Numbers 30:9

9 `As to the vow of a widow or cast-out woman, all that she hath bound on her soul is established on her.

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 and her husband hath heard, and in the day of his hearing, he hath kept silent at her, then have her vows been established, and her bonds which she hath bound on her soul are established.

8 `And if in the day of her husband's hearing he disalloweth her, then he hath broken her vow which [is] on her, and the wrongful utterance of her lips which she hath bound on her soul, and Jehovah is propitious to her.

9 `As to the vow of a widow or cast-out woman, all that she hath bound on her soul is established on her.

10 `And if [in] the house of her husband she hath vowed, or hath bound a bond on her soul with an oath,

11 and her husband hath heard, and hath kept silent at her -- he hath not disallowed her -- then have all her vows been established, and every bond which she hath bound on her soul is established.