"so help me" meaning in English

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "so help me",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "so help me God"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1904, William F. Cattell, A Receipt for $10,000, page 16",
          "text": "Am I awake or am I dead. Spencer, my boy, you're a fool—I've got it. I've got the palpitation of the heart, so help me. Why didn't I stay away and not come back after fifteen years.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1919, The Junior Class of The Ohio State University, The Makio, page 483",
          "text": "I hereby swear to become the manager of either the football, basket ball, track, cross-country, baseball, soccer or tennis teams before my graduation. So help me, and keep me at it.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Allan Frewin Jones, Lesley Pollinger, Teach Yourself Writing: for Children, page 84",
          "text": "'You come one step closer to me with that gherkin,' she said, 'and I'll have the law on you, so help me I will.'",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of so help me God"
      ],
      "id": "en-so_help_me-en-phrase-0I5kXx9F",
      "links": [
        [
          "so help me God",
          "so help me God#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "so help me"
}

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "so help me",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "so help me God"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English phrases",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1904, William F. Cattell, A Receipt for $10,000, page 16",
          "text": "Am I awake or am I dead. Spencer, my boy, you're a fool—I've got it. I've got the palpitation of the heart, so help me. Why didn't I stay away and not come back after fifteen years.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1919, The Junior Class of The Ohio State University, The Makio, page 483",
          "text": "I hereby swear to become the manager of either the football, basket ball, track, cross-country, baseball, soccer or tennis teams before my graduation. So help me, and keep me at it.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Allan Frewin Jones, Lesley Pollinger, Teach Yourself Writing: for Children, page 84",
          "text": "'You come one step closer to me with that gherkin,' she said, 'and I'll have the law on you, so help me I will.'",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of so help me God"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "so help me God",
          "so help me God#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "so help me"
}