3046. 'And swore to him concerning this matter' means a very solemn undertaking. This is clear from the meaning of 'swearing' as a bond, and indeed a most sacred bond since he swore by 'Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth', as dealt with in 3023. It is accordingly a very solemn undertaking, for a very solemn undertaking is nothing else than a bond.

In Matthew 3:4, this signifies the Word in its literal sense, which is like clothing to the internal sense. (Arcana Coelestia 5619)