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Rules About Special Promises

30 Moses spoke with the leaders of the ·Israelite tribes [L tribes of the sons/T children of Israel]. He told them these commands from the Lord.

“If a man makes a ·promise [vow] to the Lord or ·says he will do something special [swears an oath to bind himself to an obligation], he must ·keep his promise [L not break his word]. He must do what he said [Deut. 23:21; Ps. 50:14; Eccl. 5:4–5; Matt. 5:33–37]. If a young woman still living at ·home [L the house of her father] makes a ·promise [vow] to the Lord or ·pledges to do something special [binds herself to an obligation], and if her father hears about the ·promise [vow] or ·pledge [obligation by which she has bound herself] and says nothing, ·she must do what she promised [L all her vows stand]. ·She must keep her pledge [L All her obligations to which she has bound herself will stand]. But if her father hears about the ·promise [vow] or ·pledge [obligation by which she has bound herself] and ·does not allow it [disapproves], then the ·promise [vow] or ·pledge [obligation] does not ·have to be kept [L stand]. Her father ·would not allow it [disapproves], so the Lord will ·free her from her promise [L forgive her].

“If a woman ·makes a pledge [binds herself to an obligation] or speaks a ·careless [rash; thoughtless] ·promise [vow] and then gets married, and if her husband hears about it and says nothing, ·she must keep her promise [L her vow stands] ·or the pledge she made [L and the obligation by which she bound herself will stand]. But if her husband hears about it and ·does not allow it [disapproves], he cancels her ·pledge [vow] or the ·careless [rash; thoughtless] ·promise [vow] ·she made [by which she bound herself]. The Lord will ·free her from keeping it [forgive her].

“If a widow or divorced woman makes a ·promise [vow], ·she must do whatever she promised [L all by which she bound herself stands].

10 “If a woman makes a ·promise [vow] or ·pledge [L binds herself in an obligation] ·while she is married [L in the house of her husband], 11 and if her husband hears about it but says nothing and does not ·stop her [disapprove], ·she must keep her promise [all her vows stand] ·or pledge [L and all that to which she bound herself will stand]. 12 But if her husband hears about it and cancels it, ·she does not have to do what she said [L her vow and all that which she bound herself do not stand]. Her husband has canceled it, so the Lord will ·free her from it [forgive her]. 13 A woman’s husband may make her keep or cancel any ·promise [vow] or ·pledge [obligation] she has made to ·deny [mortify] herself. 14 If he says nothing to her about it for several days, ·she must keep her promises [L her vows stand]. If he hears about them and says nothing, ·she must keep her promises [L the obligations by which she bound herself will stand]. 15 But if he cancels them long after he heard about them, he ·is responsible if she breaks her promise [L will bear her guilt].”

16 These are ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements] that the Lord gave to Moses for husbands and wives, and for fathers with ·daughters living at home [L his daughters in her youth in the house of her father].

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