KJV ORIGINAL
Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Or if someone makes a promise or oath out loud—whether to do something bad or something good—about anything at all, and then forgets about it; when they remember what they promised, then they are guilty of sin.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse teaches that we are responsible for keeping our promises and oaths, even if we forget about them for a while.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of the detailed laws God gave to the Israelites about sins requiring guilt offerings. In ancient Israel, making oaths and vows was taken very seriously as a sacred commitment before God. The law recognized that people sometimes make hasty promises they later forget, but still held them accountable once they remembered.
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