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Numbers 30:3-8 King James Version (KJV)

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

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

5 But if her father disallow her in 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 shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

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

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

8 But 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.

Numbers 30:3-8 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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3 If a woman H802 also vow H5087 a vow H5088 unto the LORD, H3068 and bind H631 herself by a bond, H632 being in her father's H1 house H1004 in her youth; H5271

4 And her father H1 hear H8085 her vow, H5088 and her bond H632 wherewith she hath bound H631 her soul, H5315 and her father H1 shall hold his peace H2790 at her: then all her vows H5088 shall stand, H6965 and every bond H632 wherewith she hath bound H631 her soul H5315 shall stand. H6965

5 But if her father H1 disallow H5106 her in the day H3117 that he heareth; H8085 not any of her vows, H5088 or of her bonds H632 wherewith she hath bound H631 her soul, H5315 shall stand: H6965 and the LORD H3068 shall forgive H5545 her, because her father H1 disallowed H5106 her.

6 And if she had at all an husband, H376 when she vowed, H5088 or uttered H4008 ought out of her lips, H8193 wherewith she bound H631 her soul; H5315

7 And her husband H376 heard H8085 it, and held his peace H2790 at her in the day H3117 that he heard H8085 it: then her vows H5088 shall stand, H6965 and her bonds H632 wherewith she bound H631 her soul H5315 shall stand. H6965

8 But if her husband H376 disallowed H5106 her on the day H3117 that he heard H8085 it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, H5088 and that which she uttered H4008 with her lips, H8193 wherewith she bound H631 her soul, H5315 of none effect: H6565 and the LORD H3068 shall forgive H5545 her.

Numbers 30:3-8 American Standard (ASV)

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3 Also when a woman voweth a vow unto Jehovah, and bindeth herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth,

4 and her father heareth her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father holdeth his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth, none of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and Jehovah will forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

6 And if she be `married' to a husband, while her vows are upon her, or the rash utterance of her lips, wherewith she hath bound her soul,

7 and her husband hear it, and hold his peace at her in the day that he heareth it; then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

8 But if her husband disallow her in the day that he heareth it, then he shall make void her vow which is upon her, and the rash utterance of her lips, wherewith she hath bound her soul: and Jehovah will forgive her.

Numbers 30:3-8 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

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3 `And when a woman voweth a vow to Jehovah, and hath bound a bond in the house of her father in her youth,

4 and her father hath heard her vow, and her bond which she hath bound on her soul, and her father hath kept silent at her, then have all her vows been established, and every bond which she hath bound on her soul is established.

5 `And if her father hath disallowed her in the day of his hearing, none of her vows and her bonds which she hath bound on her soul is established, and Jehovah is propitious to her, for her father hath disallowed her.

6 `And if she be at all to a husband, and her vows `are' on her, or a wrongful utterance `on' her lips, which she hath bound on her soul,

7 and her husband hath heard, and in the day of his hearing, he hath kept silent at her, then have her vows been established, and her bonds which she hath bound on her soul are established.

8 `And if in the day of her husband's hearing he disalloweth her, then he hath broken her vow which `is' on her, and the wrongful utterance of her lips which she hath bound on her soul, and Jehovah is propitious to her.

Numbers 30:3-8 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

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3 If a woman also vow a vow to Jehovah, and bind herself by a bond, in her father's house in her youth,

4 and her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall be silent at her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

5 But if her father prohibited her in the day that he heard, none of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand; and Jehovah shall pardon her, because her father prohibited her.

6 And if she have a husband, when she hath her vow upon her or ought that hath passed her lips wherewith she hath bound her soul,

7 and her husband hear it and be silent at her in the day that he heareth it, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

8 But if her husband prohibit her on the day that he heareth it, and annul her vow which is upon her, and what hath passed her lips, wherewith she hath bound her soul, then Jehovah shall pardon her.

Numbers 30:3-8 World English Bible (WEB)

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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,

4 and 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.

