Numbers 30:9

_BUT EVERY VOW OF A WIDOW, AND OF HER THAT IS DIVORCED, WHEREWITH THEY HAVE BOUND THEIR SOULS, SHALL STAND AGAINST HER._ Every vow of a widow. In the case of a married woman who, in the event of a separation from her husband, or of his death, returned, as was not uncommon, to her father's house, a doubt might have been entertained whether she was not, as before, subject to paternal jurisdiction, and obliged to act with the paternal consent. The law ordained that the vow was binding if it had been made in her husband's life-time, and he, on being made aware of it, had not interposed his veto: as, for instance, she might have vowed when not a widow, that she would assign a proportion of her income to pious and charitable uses, of which she might repent when actually a widow; but by this statute she was required to fulfill the obligation, provided her circumstances enabled her to redeem th...

9._But every vow of a widow. _I have stated why widows are expressly named, viz., lest a woman should think that by a second marriage she would escape, as being no longer free, and again under the yoke; since by such subtle excuses people often extricate themselves. No other subject is referred to down to the end of the last verse but one; for they have made a very gross mistake, who interpret it as applying to a family and its master. (327) The subject itself certainly does not admit of such an explanation; and the words of Moses forbid it: so that it is the more surprising that persons skilled in the Hebrew language have not seen the matter clearly....

3-16 Two cases of vows are determined. The case of a daughter in her father's house. When her vow comes to his knowledge, it is in his power either to confirm it or do it away. The law is plain in the case of a wife. If her husband allows her vow, though only by silence, it stands. If he disallows it, her obligation to her husband takes place of it; for to him she ought to be in subjection, as unto the Lord. The Divine law consults the good order of families. It is fit that every man should bear rule in his own house, and have his wife and children in subjection; rather than that this great rule should be broken, or any encouragement be given to inferior relations to break those bonds asunder, God releases the obligation even of a solemn vow. So much does religion secure the welfare of all societies; and in it the families of the earth have a blessing....

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

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 y "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...

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...

DIVORCED. Hebrew "put away [from her husband]". Compare Leviticus 21:7....

EVERY VOW OF A WIDOW, &C.— Here again the case is put, of persons in their own power, who, being their own mistresses, might certainly dispose of themselves as they pleased....

I. LAW ON WOMEN'S VOWS (NUMBERS 30) TEXT Numbers 30:1. And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. 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. 3. If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth; 4. And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. 5. But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth, not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath