Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Hebrews 6:17

"Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;" — Hebrews 6:17 (ASV)

We now turn from human oaths to the oath God swore to Abraham. God had no need to swear an oath. Nevertheless, he did it to make absolutely clear to his servant that his promise would be fulfilled. The operation of God’s will is stressed and is further brought out by the reference to “the unchanging nature of his purpose.” God’s will does not change. He has his purpose and he works it out. That was what the oath said. The word rendered “confirmed” (GK 3541) has the idea of “stand as guarantor.” God appears, so to speak, in two characters: the giver of the promise and then its guarantor. God is one of the parties of his promise. But with his oath, he puts himself on neutral ground and pledges the fulfillment of that promise. We should not miss the reference to “the heirs.” The promise was not confined to Abraham or even to him and his immediate family. Since he was to have a mighty multitude of heirs, it was to all those who follow him, including not merely physical Israel but also his spiritual descendants (Galatians 3:7). The readers of the letter must number themselves among those to whom the oath referred.