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Numbers Chapter
Thirty
New King James Version (NKJV)
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
Numbers 30:1 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
Numbers 30:3 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
Numbers 30:6
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
Numbers 30:9 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
Numbers 30:13.
Numbers 30:1 Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes concerning the children
of Israel
saying
“This is the thing which the Lord has commanded:
YLT
1And Moses speaketh unto the
heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel
saying
`This [is] the thing which
Jehovah hath commanded:
And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes
.... Or the
princes of them
who could more easily be convened
and who used to meet on
certain occasions
and on whom it lay to see various laws put in execution:
concerning the children of Israel; how they ought to
conduct and behave in the following case
it being an affair which concerned
them all:
saying
this is the thing which the Lord hath commanded; relating to
vows. Aben Ezra is of opinion that this was delivered after the battle with
Midian
of which there is an account in the following chapter
and is
occasioned by what was said
to the tribes of Gad and Reuben
Numbers 32:24.
do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth; to which they
replied:
thy servants will do as my lord commandeth; upon which
the nature of a vow
and the manner of keeping it
are observed; but the
occasion of it rather seems to be what is said towards the close of the
foregoing chapter
Numbers 29:39
that
the various sacrifices there directed were to be offered in their season
besides the vows and freewill offerings; and when these were ratified and
confirmed
and when null and void
and to be fulfilled or neglected
is the
principal business of this chapter.
Numbers 30:2 2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord
or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement
he shall not
break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
YLT
2`When a man voweth a vow to
Jehovah
or hath sworn an oath to bind a bond on his soul
he doth not pollute
his word; according to all that is going out from his mouth he doth.
If a man vow a vow unto the Lord
.... Which must be in a
thing that is lawful to be done
which is not contrary to the revealed will and
mind of God
and which may tend to the glory of God
the honour of religion
the service of the sanctuary
the good of a man's self or of his neighbour; or
in things purely indifferent
which may
or may not be done
without offence to
God or man; as that he will not eat such a thing for such a time
or he will do
this or the other thing
as Jarchi observes; who moreover says
that he may
forbid himself what is forbidden
and forbid what is free and lawful; but he
may not make free or lawful what is forbidden
that is
he may not vow to do a
thing which is contrary to the law of God
such a vow will not stand: and he
was to be of such an age before he could make a vow that would be valid;
according to the Targum of Jonathan
he must be thirteen years of age; it is
said in the MisnahF16Niddah
c. 5. sect. 6.
"a son of twelve
years and one day
his vows are examined; a son of thirteen years and one day
his vows are firm
and they examine the whole thirteenth year before that time;
although they say we know to whose name (or on whose account) we vow or
consecrate
their vow is no vow
nor their consecration no consecration; but
after that time
though they say we know not to whose name (or
on whose
account) we vow or consecrate
their vow is a vow
and their consecration a
consecration:"
or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; to his vow
adds an oath for the greater confirmation of it
and to lay himself under the
greater obligation to perform it:
he shall not break his word; or profane itF17לא יחל but punctually perform it; men
should be careful how they vow
and not rashly do it; but when they have vowed
they ought to perform; see Ecclesiastes 5:4
he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth; it is not in
his power to revoke his vow or make it null: the Misnic doctorsF18Negaim
c. 5. sect. 5. say
a man can loose all vows
excepting his own. R. Judah says
not the vows of his wife
nor those which are between her and others; that is
as one of the commentatorsF19Bartenora in Misn. Negaim
c. 5. sect.
5. explains it
such vows which are not made to afflict
or respect not
fasting; but according to the Targum of Jonathan
though a man cannot loose his
vows
or free himself from them
yet the sanhedrim
or court of judicature
can
or a wise man that is authenticated thereby
as Jarchi says
or three
private persons; but these are such traditions; which make void the commandment
of God
as our Lord complains
Matthew 15:1.
