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Philo takes God's oath to Abraham in Genesis 22 and reasons that God swears by himself because there is nothing higher to swear by. Hebrews draws the identical deduction from the same verse, since God could swear by no one greater.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Philo Allegorical Interpretation 3:203
Classical
Now as for sense God has appointed all woeful things in larger measure, so on the earnest soul has He bestowed without stint an abundance of good things. For example in the case of perfect Abraham He speaks in this way: “‘ By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, for Whose sake ¥ you have done this thing, and on My account have not spared your son, your only son, truly blessing will I bless you, and multiplying will I multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is by the sea shore ”’ (Gen. xxii. 16 f.). Good is it both that He confirmed the promise by an oath, and that He did so by an oath befitting God; you mark that God swears not by some other thing, for nothing is higher than He, but by Himself, who is best of all things. Some have said, that it was inappropriate for Him to swear; for an oath is added to assist faith, and only God and one who is God’s friend is faithful, even as Moses is said to have been found “ faithful in all His house’ (Numb. xii. 7). Moreover, the very words of God are oaths and laws of God and most sacred ordinances; and a proof of His sure. . strength is that whatever He says comes to pass, and this is specially characteristic of an oath. It would seem to be a corollary from this that all God’s words are oaths receiving confirmation by accomplishment in act.
Date: 20-50 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Hebrews 6:13
New Testament
12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises. 13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” 15 And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise.
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Notes and References
“... Philo, however, presents the closest parallel to the use of the quotation found in Hebrews. In Alleg. Interp. 3.203–208 the Alexandrian scholar presents a discourse using Abraham as an example of a “diligent soul” (tē spoudaia psychē) upon whom God pours good things. Philo states, “It is good both that he confirmed the promise with an oath and by an oath fit for God. For notice that God does not swear by something else, for there is nothing better than him; but he swears by himself, who is best” (Alleg. Interp. 3.203). Here the writer uses two terms (bebaioō, “confirm”; kreittōn, “better”) belonging to families of words of which the author of Hebrews is fond, and he makes the point that God swears by himself, having nothing greater by which to swear (cf. Heb. 6:13). The parallel could not be more plain. ...”
Guthrie, George H.
"Hebrews" in Beale, G. K., and D. A. Carson, editors. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament
(p. 2190) Baker Academic, 2007
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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