ὅρκος
horkos
oath
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word ὅρκος (horkos) translates to "oath" and appears 10 times in the Bible. As a term related to speech and communication, an oath is a solemn promise or vow made with the intention of invoking a higher power or authority to validate its truthfulness. Given its semantic domain, the word ὅρκος is used in various contexts, including personal and public commitments, agreements, and testimonies. Its significance lies in its association with trust, reliability, and accountability, as an oath is meant to ensure that one's words are not taken lightly. The frequency of its occurrence in the Bible suggests that the concept of an oath held considerable importance in ancient Greek culture and was a significant aspect of communication and interpersonal relationships.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
10 total occurrences across the text
“Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’
Matthew 14:7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.
Matthew 26:72Again he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man.”
Mark 6:26The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her.
Luke 1:73the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
Acts 2:30Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
Hebrews 6:16For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
Hebrews 6:17In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath,
Matthew 14:9The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,
James 5:12But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear— not by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”, so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.