The word oath, ‘she•vu•ah,’ is closely related to the number seven, ‘she•va.’ Much has been written about the hidden powers pertaining to this number. Of course, the first time it is mentioned is right at the first chapter of Genesis. From this moment on, it becames the key for major landmarks of the Jewish life cycle. Words such as Sabbath (‘Sha•bat’); a week (‘sha•vu•ah’); and Pentecost (‘sha•vu•ot’) are all related to the number seven, along with many more. ‘Sha•vu•ot’ is the holiday which is celebrated a day after counting seven weeks from Passover. You can’t miss the double seven here! The ‘Pente’ in Pentecost relates to the 50th day (7×7+1) after Passover when the Pentecost is celebrated.
The word oath is historically connected to the holy number seven. It is considered holy, as well, and is very binding. A famous oath was made by Abraham and Abimelech where Abraham reinforced and substantiated that the oath with a gift of seven lambs. The oath was to testify for Abraham’s ownership of a well of water. Abraham named the place where the oath was taken ‘Beersheba,’ today a major city in Israel. This name means: ‘the well of the seven’ (Genesis 21:22-32).
The oath, like the week, is a circle that begins when taking the oath and ends when it is fulfilled. In scriptures, we were warned to use it carefully:
“But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath,”
If now you were to guess how many times the word ‘she•vu•ah’ (oath) is mentioned in the Bible and you’d say “seven!” – you are absolutely right: seven times! Twice in the old Testament and five times in the New Testament.
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