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30 Moses also gave the heads of the Israelite tribes these commands from the Lord:[a]

Vows

When a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to put himself under an obligation, he must not break his word. He must do everything that has come out of his mouth.

When a woman, while living in her father’s house during her youth, makes a vow to the Lord and puts herself under an obligation, and her father hears about her vow and her obligation which she has undertaken, but her father says nothing to her, then all her vows will stand, and every obligation which she has undertaken will stand. But if her father forbids her on the same day that he hears about them, none of her vows nor her obligations which she has undertaken will stand. The Lord will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her.

If she marries a husband while she is obligated by a vow or something she spoke rashly, and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her on the same day that he hears about it, then her vows will stand, and her obligations which she has undertaken will be binding. But if her husband forbids her on the same day that he hears about it, he will nullify her vow which obligates her and her responsibility for the things she spoke rashly. The Lord will forgive her.

But the vow of a widow or a divorced woman, every obligation which she put herself under, will be binding on her.

10 If, while she is still in her husband’s house, she took a vow or put herself under an obligation with an oath, 11 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows will stand, and every obligation under which she has put herself will stand. 12 But if her husband does indeed nullify them on the same day that he hears about them, then whatever came from her lips concerning her vows or her obligation will not stand. Her husband has nullified them. The Lord will forgive her.

13 Her husband may allow or nullify every vow or every oath in which she undertakes an obligation to deny herself.[b] 14 But if her husband indeed says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her obligations, which are binding on her. He has allowed them, because he said nothing to her on the day that he hears about them. 15 But if he nullifies them later than the day he hears about them, then he will bear her responsibility.

16 These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses about vows pertaining to a husband and his wife, or a father and his daughter during her youth while she still lives at her father’s house.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 30:1 In the Hebrew text, chapter 30 starts with English verse 29:40. In chapter 30, the remaining Hebrew verse numbers are one number higher than the corresponding English verse numbers.
  2. Numbers 30:13 Since this vow affects the husband, it likely includes abstaining from sex.

Vows

30 [a]Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel:(A) “This is what the Lord commands: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.(B)

“When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand.(C) But if her father forbids her(D) when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

“If she marries after she makes a vow(E) or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. But if her husband(F) forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.(G)

“Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

10 “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath 11 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 12 But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand.(H) Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. 13 Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.[b] 14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. 15 If, however, he nullifies them(I) some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

16 These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 30:1 In Hebrew texts 30:1-16 is numbered 30:2-17.
  2. Numbers 30:13 Or to fast