Numbers 30:13

13 But if her husband should utterly cancel the vow in the day in which he shall hear it, none of the things which shall proceed out of her lips in her vows, and in the obligations upon her soul, shall stand to her; her husband has cancelled them, and the Lord shall hold her guiltless.

Numbers 30:13 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 30:13

Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul
By fasting, as Aben Ezra observes; as when a vow was made, or a person bound herself by an oath to abstain from such and such food, or to fast on such a day; to keep a fast which was not appointed, to set apart a day for fasting, besides the grand and general fast on the day of atonement: Jarchi from hence gathers, that a man only makes vows of afflicting the soul, or vows of fasting; but this is not said by way of limitation and restriction, but by way of amplification and illustration, giving a particular instance, by which others may be judged of:

her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void,
just as he pleased; and this power an husband had, to prevent confusion in the family, and trouble in the affairs of it, by vowing abstinence from such and such food, or from such and such liquor, and the like; and to prevent running into expenses he was not able to answer, by vowing and dedicating, this and the other to holy uses, for sacrifices, and repairs of the temple, and the like.

Numbers 30:13 In-Context

11 And if her vow in the house of her husband, or the obligation upon her soul with an oath,
12 and her husband should hear, and hold his peace at her, and not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and all the obligations which she contracted against her soul, shall stand against her.
13 But if her husband should utterly cancel the vow in the day in which he shall hear it, none of the things which shall proceed out of her lips in her vows, and in the obligations upon her soul, shall stand to her; her husband has cancelled them, and the Lord shall hold her guiltless.
14 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict her soul, her husband shall confirm it to her, or her husband shall cancel it.
15 But if he be wholly silent at her from day to day, then shall he bind upon her all her vows; and he shall confirm to her the obligations upon herself, because he held his peace at her in the day in which he heard her.

Footnotes 1

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.