Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges · Numbers Chapter 30

P.

The performance of vows by women

The chapter opens with the command (Numbers 30:2) that a man shall always observe a vow which he has made. But the rest of the chapter deals with vows made by women. The following rules are laid down:—(1) an unmarried woman living in her father’s house, or a married woman living with her husband, is bound to perform her vow only if the father or the husband respectively raises no objection at the time that he hears of the vow having being made (Numbers 30:3-8; Numbers 30:10-14); (2) a widow or a divorced woman must perform her vow (Numbers 30:9); (3) if the father, or husband, makes no objection at the time, but subsequently prevents his daughter, or wife, from performing her vow, the guilt rests upon him.

2. Two kinds of pledges are here mentioned, a vow and an obligation. A vow is a promise to give something to God. Such votive offerings were frequent in times of danger or special need (cf. Genesis 28:20-22, Jdg 11:30 f.). In post-exilic times they would often consist in gifts to the temple (cf. Luke 21:5 ἀναθήματα). An obligation is a prohibition laid upon oneself, a pledge of abstinence; e.g from wine, as in the case of a Nazirite (ch. 6), or from food (1 Samuel 14:24, Acts 23:21); see also Psalm 132:3 f.

he shall not profane his word] To break a solemn promise is an act of profanation. The importance of keeping vows is emphasized in Deuteronomy 23:21 ff., Ecclesiastes 5:4 f.; cf. Matthew 5:33.

all that proceedeth out of his mouth] A vow is not a vow until it has been expressed in words (cf. Numbers 32:24, Jdg 11:35 f.). The Rabbis of a later time further enjoined in the Mishna that the mere utterance of words without a real intention is not binding. ‘No utterance is binding unless the mouth and the heart agree.’

3. in her youth] Old unmarried women are not mentioned. But since marriage was, in the eyes of a Jew, a religious duty, this class of women must have been very small, and would probably be subject to the same rule as widows.

4. heareth her vow] i.e. comes to hear of it; Numbers 30:7-8 shew that it does not necessarily mean that he is present when she actually utters her vow.

5. disallow her] lit. ‘oppose her,’ express disapproval.

6. while her vows are upon her] If at the time of her marriage she was still bound by some vow or pledge of abstinence, which she had previously taken with her father’s approval.

7, 8. When her husband comes to hear of it (see Numbers 30:4), he may then either annul it if he wishes, or by tacit approval allow it to stand.

13. to afflict the soul] See on Numbers 29:7.

15. If, after tacitly consenting at the time that he heard of the vow, he compels her at a later time to break it, then Jehovah will not (as in the foregoing cases) forgive, but the iniquity will rest upon the husband and not upon the woman.