### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼâlâh**, represented by `{{H422}}`, is a primitive root that means to **adjure, curse, or swear**. It appears 6 times across 6 unique verses, often in a negative sense to describe an imprecation or the act of binding someone with an oath. It signifies the solemn and powerful nature of a spoken vow or curse.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H422}}` appears in contexts of both formal and informal oaths. It is used when Saul **adjured** the people of Israel, placing them under a curse if they ate before evening [[1 Samuel 14:24]]. The term is also used in a legal or religious setting, where an oath is required to make someone **swear** after trespassing against a neighbor, with the act taking place before God's altar ([[1 Kings 8:31]]; [[2 Chronicles 6:22]]). In the prophecies of Hosea, **swearing** is listed first among a series of sins including lying, killing, and stealing that have corrupted the nation [[Hosea 4:2]], and is also associated with making a covenant falsely [[Hosea 10:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the meaning and impact of `{{H422}}`:
* `{{H423}}` **ʼâlâh**: This is the noun form, meaning **an imprecation; curse, cursing, execration, oath, swearing**. It is used directly alongside the verb in legal contexts, where an oath is laid upon a person to cause them to swear [[1 Kings 8:31]].
* `{{H779}}` **ʼârar**: A primitive root meaning **to execrate** or **bitterly curse**. This word is used for the curse Saul proclaimed when he adjured the people, showing a direct link between adjuring and cursing [[1 Samuel 14:24]].
* `{{H1285}}` **bᵉrîyth**: Meaning **a compact... covenant, league**. Its relationship to `{{H422}}` is seen when the people are condemned for swearing falsely while making a covenant, turning a sacred agreement into a deceitful act [[Hosea 10:4]].
* `{{H2398}}` **châṭâʼ**: This root means **to miss** or **to sin**. An oath `{{H422}}` could be administered as a direct consequence when a man was suspected of having sinned against his neighbor [[2 Chronicles 6:22]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H422}}` is significant, highlighting the gravity of spoken oaths and their consequences.
* **Corruption of Sacred Acts:** The use of `{{H422}}` in "swearing falsely in making a covenant" demonstrates how a holy act like a covenant can be perverted, leading to judgment instead of blessing [[Hosea 10:4]].
* **Foundation of Social Decay:** In Hosea's critique of Israel, improper **swearing** is listed as a foundational sin that leads to a cascade of other transgressions, such as lying, killing, and stealing, ultimately causing the social and moral fabric to "break out" [[Hosea 4:2]].
* **Oaths Before God:** The act of swearing `{{H422}}` in response to a trespass is explicitly performed before God's altar [[1 Kings 8:31]]. This frames the oath not merely as a promise between humans, but as a solemn vow made in the presence of the divine Judge.
* **Authoritative Curses:** The term is used by figures in authority, like a king, to bind people to a specific action under penalty of a curse, demonstrating the power of a leader's word to impose obligation and consequence [[1 Samuel 14:24]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H422}}` is a potent word that conveys the serious nature of an oath, vow, or curse. It is far more than simple speech; it is a binding act with tangible consequences. Its usage reveals that such oaths can be a tool for justice when sworn truthfully before God, but become a source of profound corruption and societal breakdown when used falsely or to enact a rash curse.
TRV