Numbers 30:8

8 But if the husband heareth it, and anon against-saith (it), and maketh void all her promises, and (the) words by which she bound her soul, the Lord shall be merciful to her. (But if her husband heareth of it, and at once saith against it, and maketh void all of her promises, or the words with which she bound her soul, then the Lord shall be merciful to 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 she hath an husband, and she avoweth anything, and a word going out of her mouth (or with a word going out of her mouth), (at) once bindeth her soul with an oath,
7 in what day her husband heareth this, and against-saith it not, she shall be guilty, or bound, to that vow; she shall yield, whatever thing she promised. (from the day that her husband heareth of it, and saith nothing against it, she shall be bound by that vow; she shall yield whatever thing that she hath promised.)
8 But if the husband heareth it, and anon against-saith (it), and maketh void all her promises, and (the) words by which she bound her soul, the Lord shall be merciful to her. (But if her husband heareth of it, and at once saith against it, and maketh void all of her promises, or the words with which she bound her soul, then the Lord shall be merciful to her.)
9 A widow, and a woman forsaken of her husband, shall yield, whatever thing they avow. (Regarding a widow, or a woman forsaken by her husband, both shall yield whatever thing they have vowed.)
10 When a wife in her husband's house bindeth herself by a vow, and an oath (or with an oath),
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.