Numbers 30:3 3 “Or if a woman makes a vow to the Lord
and binds herself by some agreement while in her father’s house
in her youth
YLT
3`And when a woman voweth a
vow to Jehovah
and hath bound a bond in the house of her father in her youth
If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord
.... Who has
not passed thirteen years
as the Targum of Jonathan:
and bind herself by a
bond; lay herself under obligation to perform her vow by an oath:
being in her father's house; unto the twelfth year
as the same Targum; that
is
that is under his care
tuition
and jurisdiction
whether she literally
or properly speaking
is in the house or no at the time she vows; so Jarchi
interprets it of her being in the power of her father
though not in his house
she being not at age to be at her own disposal
but at his: wherefore it is
added:
in her youth; which
as the same writer explains it
signifies that she is"neither a little one
nor at age; for a little one's
vow is no vow
and one at age is not in the power of her father to make void
her vow: who is a little one? our Rabbins say
one of eleven years of age and
one day
her vows are examined
whether she knows on whose account she vows and
consecrates
or devotes anything; one vows a vow that is twelve years and one
day old
there is no need to examine them.'He seems to refer to a passage in
the MisnahF20Niddah
c. 5. sect. 6.
"a daughter of eleven
years and one day
her vows are examined; a daughter of twelve years and one
day
her vows are firm
but they are to be examined through the whole twelfth
year.'
Numbers 30:4 4 and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which
she has bound herself
and her father holds his peace
then all her vows shall
stand
and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand.
YLT
4and her father hath heard
her vow
and her bond which she hath bound on her soul
and her father hath
kept silent at her
then have all her vows been established
and every bond
which she hath bound on her soul is established.
And her father hear her vow
and her bond wherewith she hath bound
her soul
.... Her vow
which is binding upon her
or her vow and an oath
annexed to it; which makes it still more strongly binding; and this he hears
himself
or it is reported to him by others: and her father shall hold his
peace at her; shall not reprove her for it
nor contradict her in it: then all
her vows shall stand; be they what
or as many as they may:
and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand; his silence
being to be interpreted as approving of them
and consenting to them.
Numbers 30:5 5 But if her father overrules her on the day that he
hears
then none of her vows nor her agreements by which she has bound herself
shall stand; and the Lord will release her
because her
father overruled her.
YLT
5`And if her father hath
disallowed her in the day of his hearing
none of her vows and her bonds which
she hath bound on her soul is established
and Jehovah is propitious to her
for her father hath disallowed her.
But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth
....
Disapproves of her vow
and expresses his dislike of it
and declares it null
and void; which
if done at all
is to be done on the same day he hears it
and
not on another day
as Aben Ezra observes; not the day following
and much less
on a third or fourth day
&c. and it might be done on a sabbath dayF21Misn.
Sabbat
c. 24. sect. 5. :
not any of her vows
or of her bonds wherewith she bound her soul
shall stand; but become null and void
she being at the control of her
father
and having nothing in her own power
and at her own disposal
to vow or
consecrate
but wholly in the power and at the disposal of her father:
and the Lord shall forgive her; the breach of her vow
it shall not be imputed to her as a sin:
because her father disallowed her; so that it was no fault
of hers that it was not fulfilled; though she might be blameworthy to make one
without previously obtaining his consent
and making it rashly without his
previous knowledge
she not being at her own hands; and in this respect may be
said to be forgiven by the Lord
which supposes some fault committed.
Numbers 30:6 6 “If indeed she takes a husband
while bound by her vows
or by a rash utterance from her lips by which she bound herself
YLT
6`And if she be at all to a
husband
and her vows [are] on her
or a wrongful utterance [on] her lips
which she hath bound on her soul
And if she had at all an husband with whom she vowed
.... Or
"when her vows were upon her"F23ונדריה
עליה
was either betrothed or married to a man:
or uttered ought out of her lips
wherewith she bound her soul; uttered
anything
either with or without premeditation
either with thought and
deliberation
or rashly and imprudently
as the word signifies
yet in such a
manner that it was binding upon her.
