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.

A 'thousand' means much, many, a countless number, a whole era of time, an abundance. When used in reference to the Lord, it actually means a number greater than that: In those cases it means what is infinite, what is truly without end.