Numbers 30
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1Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded. 2When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. 3“Also when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father’s house, in her youth, 4and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father holds his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. 5But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. Yahweh will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her. 6“If she has a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul, 7and her husband hears it, and hold his peace at her in the day that he hears it; then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. 8But if her husband forbids her in the day that he hears it, then he shall make void her vow which is on her, and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. Yahweh will forgive her. 9“But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, everything with which she has bound her soul, shall stand against her. 10“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 didn’t disallow her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. 12But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has made them void. Yahweh will forgive her. 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 altogether hold his peace at her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows, or all her bonds, which are on her. He has established them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them. 15But if he shall make them null and void after that he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.” 16These are the statutes which Yahweh commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in her father’s house.
World English Bible (public domain)
“But any vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, anything by which she has bound herself shall stand against her.”
Numbers 30:9
Summary
Numbers chapter 30 addresses the vows made by individuals, particularly focusing on the commitments of women. The chapter outlines the structure and authority surrounding vows, emphasizing the importance of accountability in one's promises to God. Women can make vows, but the chapter provides specific circumstances under which a father or husband can annul those vows. This reflects the cultural context of the ancient Israelites, where family authority played a significant role in decision-making. The chapter highlights the serious nature of vows and the necessity for individuals to be mindful of their commitments, as they represent not just personal promises but obligations before God.
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