Numbers 30

Laws concerning the Vows made by a male-person, declaring that they ought to be kept, verse 1 etc. or by a daughter of the Family, shewing when their vows were to be kept, 3. or not; 5. or by a married woman; when they were to keep them, 6. or not, 8. or by a widow, or divorced, or forsaken woman, that they were binding. 9. Again, of a married woman, 10. the conclusion of the chapter, 16.

1. And Moseh spake unto the heads of the Tribes, [Which were out of each tribe one, the Ruler or Governor thereof; See above, ch.1.v.4. and 16. with their Annot.] of the children of Israel, [unto whom these Heads or Rulers were to impart the ensuing Ordinance, each one to his Tribe] saying: This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.

2. When a man shall have vowed a vow, [viz. barely, without an oath, either to give or do something freely for the honour of God. Of vows, what they be; see Rev. 7.on v.16.] or sworn an oath, [viz. thereby engaging and binding himself to do or leave such a thing] binding his soul with a bond, [Heb. binding a bond upon his soul, i.e. on himself, or his person; and so in the sequel, as bodies are tied with ropes and cords to abide in certain place, so the souls of men are tied by vows, made unto the LORD to keep firm and steadfast to what they vowed unto him] he shall not unhallow his word: [i.e. not cause the same to become a reproach, and matter of blasphemy, and reviling by breaking of his vow] he shall doe according to all that proceeded out of his mouth. [provided the same be in his power to perform, and lawful, not contrary to the Law of the LORD, such as was the vow of those that resolved to take away the life of Paul, Acts 23:14.]

3. But when a woman shall have vowed a vow unto the LORD: [Understand here, not a married woman, as below, 6.7, 8. But a woman-like person, as a young daughter, being yet under the command of her father, as appeareth by this verse, and the last of this Chapter; Thus Mary the mother of the LORD, is called among women, and a woman, Luke 1:42. Gal.4.4.] and shall have bound her self with a bond, in her fathers house, in her youth.

4. And her father shall hear her vow and her bond, wherewith she bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace towards her; [viz. either openly approving of it, or silently giving way to it, for (as the saying goeth) He that holds his peace, seemeth to assent and approve of what he heareth] then all her vows shall stand, and every binding wherewith she shall have bound her soul, shall stand. [id est., she shall be bound to perform that which she vowed unto the LORD without intermission.

5. But if her father shall break the same in the day when he heareth it, all her vows and her bonds, where with she bound her soul; shall not stand: [Understand hereby two things; first that the father having understood his daughters vows, he was not to take into any long deliberation, what he should approve, or disannul: secondly, that the daughter was to desist of her vows immediately upon the fathers disapproving of the same. Compare below, verse 7. And 8.] but the LORD shall forgive it her, [to wit, that she did vow so unadvisedly without her fathers knowledge. Secondly, that she was forced to abandon her vow. So below, v.8.] for her father made her to break it.

6. But if indeed she have a husband, [Heb. being a husbands, shall be, i.e. being firmly betrothed, or married to a man, and consequently made subject to his Authority. See the like expressions likewise below, Chapter 36.3.] and her vows be upon her; [id est, when she stands engaged by any vow, which she promised to perform, either simply by solemn words, or, with the addition of an Oath: as above, verse 2. and below also, verse 8.10.] or the utterance of her lips, whereby she bound her soul:

7. And her husband shall hear the (same,) and in the day when he heareth it, shall hold his peace towards her; then her vows shall stand, and her bonds, wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: [Compare above the note on verse 5. and see the verse following.]

8. But if her husband, on that day, when he heard it, shall break the same, and shall disannul her vow that was upon her, together with the utterance of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; then the LORD shall forgive it her.

9. As for the vow of a widow, [whose husband was dead, when she made her vow; so that being at her own disposing, she had power to make vows, without being, accountable thereof to others] or of a divorced (woman): [understand such a one, as having received a letter of divorce is abandoned by her husband. See Levit.21.7. Such a one was likewise at her own free disposing, because the husband resigned all the right and command he had over her, into her , into her own hands back again, by the Act of Divorce. And therefore their vows were to stand] all she bound her soul with, shall stand over her.

10. But if in her husband house she made a vow; or bound her soul with an oath by a bond.

11. And her husband shall have heard (the same,) and shall have held his peace towards her, not breaking the same; then all her vows shall stand, and all the binding wherewith she bound her soul, shall stand.

12. But if her husband utterly disannul [Heb. disannulling, disannul: and so below, verse 15.] those things, in the day when he heareth it; nothing of all that proceeded out of her vow, and of the binding of her soul, shall stand: her husband hath disannulled the same, and the LORD shall forgive it her.

13. Every vow, and every oath of obligation, for the humbling of the Soul; her husband shall establish the same, or the same her husband shall disannul.

14. But if her husband altogether hold his peace towards her from day to day, [Hebr. holding his peace, hold his peace, etc.] Then he confirmeth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her; he hath confirmed them, for having held his peace towards her, in that day he heard it.

15. Yet, if he shall wholly disannul the same: [Heb. disannulling, shall have disannulled them, viz.not on the same day when he heard them, but one or more days after] then he shall bear her iniquity. [i.e. he shall be guilty of the punishment, deserved, by the breach of the foresaid vows. See of this kind of speaking, Lev.5. on v.1. others render the Hebrew Verb here, take away; viz. the iniquity of the woman, that by the breach of her vow, she shall not be held guilty, or punishable; as v.5, 8, and 12. is intimated.]

16. These are the institution which the LORD commanded Moseh betwixt a man and his wife; betwixt a father and his daughter, being in her youth, at the house of her father.