Numbers 30:2

_IF A MAN VOW A VOW UNTO THE LORD, OR SWEAR AN OATH TO BIND HIS SOUL WITH A BOND; HE SHALL NOT BREAK HIS WORD, HE SHALL DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF HIS MOUTH._ If a man vow a vow. A mere secret purpose of the mind was not enough to constitute a vow: it had to be actually expressed in words; and though a purely voluntary act, yet, when once the vow was made, the performance of it, like that of every other promise, became an indispensable duty-all the more that, referring to a sacred thing, it could not be neglected without the guilt of prevarication and unfaithfulness to God. SHALL NOT BREAK - literally, profane his word; render it vain and contemptible (Psalms 55:20; Psalms 89:34). But as it would frequently happen that parties would vow to do things which wer

2._If a man vow a vow. _Wishing to modify the general law, lest any one should think that there was any contradiction in this exception, he begins by repeating the law itself, that every one should faithfully pay whatever he had vowed; as much as to say,that this stands good, but that he only refers to such as are their own masters; and that women or girls who are under the power of another, were not free to make vows without the concurrence of their fathers’ or husbands’ consent. This preface, however, must be understood, as I have already pointed out, of lawful vows, whereby neither is religion corrupted nor the holiness of God’s name profaned. And assuredly, unless what we offer is acceptable to God, there can be no obligation on the conscience. Moreover, since there is here a distinction made between males and females, it may be probably conjectured that boys of ten years old, althou...

1,2 No man can be bound by his own promise to do what he is already, by the Divine precept, forbidden to do. In other matters the command is, that he shall not break his words, through he may change his mind....

Verse Numbers 30:2. _IF A MAN VOW A VOW_] A _vow_ is a religious promise made to God. Vows were of several kinds:- 1. Of _abstinence_ or _humiliation_, see ver. Numbers 30:13; 2. Of the _Nazarite_, see Numbers 6:1; 3. Of _giving certain things_ or _sacrifices_ to the Lord, Leviticus 7:16; 4. Of _alms_ given to the _poor_, see Deuteronomy 23:21. The law in this chapter must have been very useful, as it both preven

The “vow” was positive; the “bond” negative or restrictive. By a vow a man engaged to dedicate something to God, or to accomplish some work for Him: by a bond he debarred himself from some privilege or enjoyment. A vow involved an obligation to do: a bond, an obligation to forbear doing....

EXPOSITION OF VOWS MADE BY WOMEN (Numbers 30:1). NUMBERS 30:1 AND MOSES SPAKE UNTO THE HEADS OF THE TRIBES. The regulations here laid down about vows follow with a certain propriety upon those concerning the ordinary routine of sacrifices, but we cannot conclude with any assurance that they were actually given at this particular period. It would appear upon the lace of it that we have in Leviticus 27:1, and in this chapter two fragments of Mosaic legislation dealing with the same subject, but, for some reason which it is useless to attempt to discover, widely separated in the

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...

6. CONCERNING VOWS CHAPTER 30 _ 1. The vow of a man (Numbers 30:1)_ 2. The vows of women (Numbers 30:3) The entire chapter treats of vows. It also has a deeper meaning. There is a sharp contrast between the vow of a man and the vows of virgins, widows or wives. The vows of women could be set aside under certain conditions. The husband or the father could disallow the vow. But if they kept their peace or if she was a widow or divorced, she had to keep the vow. It was different with the man; he was not to break his word, but to do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. The man who keeps his word, who does all that he vowed, typifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He has completely done the work He voluntarily bound Himself to do. The woman represents the nation Israel. T

THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH VOWS ARE BINDING. The vows coming under review are of two kinds: (_a)_ promises to give or dedicate something to Yahweh, (_b_) pledges to practise some form of abstinence. These, if undertaken by men, or by women in positions of independence, are unconditionally binding. But young unmarried women (under the control of their fathers) and married women (under control of their husbands) are only to be bound by their vows if, when the vows were undertaken, no objection was raised. Interference by father or husband at a later date entails guilt on the man. The case of unmarried women who have passed their youth is not expressly considered. See p. 105. NUMBERS 30:9. Apparently misplaced, since Numbers 30:10 continues the subject of...

VOW. VOW. Figure of speech _Polyptoton_ (App-6). make. solemn promise. SOUL. Hebrew. _nephesh_ (App-13), used in this chapter twelve times for the whole (responsible) person. BREAK. Hebrew profane....