THE FOURTH BOOK OF

MOSES,
called
N U M B E R S

Numbers 30

1Vows are not to be broken. 3The exceptions of a maid's vow, 6of a wife's, 9of a widow's, or of her that is divorced.


1AND Moses spake unto the 1heads of the tribes 2concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.

1 Which were one ruler out of each tribe. See Num. 1:4, 16 and the annotations there.

2 To whom each head in his tribe had to announce the following ordinance.

2Ifa a man 3vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear 4an oath to bind 5his soul with a bond; he shall not 6break his word, he shall do 7according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

a Deut. 23:21.

3 Namely, simply, without an oath, either to give or do something voluntarily for the honor of God. See Lev. 7 on verse 16 what is a vow.

4 Namely, thereby engaging and binding himself either to do such a thing or to leave it undone.

5 Or, engaging his soul with an engagement, that is, on himself or his person; and so in the sequel. As bodies are tied with ropes and cords to remain in a certain place, the souls of men are tied as such by vows made unto the LORD to keep firm and steadfast to what they vowed unto Him.

6 That is, not cause the same to become a reproach and a matter of blasphemy by breaking his vow.

7 Understand well what is permitted and in his power, not contrary to the law of the LORD; which was the vow of those who resolved to take away the life of Paul, Acts 23:14.

3If a 8woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;

8 Understand here not a married woman, as verses 6, 7, 8, but a female person, as a young daughter being yet under the jurisdiction of her father, as can be deduced from 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.

4And her father 9hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then 10all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

9 Namely, either openly approving it, or permitting it silently, for (as the saying goes) he who holds his peace seems to assent and approve of what he hears.

10 That is, she shall be bound to perform what she vowed unto the LORD without omission.

5But if her father disallow her 11in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD 12shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

11 Understand hereby two things: I. that the father, having understood his daughter’s vows, was not to take into any long deliberation what he should approve or disannul; II. that the daughter was to desist of her vows immediately upon her father’s disapproval. Compare verses 7, 8.

12 Namely: I. that she did vow so imprudently without her father’s knowledge; II. that she was compelled to abandon her vow. Also verse 8.

6And if she had 13at all an husband, when 14she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;

13 Hebr. being of a husband shall be, that is, being firmly betrothed or married to a man, and consequently made subject to his authority. See similar expressions likewise in Num. 36:3.

14 That is, 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 verse 2. So also verses 8, 10.

7And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her 15in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

15 Compare the annotation on verse 5 and see the next verse.

8But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.

9But every vow of a 16widow, and of her that is 17divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.

16 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.

17 Understand such a woman, as having received a letter of divorce, and who is abandoned by her husband. See Lev. 21:7. Such a one was likewise at her own disposing, because the husband resigned all the right and authority, he had over her, into her own hands back again by the act of divorce. And therefore their vows were to stand.

10And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;

11And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

12But if her husband hath 18utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.

18 Hebr. disannulling disannul. Also verse 15.

13Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.

14But if her husband 19altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.

19 Hebr. holding his peace, hold his peace.

15But if he shall 20any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he 21shall bear her iniquity.

20 Hebr. disannulling shall have disannulled them, namely, not on the same day when he heard them, but one or more days thereafter.

21 That is, he shall be guilty of the punishment, which is deserved by the breach of the aforementioned vows. See of this kind of speaking, Lev. 5 on verse 1. Others render the Hebrew verb here, take away, namely, the iniquity of the woman, that by the breach of her vow she shall not be held guilty or be punishable; as is mentioned in verses 5, 8, 12.

16These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.