Numbers 30:7 7 and her husband hears it
and makes no response
to her on the day that he hears
then her vows shall stand
and her agreements
by which she bound herself shall stand.
YLT
7and 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.
And her husband heard it
and held his peace at her in the day
that he heard it
.... The vow she made
and by his silence consented to it:
then her vows shall stand
and her bonds wherewith she bound her
soul shall stand; or she be under obligation to perform them.
Numbers 30:8 8 But if her husband overrules her on the day that he
hears it
he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered
with her lips
by which she bound herself
and the Lord will release her.
YLT
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.
But if her husband disallow her on the day that he heard it
.... Expresses
his dislike of it; and this he does as soon as he hears it
at least that same
day; according to the JewsF24Leo Modena's History of Rites
&c.
par. 2. c. 4.
within the space of twenty four hours:
then he shall make her vow which she vowed
and that which she
uttered with her lips
wherewith she bound her soul
of none effect; by
contradicting it
and forbidding the performance of it; or however by declaring
to her
or to others
that it is not agreeable to his mind and will that it
should be fulfilled:
and the Lord shall forgive her; excuse her performance
of the vow
and not impute sin to her on that account
nor punish for the
breach of it
she being under the cover of her husband
and obliged to submit
to his will. According to Jarchi
the Scripture speaks of a woman that vows to
be a Nazarite; her husband hears and makes it void; but she does not know it
and transgresses her vow
and drinks wine
and is defiled with the dead
so
that she has need of forgiveness
though it is made void; and if vows made
void
he adds
have need of pardon
much more those that are not.
Numbers 30:9 9 “Also any vow of a widow or a divorced woman
by which
she has bound herself
shall stand against her.
YLT
9`As to the vow of a widow
or cast-out woman
all that she hath bound on her soul is established on her.
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 MisnahF25Nedarim
c. 10. sect. 2. "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.
Numbers 30:10 10 “If she vowed in her husband’s house
or bound herself
by an agreement with an oath
YLT
10`And if [in] the house of
her husband she hath vowed
or hath bound a bond on her soul with an oath
And if she vowed in her husband's house
.... Before
his death
in his lifetime
or before divorced: the Targum of Jonathan adds
by
way of explanation
"and not at age for marriage"
understanding it
of a betrothed
and not a married person; but Jarchi says
the Scripture speaks
of a married one
which seems most likely:
or bound her soul by a bond with an oath; to fulfil her
vow
to abstain from this
or to do that or the other thing.
Numbers 30:11 11 and her husband heard it
and made no response
to her and did not overrule her
then all her vows shall stand
and
every agreement by which she bound herself shall stand.
YLT
11and 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.
And her husband heard it
and held his peace at her
and
disallowed her not
.... Heard her make her vow
and bind it with an oath
and was
silent at it
which was consenting to it
and did not contradict her
nor show
any displeasure or resentment at her on account of it; the Targum of Jonathan
adds
"and died before she was at age;'but what follows held good equally
of one that was at age for marriage
and actually married to him:
then all her vows shall stand
and every bond wherewith she bound
her soul shall stand; be ratified and confirmed
and she be under obligation to make
them good.
Numbers 30:12 12 But if her husband truly made them void on the day he
heard them
then whatever proceeded from her lips concerning her vows or
concerning the agreement binding her
it shall not stand; her husband has made
them void
and the Lord will release her.
YLT
12`And if her husband doth
certainly break them in the day of his hearing
none of the outgoing of her
lips concerning her vows
or concerning the bond of her soul
is established --
her husband hath broken them -- and Jehovah is propitious to her.
But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard
them
.... Declaring they were contrary to his mind and will
he
disapproved of them
and forbid the carrying them into execution:
then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows
or
concerning the bond of her soul
shall not stand; though her husband be
dead
or she be divorced from him:
her husband hath made them void
and the Lord shall forgive her: she will
neither incur his displeasure for not fulfilling her vow
nor have any
punishment inflicted on her: the Targum of Jonathan is
"if her husband
makes them void
and she knows it not and transgresses
it shall be forgiven
her by the Lord.'
