Numbers 30:8-16

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.)

12 Soothly if the husband against-said anon, she shall not be holden guilty of the promise, for her husband against-said it anon, and the Lord shall be merciful to her. (But if her husband said against it at once, she shall not be held to the promise, for her husband said against it at once, and so the Lord shall be merciful to her.)

13 If she avoweth, and bindeth herself by an oath, that she torment her soul by fasting, either by abstinence of other things, it shall be in the doom of her husband, that she do that, either do it not. (If she voweth, or bindeth herself with an oath, that she torment her soul with fasting, or by abstaining from other things, it shall be her husband who shall decide whether she must do it, or not.)

14 That if the husband heareth it, and he is still, and delayeth the sentence in[to] the tother day, she shall yield whatever thing she avowed and promised, for he was still, (and said not against it,) anon as he heard. (But if her husband heareth of it, and he is silent, and delayeth his judgement into the next day, she shall yield whatever that she hath vowed, or hath promised, for he was silent, and said nothing against it, as soon as he heard of it.)

15 Soothly if her husband against-said her avow, and her oath, after that he knew thereof, he shall bear his wickedness. (But if her husband saith against her vow, or her oath, sometime after that he hath learned of it, he shall bear her wickedness, that is, the penalty for not fulfilling the vow.)

16 These be the laws, which the Lord ordained to Moses, betwixt the husband and the wife, (and) betwixt the father and the daughter, which is yet in the age of a young damsel, or that yet dwelleth in her father's house unmarried.

Numbers 30:8-16 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.