Numbers 30:9

9 But every vow of a widow and of her that is divorced, with which they have bound their souls, shall stand.

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Nedarim, c. 10. sect. 2.

Numbers 30:9 In-Context

7 if her husband heard it and remained silent regarding it in the day that he heard it, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she bound her soul shall stand.

8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it, then her vow which she vowed and that which she pronounced with her lips, with which she bound her soul, shall be of no effect, and the LORD shall forgive her.

9 But every vow of a widow and of her that is divorced, with which they have bound their souls, shall stand.

10 And if she vowed in her husband’s house or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;

11 if her husband heard it and remained silent regarding it and did not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand.