1 And Moses speaketh unto the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, `This `is' the thing which Jehovah hath commanded:
and with you there is a man for a tribe, each is a head to the house of his fathers. `And these `are' the names of the men who stand with you: `For Reuben -- Elizur son of Shedeur. `For Simeon -- Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. `For Judah -- Nahshon son of Amminadab. `For Issachar -- Nathaneel son of Zuar. `For Zebulun -- Eliab son of Helon. `For the sons of Joseph -- for Ephraim: Elishama son of Ammihud: for Manasseh -- Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. `For Benjamin -- Abidan son of Gideoni. `For Dan -- Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. `For Asher -- Pagiel son of Ocran. `For Gad -- Eliasaph son of Deuel. `For Naphtali -- Ahira son of Enan.' These `are' those called of the company, princes of the tribes of their fathers; they `are' heads of the thousands of Israel.
`These `are' the names of the men who give to you the inheritance of the land: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua son of Nun, and one prince -- one prince -- for a tribe ye do take to give the land by inheritance. `And these `are' the names of the men: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; and of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shemuel son of Aminihud; of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Chislon; and of the tribe of the sons of Dan, the prince Bukki son of Jogli; of the sons of Joseph, of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, the prince Hanniel son of Ephod; and of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, the prince Kemuel son of Shiphtan; and of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, the prince Elizaphan son of Parnach; and of the tribe of the sons of Issachar, the prince Paltiel son of Azzan; and of the tribe of the sons of Asher, the prince Ahihud son of Shelomi; and of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, the prince Pedahel son of Ammihud.'
Give for yourselves men, wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I set them for your heads; and ye answer me and say, Good `is' the thing which thou hast spoken -- to do. `And I take the heads of your tribes, men, wise and known, and I appoint them heads over you, princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens, and authorities, for your tribes. And I command your judges at that time, saying, Hearkening between your brethren -- then ye have judged righteousness between a man, and his brother, and his sojourner; ye do not discern faces in judgment; as the little so the great ye do hear; ye are not afraid of the face of any, for the judgment is God's, and the thing which is too hard for you, ye bring near unto me, and I have heard it;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 30
Commentary on Numbers 30 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The rules by which vows were to be legally regulated, so far as their objects and their discharge were concerned, has been already laid down in Lev; but the chapter before us contains instructions with reference to the force of vows and renunciations. These are so far in place in connection with the general rules of sacrifice, that vows related for the most part to the presentation of sacrifices; and even vows of renunciation partook of the character of worship. The instructions in question were addressed (Numbers 30:1) to “the heads of the tribes,” because they entered into the sphere of civil rights, namely, into that of family life.
At the head there stands the general rule, “ If any one vow a vow to Jehovah, or swear an oath, to bind his soul to abstinence, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that has gone out of his mouth: ” i.e., he shall keep or fulfil the vow, and the promise of abstinence, in perfect accordance with his word. נדר is a positive vow, or promise to give or sanctify any part of one's property to the Lord. אסּר , from אסר , to bind or fetter, the negative vow, or vow of abstinence. על־נפשׁו אסּר אסר , to take an abstinence upon his soul. In what such abstinence consisted is not explained, because it was well understood from traditional customs; in all probability it consisted chiefly in fasting and other similar abstinence from lawful things. The Nazarite's vow, which is generally reckoned among the vows of abstinence, is called neder in Numbers 6:2., not issar , because it consisted not merely in abstinence from the fruit of the vine, but also in the positive act of permitting the hair to grow freely in honour of the Lord. The expression “swear an oath” (Numbers 30:2; cf. Numbers 30:13) shows that, as a rule, they bound themselves to abstinence by an oath. The inf. constr ., השּׁבא , is used here, as in other places, for the inf. abs . (cf. Ges. §131, 4, note 2). יחל , from חלל , for יחל , as in Ezekiel 39:7 (cf. Ges. §67, note 8), to desecrate (his word), i.e., to leave it unfulfilled or break it.
Numbers 30:3-15 contain the rules relating to positive and negative vows made by a woman, and four different examples are given. The first case (Numbers 30:3-5) is that of a woman in her youth, while still unmarried, and living in her father's house. If she made a vow of performance or abstinence, and her father heard of it and remained silent, it was to stand, i.e., to remain in force. But if her father held her back when he heard of it, i.e., forbade her fulfilling it, it was not to stand or remain in force, and Jehovah would forgive her because of her father's refusal. Obedience to a father stood higher than a self-imposed religious service. - The second case (Numbers 30:6-8) was that of a vow of performance or abstinence, made by a woman before her marriage, and brought along with her ( עליה , “upon herself”) into her marriage. In such a case the husband had to decide as to its validity, in the same way as the father before her marriage. In the day when he heard of it he could hold back his wife, i.e., dissolve her vow; but if he did not do this at once, he could not hinder its fulfilment afterwards. שׂפתיה מבטא , gossip of her lips, that which is uttered thoughtlessly or without reflection (cf. Leviticus 5:4). This expression implies that vows of abstinence were often made by unmarried women without thought or reflection. - The third case (Numbers 30:9) was that of a vow made by a widow or divorced woman. Such a vow had full force, because the woman was not dependent upon a husband. - The fourth case (Numbers 30:10-12) was that of a vow made by a wife in her married state. Such a vow was to remain in force if her husband remained silent when he heard of it, and did not restrain her. On the other hand, it was to have no force if her husband dissolved it at once. After this there follows the general statement (Numbers 30:13-16), that a husband could establish or dissolve every vow of performance or abstinence made by his wife. If, however, he remained silent “from day to day,” he confirmed it by his silence; and if afterwards he should declare it void, he was to bear his wife's iniquity. עונה , the sin which the wife would have had to bear if she had broken the vow of her own accord. This consisted either in a sin-offering to expiate her sin (Leviticus 5:4.); or if this was omitted, in the punishment which God suspended over the sin (Leviticus 5:1).
Numbers 30:16, concluding formula.