Numbers 30
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 30
Vows to the Lord and Others.1 [a]Then Moses spoke to the leaders of the ancestral tribes of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord commands: 2 When a person makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself to some commitment, he is not to break his promise. He will do everything just as he said he would.
3 [b]“When a young woman who is still in her father’s house makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind herself to some commitment, 4 and her father hears about her vow and her commitment made by oath and he says nothing to her, then all her vows and all the oaths by which she bound herself will be valid. 5 But if her father forbids it on the day that he hears about it, then none of her vows and the oaths with which she bound herself will be valid. The Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her to do it.
6 “If she marries after she has made a vow or a rash statement from her mouth by which she has bound herself 7 and her husband hears about it, and he says nothing to her on the day that he hears about it, then her vows and the oaths with which she bound herself will be valid. 8 But if her husband forbids it on the day that he hears about it, then he makes void the vows she has made and the rash statements from her mouth by which she has bound herself. The Lord will release her.
9 “Any vow or obligation made by a widow or a divorced woman by which she bound herself will be binding. 10 If she made the vow while she was in her husband’s house or swore an oath to bind herself to some commitment 11 and her husband heard about it and said nothing to her and did not forbid it, then all her vows and all the oaths with which she bound herself will be valid. 12 But if her husband forbids it on the day that he hears about it, then whatever proceeded out of her mouth concerning her vows or the oaths by which she bound herself will not be valid. Her husband makes them void and the Lord will release her. 13 Her husband can let stand or make void any vow or oath by which she bound herself to humble herself. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows and all her oaths. He has confirmed them because he said nothing to her on the day that he heard about it. 15 But if he makes them void after he has heard about them, then he will bear her guilt.”
16 These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses concerning a husband and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living in her father’s house.
Footnotes
- Numbers 30:1 A vow is a freely made commitment to do something more and better than the law requires and to do it out of pure love of God; once pronounced, it obliges in conscience before God.
- Numbers 30:3 This section specified the father’s and husband’s ability to override a woman’s vow. Not only was this customary in Eastern cultures in biblical times but carried forward into modern times. Jesus’ actions in the New Testament urge simplicity regarding oaths (Mt 5:33-37).
Numbers 30
New King James Version
The Law Concerning Vows
30 Then Moses spoke to (A)the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 2 (B)If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or (C)swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall (D)do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
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, 4 and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her father [a]holds his peace, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand. 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.
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, 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. 8 But if her husband (E)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.
9 “Also any vow of a widow or a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.
10 “If she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an agreement with an oath, 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. 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 [b]void, and the Lord will release her. 13 Every vow and every binding oath to afflict her soul, her husband may confirm it, or her husband may make it void. 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. 15 But if he does make them void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt.”
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.
Footnotes
- Numbers 30:4 says nothing to interfere
- Numbers 30:12 annulled or invalidated
Numbers 30
King James Version
30 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 bound her soul, shall stand: and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
6 And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;
7 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; 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: and the Lord shall forgive her.
9 But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.
10 And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;
11 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
12 But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the Lord shall forgive her.
13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.
14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.
15 But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.
16 These are the statutes, which the Lord commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
