6 ¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, he swore by himself, because he had no one greater to swear by: 6 ^{14 [ Gn.22.17, Sir.44.21. ]} I vow that I will bless you abundantly and multiply your descendants.' 6 ¹⁵ Thus it was that Abraham, after patient waiting, attained the promise. 6 ¹⁶ Men swear by a greater than themselves, and the oath provides a confirmation to end all dispute; 6 ¹⁷ and so God, desiring to show even more clearly to the heirs of his promise how unchanging was his purpose, guaranteed it by oath. 6 ¹⁸ Here, then, are two irrevocable acts in which God could not possibly play us false, to give powerful encouragement to us, who have claimed his protection by grasping Or: to give to us, who have claimed his protection, a powerful incentive to grasp ... the hope set before us. 6 ¹⁹ That hope we hold. It is like an anchor for our lives, an anchor safe and sure. 6 ^{20 [ Ps.110.4. ]} It enters in through the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, having become a high priest for ever in the succession of Melchizedek.