Numbers 30:9

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.)

Numbers 30:9 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 30:9

But every vow of a widow
The Scripture speaks, as Jarchi says, of a widow from marriage, or that has been married, but a widow from espousals (or that has been only espoused), the husband dead, the power is transmitted, and returns to the father; and with respect to such a case, it is said in the Misnah F25

``if the father (of such a betrothed person) dies, the power is not transmitted to the husband; but if the husband dies, the power is transmitted to the father; in this case, greater is the power of a father than of an husband; in others, greater is the power of an husband than of a father, because an husband makes void (the vow of) one at age, but a father does not make void (the vow of) such an one:''

and of her that is divorced:
from her husband on some account or another; now in each of these cases, the one being loosed from the law of her husband by death, and the other by a bill of divorce, if they vowed,

the vows wherewith they have bound their souls shall stand against her;
against either of them, they having none over them to disapprove of, contradict, and make void their vows.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 Nedarim, c. 10. sect. 2.

Numbers 30:9 In-Context

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),
11 if her husband heareth it, and is still, and against-saith not her promise, she shall yield, whatever thing she promised. (if her husband heareth of it, and is silent, and saith nothing against her promise, she shall yield whatever that she hath promised.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.