5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand: and Yahweh will forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

6 If she be [married] to a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul,

7 and her husband hear 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.

8 But if her husband disallow 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: and Yahweh will forgive her.

Numbers 30:3-8 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

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3 When a man takes an oath to the Lord, or gives an undertaking having the force of an oath, let him not go back from his word, but let him do whatever he has said he will do.

4 If a woman, being young and under the authority of her father, takes an oath to the Lord or gives an undertaking;

5 If her father, hearing of her oath or the undertaking she has given, says nothing to her, then all her oaths and every undertaking she has given will have force.

6 But if her father, hearing of it, makes her take back her word, then the oaths or the undertakings she has given will have no force; and she will have forgiveness from the Lord, because her oath was broken by her father.

7 And if she is married to a husband at the time when she is under an oath or an undertaking given without thought;

8 If her husband, hearing of it, says nothing to her at the time, then the oaths she made and the undertakings she gave will have force.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 30

Commentary on Numbers 30 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 30

In this chapter we have a law concerning vows, which had been mentioned in the close of the foregoing chapter.

  • I. Here is a general rule laid down that all vows must be carefully performed (v. 1, 2).
  • II. Some particular exceptions to this rule.
    • 1. That the vows of daughters should not be binding unless allowed by the father (v. 3-5). Nor,
    • 2. The vows of wives unless allowed by the husband (v. 6, etc.).

Num 30:1-2

This law was delivered to the heads of the tribes that they might instruct those who were under their charge, explain the law to them, give then necessary cautions, and call them to account, if there were occasion, for the breach of their vows. Perhaps the heads of the tribes had, upon some emergency of this kind, consulted Moses, and desired by him to know the mind of God, and here they are told it: This is the thing which the Lord has commanded concerning vows, and it is a command still in force.

  • 1. The case supposed is that a person vows a vow unto the Lord, making God a party to the promise, and designing his honour and glory in it. The matter of the vow is supposed to be something lawful: no man can be by his own promise bound to do that which he is already by the divine precept prohibited from doing. Yet it is supposed to be something which, in such and such measures and degrees, was not a necessary duty antecedent to the vow. A person might vow to bring such and such sacrifices at certain times, to give such and such a sum or such a proportion in alms, to forbear such meats and drinks which the law allowed, to fast and afflict the soul (which is specified v. 13) at other times besides the day of atonement. And many similar vows might be made in an extraordinary heat of holy zeal, in humiliation for some sin committed or for the prevention of sin, in the pursuit of some mercy desired or in gratitude for some mercy received. It is of great use to make such vows as these, provided they be made in sincerity with due caution. Vows (say the Jewish doctors) are the hedge of separation, that is, a fence to religion. He that vows is here said to bind his soul with a bond. It is a vow to God, who is a spirit, and to him the soul, with all its powers, must be bound. A promise to man is a bond upon the estate, but a promise to God is a bond upon the soul. Our sacramental vows, by which we are bound to no more than what was before our duty, and which neither father nor husband can disannul, are bonds upon the soul, and by them we must feel ourselves bound out from all sin and bound up to the whole will of God. Our occasional vows concerning that which before was in our own power (Acts 5:4), when they are made, are bonds upon the soul likewise.
  • 2. The command given is that these vows be conscientiously performed: He shall not break his word, though afterwards he may change his mind, but he shall do according to what he has said. Margin, He shall not profane his word. Vowing is an ordinance of God; if we vow in hypocrisy we profane that ordinance: it is plainly determined, Better not vow than vow and not pay, Eccl. 5:5. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. His promises to us are yea and amen, let not ours to him be yea and nay.

