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Numbers 30:3-16

Listen to Numbers 30:3-16
3 "When a woman in her father's house during her youth makes a vow to the Lord or puts [herself] under an obligation,
4 and her father hears about her vow or the obligation she put herself under, and he says nothing to her, all her vows and every obligation she put herself under are binding.
5 But if her father prohibits her on the day he hears [about it], none of her vows and none of the obligations she put herself under are binding. The Lord will absolve her because her father has prohibited her.
6 "If a woman marries while her vows or the rash commitment she herself made are binding,
7 and her husband hears [about it] and says nothing to her when he finds out, her vows are binding, and the obligations she put herself under are binding.
8 But if her husband prohibits her when he hears [about it], he will cancel her vow that is binding or the rash commitment she herself made, and the Lord will forgive her.
9 "Every vow a widow or divorcée puts herself under is binding on her.
10 "If a woman in her husband's house has made a vow or put herself under an obligation with an oath,
11 and her husband hears [about it], says nothing to her, and does not prohibit her, all her vows are binding, and every obligation she put herself under is binding.
12 But if her husband cancels them on the day he hears [about it], nothing that came from her lips, whether her vows or her obligation, is binding. Her husband has canceled them, and the Lord will absolve her.
13 Her husband may confirm or cancel any vow or any sworn obligation to deny herself.
14 If her husband says nothing at all to her from day to day, he confirms all her vows and obligations, which are binding. He has confirmed them because he said nothing to her when he heard [about them].
15 But if he cancels them after he hears [about them], he will be responsible for her[a] commitment."[b]
16 These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses concerning [the relationship] between a man and his wife, or between a father and his daughter in his house during her youth.

Numbers 30:3-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 30

Mention being made, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, of vows to be performed to the Lord, besides the sacrifices directed to; here some account is given of them, and men are charged to fulfil, and not break them, Nu 30:1,2 but as to women, if a maid, being in her father's house, made a vow in his hearing, and he silent at it, her vow stood; but if he disapproved of it, it was null and void, Nu 30:3-5 and so a wife, when she vowed a vow in the hearing of her husband, and he said not ought against it, it was valid; but if he objected to it, it stood for nothing, Nu 30:6-8, likewise a widow, or one divorced, that made a vow in her husband's house, before he died, or she was put away from him, and he did not contradict it, it remained in force and to be fulfilled; but if he made it void, it stood not, and she was forgiven, Nu 30:9-12 it being in an husband's power to confirm or make null a vow or oath, made by his wife to afflict her soul; but if he made any void after he heard them, and had been silent, he himself was to bear her iniquity, Nu 30:13-16.

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Footnotes 2

  • [a] Sam, LXX, some Syr mss read his
  • [b] Or will bear her guilt
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

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