Promises, human

Examples of promises between people

Abraham and the king of Sodom; Abraham and Abimelech; Jacob and Joseph; in family life; Rahab and the spies

Examples of people making promises to God

Jacob; Jephthah; Hannah; Absalom; returning exiles

Accompaniments to human promises

Taking an oath

Deuteronomy 6:13 KJV 1900

Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

See also ; ; ; ;

Declaring a curse

2 Samuel 3:35 KJV 1900

And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.

See also ; ; ; ;

Instructions regarding human promises

The importance of keeping promises

Numbers 30:1–2 KJV 1900

And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

See also ; ; ;

The sin and peril of false promises

Leviticus 19:12 KJV 1900

And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

See also ; ; ; ; ; ;

The danger of making promises rashly, lightly or in ignorance

Ecclesiastes 5:1–7 KJV 1900

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

See also ; ;

The call of Jesus Christ to integrity and truth in making promises

Matthew 5:33–37 KJV 1900

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

See also ; ;