WG: Oath / Swearing¶
Overview¶
The oath/swearing concept cluster in the Greek NT comprises the verb of oath-taking, its noun forms, and related legal-ceremonial terms for adjuring, vowing, and perjuring. All members except εὐχή share the ὅρκ- root.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3660 | ὀμνύω | omnyo | verb | 21v | The act of swearing | G3660-omnyo.md |
| G3727 | ὅρκος | horkos | noun | 10v | The oath itself | TODO(need G3727 study) |
| G3728 | ὁρκωμοσία | horkomosia | noun | 3v | The institution of oath-taking | TODO(need G3728 study) |
| G3726 | ὁρκίζω | horkizo | verb | 3v | To put someone under oath / adjure | TODO(need G3726 study) |
| G1964 | ἐπιορκέω | epiorkeo | verb | 1v | To swear falsely / perjure | TODO(need G1964 study) |
| G2171 | εὐχή | euche | noun | 3v | Vow / prayer (voluntary commitment) | G2171-euche.md |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- omnyo (G3660) — independent root (prolonged form of primary omo)
- horkos (G3727), horkomosia (G3728), horkizo (G3726), epiorkeo (G1964) — all from the hork- root (fence/boundary → binding obligation)
- euche (G2171) — from euchomai "to pray/wish" (voluntary commitment, distinct from oath-binding)
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| omnyo (G3660) | horkos (G3727) | 4v (19% / 40%) | Reinforcing formula — "sworn with an oath" (Luk 1:73, Act 2:30, Heb 6:16–17) |
| omnyo (G3660) | horkomosia (G3728) | 1v (5% / 33%) | Heb 7:21 — priesthood established by divine oath-taking |
| horkos (G3727) | epiorkeo (G1964) | 1v (10% / 100%) | Mat 5:33 — "Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths" |
Shared Hebrew Sources¶
| Hebrew Word | Strong's | Greek Members It Maps To |
|---|---|---|
| שָׁבַע (shaba) | H7650 | omnyo (143x), horkizo (18x), horkos (12x) |
| שְׁבוּעָה (shebuah) | H7621 | horkos (25x), omnyo (8x) |
The Hebrew oath vocabulary (shaba/shebuah) maps primarily to omnyo for the verb and horkos for the noun, maintaining a clean correspondence between testament vocabularies.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Act: ὀμνύω (omnyo) — performing the oath
- Content: ὅρκος (horkos) — the oath as a thing, the words spoken
- Institution: ὁρκωμοσία (horkomosia) — oath-taking as a formal ceremony or institution
- Compulsion: ὁρκίζω (horkizo) — placing another under oath, adjuring
- Violation: ἐπιορκέω (epiorkeo) — breaking an oath, perjury
- Voluntary parallel: εὐχή (euche) — a vow made freely to God (prayer-wish)
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Mat 5:33 — horkos + epiorkeo: "Thou shalt not forswear thyself (epiorkeo), but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths (horkos)"
- Luk 1:73 — omnyo + horkos: "The oath (horkos) which he sware (omnyo) to our father Abraham"
- Act 2:30 — omnyo + horkos: "God had sworn (omnyo) with an oath (horkos) to him"
- Heb 6:16–17 — omnyo + horkos: "men verily swear (omnyo) by the greater: and an oath (horkos) for confirmation"
- Heb 7:20–21 — omnyo + horkomosia: "not without an oath (horkomosia)... The Lord sware (omnyo) and will not repent"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-05-12