ὀμνύω

ὀμνύω (a by-form of ὄμνυμι which is predominant in H. Gk. and therefore in the NT as well; in the form ὄμνυμι Hom. et al.; ins, pap; Just.; the by-form in Hdt., X. et al.; ins, pap, LXX, En, Philo; Jos., Ant. 3, 271, C. Ap. 2, 121. In the NT the older form occurs only in the inf. ὀμνύναι Mk 14:71 [v.l. ὀμνύειν]; B-D-F §92; W-S. §14, 8; Mlt-H. 251) 1 aor. ὤμοσα; pf. ὀμώμοκα LXX to affirm the veracity of one’s statement by invoking a transcendent entity, freq. w. implied invitation of punishment if one is untruthful, swear, take an oath w. acc. of pers. or thing by which one swears (Hom. et al.; X., An. 7, 6, 18; Diod S 1, 29, 4 τὴν ῏Ισιν; Appian, Syr. 60 §317 πάντας τ. θεούς, Bell. Civ. 4, 68, §289; UPZ 70, 2 [152/151 B.C.] τὸν Σάραπιν; POxy 239, 5 [66 A.D.] Νέρωνα; B-D-F §149; Rob. 484. On the LXX s. Johannessohn, Kasus 77; Jos., Ant. 5, 14; 13, 76; Orig., Hippol.) τὸν οὐρανόν, τὴν γῆν swear by heaven, by the earth (Apollon. Rhod. 3, 699 and schol. on Apollon. Rhod. 3, 714 ὄμοσον Γαῖάν τε καὶ Οὐρανόν; cp. διομνύω Aesop, Fab. 140 H.=89 P./91 [I, III] H-H.) Js 5:12. τὴν Καίσαρος τύχην MPol 9:2; 10:1. Abs., in the same sense (cp. Jos., Ant. 4, 310) 9:3; (w. ἐπιθῦσαι) MPol 4.—Instead of the acc., ἐν w. dat. of pers. or thing is used (as נִשְׁבַּע בְּ in the OT; ἐν ὑμῖν En 5:6; s. Johannessohn, loc. cit.) ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ἐν τῇ γῇ Mt 5:34–35 (cp. the contrary advice 1QS 5, 8; MDelcor, VetusT 16, ’66, 8–25 [heaven and earth]); cp. 23:22 (GHeinrici, Beiträge III 1905, 42–5; ERietschel, Das Verbot des Eides in d. Bergpredigt: StKr 79, 1906, 373–418; ibid. 80, 1907, 609–18; OProksch, Das Eidesverbot Jesu Christi: Thüringer kirchl. Jahrbuch 1907; HMüller, Zum Eidesverbot d. Bergpred. 1913; OOlivieri, Biblica 4, 1923, 385–90; GStählin, Zum Gebrauch von Beteuerungsformeln im NT, NovT 5, ’62, 115–43; Billerb. I 321–36; ULuz, Mt, transl. WLinss ’89 [’85], 311–22.—Warning against any and all oaths as early as Choerilus Epicus [V B.C.] Fgm. 7 K.=10 B.: Stob., Flor. 3, 27, 1 vol. III p. 611, 3 H. ὅρκον δʼ οὔτʼ ἄδικον χρεὼν ὀμνύναι οὔτε δίκαιον; Nicol. Dam.: 90 Fgm. 103i Jac.: the Phrygians do not swear at all; Pythagoreans acc. to Diog. L. 8, 22; Essenes in Jos., Bell. 2, 135; cp. Soph., Oed. Col. 650f: a good man’s word is sufficient; sim. Aeschyl., Fgm. 394 TGF p. 114; s. also Plut., Mor. 275c). ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ σου by your head 5:36. ἐν τῷ ναῷ, ἐν τῷ χρυσῷ τοῦ ναοῦ 23:16; 21. ἐν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ, ἐν τῷ δώρῳ τῷ ἐπάνω vss. 18, 20. ἐν τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τ. αἰῶνας τ. αἰώνων Rv 10:6. ἐν is replaced by εἰς Mt 5:35 (B-D-F §206, 2). Also κατά τινος by someone or someth. (Aristoph.; Demosth. [exx. in FBleek, Hb II/2, 1840, 245a]; Longus, Past. 4, 20, 2; Porphyr., Abst. 3, 16; Ps.-Lucian, Calumn. 18; SIG 526, 8; 685, 27; BGU 248, 12 [I A.D.]; Gen 22:16; 31:53; Ex 32:13; 1 Km 30:15; Am 6:8; Zeph 1:5) ἐπεὶ κατʼ οὐδενὸς εἶχεν μείζονος ὀμόσαι, ὤμοσεν καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ since (God) could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself Hb 6:13; cp. vs. 16 (Philo, Leg. All. 3, 203 οὐ καθʼ ἑτέρου ὀμνύει θεός, οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ κρεῖττον, ἀλλὰ καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ, ὅς ἐστι πάντων ἄριστος, De Abr. 273; on the topic cp. Hom., Il. 1, 524–27). ὤμοσεν ὁ δεσπότης κατὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ the Master took an oath by his glory Hv 2, 2, 5. It is even said that God ὤμ. κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ v 2, 2, 8. Foll. by direct discourse Hb 7:21 (Ps 109:4). Dir. disc. is preceded by ὅτι Mt 26:74 (w. καταθεματίζειν); Mk 14:71 (w. ἀναθεματίζειν); Rv 10:6f. As a quot. fr. Ps 94:11 w. εἰ preceding dir. disc. Hb 3:11; 4:3 (s. εἰ 4).—W. dat. of pers. confirm someth. (τὶ) for someone with an oath 6:8 (Ex 33:1); Ac 7:17 v.l. (ἧς by attraction, for ἥν). W. inf. foll. (Just., A I, 21, 3 ὀμνύντα … ἑωρακέναι) τίσιν ὤμοσεν μὴ εἰσελεύσεσθαι εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ; whom did he assure by an oath that they should not enter his rest? Hb 3:18 (dat. w. fut. inf. as Plut., Galba 1063 [22, 12]). διαθήκη ἣν ὤμοσεν τοῖς πατράσι δοῦναι τ. λαῷ the covenant which he swore to the fathers to give to the people 14:1. Foll. by dir. disc. introduced by ὅτι recitative Mk 6:23 (JDerrett, Law in the NT, ’70, 339–58). ὅρκῳ ὀμ. τινί w. inf. foll. Ac 2:30. Though the dat. ὅρκῳ is rare in this combination (cp. En 6:4; TestJud 22:3), the acc. (Hom. et al.; Gen 26:3; Num 30:3) is quite common: ὅρκον ὀμ. πρός τινα (ὀμ. πρός τινα Od. 14, 331; 19, 288) swear an oath to someone foll. by gen of the aor. inf. Lk 1:73.—RHirzel, D. Eid 1902; LWenger, D. Eid in d. griech. pap: ZSavRG, Rom. Abt. 23, 1902, 158ff; JPedersen, Der Eid bei den Semiten 1914; ESeidl, Der Eid in röm.-ägypt. Provinzialrecht, ’33.—B. 1437. DELG s.v. ὄμνυμι. M-M. TRE IX, 379–82. EDNT. TW. Sv.