Numbers 30:1-9

1 And he spake to the princes of the lineages of the sons of Israel, This is the word, which the Lord commanded, (And he spoke to the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites, and said, This is what the Lord commanded,)

2 If any of men maketh a vow to the Lord, either bindeth himself by an oath, he shall not make void, or false, his word, but he shall fulfill all thing that he promised. (If anyone maketh a vow to the Lord, or bindeth himself with an oath, he shall not make his word void, or false, but he shall fulfill everything that he promised.)

3 If a woman that is in the house of her father, and is yet in the age of a young damsel, avoweth anything, either bindeth herself by an oath (or bindeth herself with an oath),

4 (and) her father knoweth the avow, that she promised, and the oath, by which she bound her soul, and he is still, she shall be guilty of that oath, if she break it; whatever thing she promised, and swore, she shall fulfill in work. (and her father knoweth of the vow, which she promised to do, or the oath, with which she hath bound her soul, and he is silent, she shall be bound by that oath, if she break it, and whatever thing that she hath promised, or hath sworn, to do, she shall fulfill it, or shall do it.)

5 Forsooth if her father against-said (it), anon as he heard (as soon as he heard it), both (her) vows, and her oaths shall be (made) void, and she shall not be holden bound to the promise, for her father against-said it.

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.)

Numbers 30:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 30

Mention being made, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, of vows to be performed to the Lord, besides the sacrifices directed to; here some account is given of them, and men are charged to fulfil, and not break them, Nu 30:1,2 but as to women, if a maid, being in her father's house, made a vow in his hearing, and he silent at it, her vow stood; but if he disapproved of it, it was null and void, Nu 30:3-5 and so a wife, when she vowed a vow in the hearing of her husband, and he said not ought against it, it was valid; but if he objected to it, it stood for nothing, Nu 30:6-8, likewise a widow, or one divorced, that made a vow in her husband's house, before he died, or she was put away from him, and he did not contradict it, it remained in force and to be fulfilled; but if he made it void, it stood not, and she was forgiven, Nu 30:9-12 it being in an husband's power to confirm or make null a vow or oath, made by his wife to afflict her soul; but if he made any void after he heard them, and had been silent, he himself was to bear her iniquity, Nu 30:13-16.