Numbers 30:13 13 Every vow and every binding oath to afflict her soul
her husband may confirm it
or her husband may make it void.
YLT
13`Every vow and every oath
-- a bond to humble a soul -- her husband doth establish it
or her husband
doth break it;
Every vow
and every binding oath to afflict the soul
.... By
fasting
as Aben Ezra observes; as when a vow was made
or a person bound
herself by an oath to abstain from such and such food
or to fast on such a
day; to keep a fast which was not appointed
to set apart a day for fasting
besides the grand and general fast on the day of atonement: Jarchi from hence
gathers
that a man only makes vows of afflicting the soul
or vows of fasting;
but this is not said by way of limitation and restriction
but by way of
amplification and illustration
giving a particular instance
by which others
may be judged of:
her husband may establish it
or her husband may make it void
just as he
pleased; and this power an husband had
to prevent confusion in the family
and
trouble in the affairs of it
by vowing abstinence from such and such food
or
from such and such liquor
and the like; and to prevent running into expenses
he was not able to answer
by vowing and dedicating
this and the other to holy
uses
for sacrifices
and repairs of the temple
and the like.
Numbers 30:14 14 Now if her husband makes no response whatever to her
from day to day
then he confirms all her vows or all the agreements that bind
her; he confirms them
because he made no response to her on the day that he
heard them.
YLT
14and if her husband
certainly keep silent at her
from day unto day
then he hath established all
her vows
or all her bonds which [are] upon her; he hath established them
for
he hath kept silent at her in the day of his hearing;
But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day today
.... Said not
one word to her day after day
neither on the day he heard her vow
nor the day
following:
then he establisheth all her vows
or all her bonds
which are
upon her; by his silence:
he confirmeth them
because he held his peace at her
in the day
that he heard them; for not to contradict them was to confirm them.
Numbers 30:15 15 But if he does make them void after he has heard them
then he shall bear her guilt.”
YLT
15and if he doth at all break
them after his hearing
then he hath borne her iniquity.'
But if he shall any ways make them void
after that he hath heard
them
.... Some way or other expressing his dislike of them; not at the
time he heard them
but some time afterwards; one day after
as the Targum of
Jonathan:
then he shall bear his iniquity: be accountable for the
breach of the vow
the sin shall be reckoned to him
and he shall bear the
punishment of it
because he ought to have declared is disapprobation of it
sooner; and it may be
his doing it when he did was only in a spirit of
contradiction
or through covetousness; and it would have been more advisable
to have let the vow stand
and therefore acted a criminal part
and so was
answerable for it; the Targum of Jonathan explains it
"her husband or her
father shall bear her iniquity
'supposing her not to be at age: Aben Ezra gives
the reason of it
because she is in his power.
Numbers 30:16 16 These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses
between a man and his wife
and between a father
and his daughter in her youth in her father’s house.
YLT
16These [are] the statutes
which Jehovah hath commanded Moses between a man and his wife
between a father
and his daughter
in her youth
[in] the house of her father.
These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses between a
man and his wife
.... Relating to vows made by the wife
and confirmed or
disannulled by the husband: Aben Ezra adds
if she is at age or in puberty
understanding it of a married and not a betrothed wife:
between the father and his daughter; if she is not at age
as
the same writer observes; for if she is at age he has nothing to do with her
vows:
being yet in her youth; not at age
being not twelve years and one day old:
in her father's house; in his power and
jurisdiction
and at his disposal
and so could make her vows void or firm
as
he pleased: this power of ratifying or disannulling vows an husband had over
his wife
and a father over his daughter
to prevent imprudent and extravagant
vows
and the too frequent use of them
the consequences of which might be bad
in families.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》