Oaths and Vows

An oath was a solemn promise a person made that what he or she says is true. In Bible times, there were several methods of taking oaths. Sometimes a person said something like “as the Lord lives.” They meant that their words were as dependable as the fact that God is alive. Other times a person made a signal, such as raising his hand toward heaven. In our country, we use oaths in court cases, where a person places his hand on the Bible and says, “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”

A vow was a voluntary promise to God, made in exchange for something. Jacob vowed to give a tenth of all he had to God, if God would be with him, provide for him, and bring him back home safely. Once a vow was made, it had to be kept or else it was sin. A vow had to be spoken out loud to be binding.

Nazirite Vow. A vow a person took to commit himself or herself to God in a special way for a certain length of time. The time could be anywhere from thirty days to a lifetime. The person who took the vow could not eat anything made with grapes, cut his hair, or touch a dead body. Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist took this vow for life. Paul took a Nazirite vow for a short time.

In the New Testament, Jesus said everything His followers said should be just as binding as a vow. A simple yes or no should be enough. But if people did make vows, they must keep them faithfully.