Num 30:3-16

It is here taken for granted that all such persons as are sui juris-at their own disposal, and are likewise of sound understanding and memory, are bound to perform whatever they vow that is lawful and possible; but, if the person vowing be under the dominion and at the disposal of another, the case is different. Two cases much alike are here put and determined:-

  • I. The case of a daughter in her father's house: and some think, probably enough, that it extends to a son likewise, while he is at home with his father, and under tutors and governors. Whether the exception may thus be stretched I cannot say. Non est distinguendum, ubi lex non distinguit-We are not allowed to make distinctions which the law does not. The rule is general, If a man vow, he must pay. But for a daughter it is express: her vow is nugatory or in suspense till her father knows it, and (it is supposed) knows it from her; for, when it comes to his knowledge, it is in his power either to ratify or nullify it. But in favour of the vow,
    • 1. Even his silence shall suffice to ratify it: If he hold his peace, her vows shall stand, v. 4. Qui tacet, consentire videtur-Silence gives consent. Hereby he allows his daughter the liberty she has assumed, and, as long as he says nothing against her vow, she shall be bound by it. But,
    • 2. His protestation against it shall perfectly disannul it, because it is possible that such vow may by prejudicial to the affairs of the family, break the father's measures, perplex the provision made for his table if the vow related to meats, or lessen the provision made for his children if the vow would be more expensive than his estate would bear; however, it was certain that it was an infringement of his authority over his child, and therefore, if he disallow it, she is discharged, and the Lord shall forgive her, that is, she shall not be charged with the guilt of violating her vow; she showed her good-will in making the vow, and, if her intentions therein were sincere, she shall be accounted better than sacrifice. This shows how great a deference children owe to their parents, and how much they ought to honour them and be obedient to them. It is for the interest of the public that the paternal authority be supported; for, when children are countenanced in their disobedience to their parents (as they were by the tradition of the elders, Mt. 15:5, 6), they soon become in other things children of Belial. If this law be not to be extended to children's marrying without their parents' consent so far as to put it in parents' power to annul the marriage and dissolve the obligation (as some have thought it does), yet certainly it proves the sinfulness of it, and obliges the children that have thus done foolishly to repent and humble themselves before God and their parents.
  • II. The case of a wife is much the same. As for a woman that is a widow or divorced, she has neither father nor husband to control her, so that, whatever vows she binds her soul with, they shall stand against her (v. 9), it is at her peril if she run back; but a wife, who has nothing that she can strictly call her own, but with her husband's allowance, cannot, without that, make any such vow.
    • 1. The law is plain in case of a wife that continues so long after the vow. If her husband allow her vow, though only by silence, it must stand, v. 6, 7. If he disallow it, since her obligation to that which she had vowed arose purely from her own act, and not from any prior command of God, her obligation to her husband shall take place of it, for to him she ought to be in subjection as unto the Lord; and now it is so far from being her duty to fulfil her vow that it would be her sin to disobey her husband, whose consent perhaps she ought to have asked before she made the vow; therefore she needs forgiveness, v. 8.
    • 2. The law is the same in case of a wife that soon after becomes a widow, or is put away. Though, if she return to her father's house, she does not therefore so come again under his authority as that he has power to disannul hew vows (v. 9), yet if the vow was made while she was in the house of her husband, and her husband disallowed it, it was made void and of no effect for ever, and she does not return under the law of her vow when she is loosed from the law of her husband. This seems to be the distinct meaning of v. 10-14, which otherwise would be but a repetition of v. 6-8. But it is added (v. 15) that, if the husband make void the vows of his wife, he shall bear her iniquity; that is, if the thing she had vowed was really good, for the honour of God and the prosperity of her own soul, and the husband disallowed it out of covetousness, or humour, or to show his authority, though she be discharged from the obligation of her vow, yet he will have a great deal to answer for. Now here it is very observable how carefully the divine law consults the good order of families, and preserves the power of superior relations, and the duty and reverence of inferiors. It is fit that every man should bear rule in his own house, and have his wife and children in subjection with all gravity; and rather than this great rule should be broken, or any encouragement given to inferior relations to break those bonds asunder, God himself would quit his right, and release the obligations even of a solemn vow; so much does religion strengthen the ties of all relations, and secure the welfare of all societiesd, that in it the families of the earth are blessed.