4
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Psalms 24:44He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.
Jeremiah 4:22and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
Ezekiel 17:1616‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.
Ezekiel 17:18-1918He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’
19Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.
Joshua 9:18-1918But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.
19All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
2 Samuel 21:11During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
1 Samuel 25:2222May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
1 Samuel 25:32-3432Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day!
33Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.
34Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.”
Psalms 15:44who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,
A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness.
Scripture references for paragraph 5
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Isaiah 19:2121The LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and on that day Egypt will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill them.
Psalms 61:88Then I will ever sing praise to Your name and fulfill my vows day by day.
Psalms 66:13-1413I will enter Your house with burnt offerings; I will fulfill my vows to You—
14the vows that my lips promised and my mouth spoke in my distress.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-64When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
5It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
6Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
It is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone: and that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining of what we want; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties, or to other things, so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto.
Scripture references for paragraph 6
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Psalms 76:1111Make and fulfill your vows to the LORD your God; let all the neighboring lands bring tribute to Him who is to be feared.
Jeremiah 44:25-2625This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands your words: ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Go ahead, then, do what you have promised! Keep your vows!
26Nevertheless, hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah living in Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says the LORD, that never again will any man of Judah living in the land of Egypt invoke My name or say, ‘As surely as the Lord GOD lives.’
Genesis 28:20-2220Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear,
21so that I may return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God.
22And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”
Deuteronomy 23:2121If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Deuteronomy 23:2323Be careful to follow through on what comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed to the LORD your God with your own mouth.
1 Samuel 1:1111And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”
Psalms 50:1414Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Psalms 66:13-1413I will enter Your house with burnt offerings; I will fulfill my vows to You—
14the vows that my lips promised and my mouth spoke in my distress.
Psalms 132:2-52how he swore an oath to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3“I will not enter my house or get into my bed,
4I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,
5until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
No man may vow to do anything forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his own power, and for the performance whereof he hath no promise or ability from God. In which respect, Popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.
Scripture references for paragraph 7
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Numbers 30:55But if her father prohibits her on the day he hears about it, then none of the vows or pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. The LORD will absolve her because her father has prohibited her.
Numbers 30:88But if her husband prohibits her when he hears of it, he nullifies the vow that binds her or the rash promise she has made, and the LORD will absolve her.
Numbers 30:12-1312But if her husband nullifies them on the day he hears of them, then nothing that came from her lips, whether her vows or pledges, shall stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the LORD will absolve her.
13Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow or any sworn pledge to deny herself.
Mark 6:2626The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.
Acts 23:1212When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Acts 23:1414They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
Matthew 19:11-1211“Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.
12For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
1 Corinthians 7:22But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
1 Corinthians 7:99But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
1 Corinthians 7:2323You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
Ephesians 4:2828He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.
1 Peter 4:22Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.
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