Numbers 30:8

8 But if her husband overrules her on the day that he hears it, he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered with her lips, by which she bound herself, and the Lord will release her.

Numbers 30:8 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 30:8

But if her husband disallow her on the day that he heard it,
&c.] Expresses his dislike of it; and this he does as soon as he hears it, at least that same day; according to the Jews F24, within the space of twenty four hours:

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;
by contradicting it, and forbidding the performance of it; or however by declaring to her, or to others, that it is not agreeable to his mind and will that it should be fulfilled:

and the Lord shall forgive her;
excuse her performance of the vow, and not impute sin to her on that account, nor punish for the breach of it, she being under the cover of her husband, and obliged to submit to his will. According to Jarchi, the Scripture speaks of a woman that vows to be a Nazarite; her husband hears and makes it void; but she does not know it, and transgresses her vow, and drinks wine, and is defiled with the dead, so that she has need of forgiveness, though it is made void; and if vows made void, he adds, have need of pardon, much more those that are not.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Leo Modena's History of Rites par. 2. c. 4.

Numbers 30:8 In-Context

6 "If indeed she takes a husband, while bound by her vows or by a rash utterance from her lips by which she bound herself,
7 and her husband hears it, and makes no response to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her agreements by which she bound herself shall stand.
8 But if her husband overrules her on the day that he hears it, he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered with her lips, by which she bound herself, and the Lord will release her.
9 "Also any vow of a widow or a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.
10 "If she vowed in her husband's house, or bound herself by an agreement with an oath,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.