Reference: Vows
Easton
voluntary promises which, when once made, were to be kept if the thing vowed was right. They were made under a great variety of circumstances (Ge 28:1; 18-22; Le 7:16; Nu 30:2-13; De 23:18; Jg 11:30,39; 1Sa 1:11; Jon 1:16; Ac 18:18; 21:23).
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And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and ordered him, and said to him, Thou shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
But if the sacrifice of his oblation be a vow, or a freewill-offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the morrow that which remains of it shall be eaten,
When a man vows a vow to LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. Also when a woman vows a vow to LORD, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth, read more. and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father remains silent at her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father disallows her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. And LORD will forgive her, because her father disallowed her. And if she is [married] to a husband, while her vows are upon her, or the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul, and her husband hears it, and remains silent at her in the day that he hears it, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallows her in the day that he hears it, then he shall make void her vow which is upon her, and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. And LORD will forgive her. But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, [even] everything with which she has bound her soul shall stand against her. And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, and her husband heard it, and remained silent at her, and did not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has made them void, and LORD wi Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.
Thou shall not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of LORD thy God for any vow, for even both these are an abomination to LORD thy God.
And Jephthah vowed a vow to LORD, and said, If thou will indeed deliver the sons of Ammon into my hand,
And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed, and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
Then the men feared LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to LORD, and made vows.
But Paul, who still remained considerable days with the brothers, having separated, sailed away to Syria (and with him Priscilla and Aquila), having shaved his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow.
Hastings
In common with most peoples of the ancient world, the making of vows was of frequent occurrence among the Israelites. The underlying idea in making a vow was to propitiate the Deity; this was done either by promising to do something for Him, or to please Him by the exercise of self-denial. Vows were made from a variety of motives: Jacob vows a vow according to which he will please Jahweh by becoming His worshipper, on condition that Jahweh will keep him safe during his journey and give him food and raiment (Ge 28:20-22). Jephthah vows to offer to Jahweh the first person he sees coming out of his house on his return from battle, provided he is victorious (Jg 11:30-31). Hannah vows that if Jahweh gives her a son, she will dedicate him to the service of God (1Sa 1:11). These cases are typical: in each something is promised to God, on condition that God will do something for him who makes the vow. But there was another class of vows which were of a more disinterested character; the most striking here would be the Nazirite vow, according to which a man undertook to lead a strenuously austere life, which was supposed to approximate to the simple life of the patriarchs; that was done out of protest against the current mode of life, which had been largely adopted from the Canaanites; indeed, the Nazirite vow implied, and was intended to be, a life of greater loyalty to Jahweh.
There are two words in Hebrew for a vow
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And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, and LORD will be my God, read more. then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that thou shall give me I will surely give the tenth to thee.
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
Only the firstling among beasts, which is made a firstling to LORD, no man shall sanctify it, whether it be ox or sheep, it is LORD's. And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall ransom it according to thine estimation, and shall add to it the fifth part of it, or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation. read more. Notwithstanding, nothing set apart, that a man shall set apart to LORD of all that he has, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; everything set apart is most holy to LORD. No one set apart, who shall be set apart from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
And Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, This is the thing which LORD has commanded. When a man vows a vow to LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
When a man vows a vow to LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
When a man vows a vow to LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. Also when a woman vows a vow to LORD, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth, read more. and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father remains silent at her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father disallows her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. And LORD will forgive her, because her father disallowed her. And if she is [married] to a husband, while her vows are upon her, or the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul, and her husband hears it, and remains silent at her in the day that he hears it, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallows her in the day that he hears it, then he shall make void her vow which is upon her, and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. And LORD will forgive her.
When thou shall vow a vow to LORD thy God, thou shall not be slack to pay it. For LORD thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shall forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. read more. That which has gone out of thy lips thou shall observe and do, according as thou have vowed to LORD thy God, a freewill-offering, which thou have promised with thy mouth.
And Jephthah vowed a vow to LORD, and said, If thou will indeed deliver the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be, that whatever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! Thou have brought me very low, and thou are one of those who trouble me, for I have opened my mouth to LORD, and I cannot go back.
And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou will indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but will give to thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him to LORD all t
It is a snare to a man to say rashly, [It is] holy. And to make inquiry after vows.
But cursed be the deceiver, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to LORD a blemished thing. For I am a great King, says LORD of hosts, and my name is feared among the Gentiles.
But ye say, Whoever may say to the father or the mother, Whatever thou might have benefited from me is an offering.
Morish
The Israelites were not told to make vows, but if they voluntarily made them, God said they must conscientiously perform them. Man is ever ready to boast of his strength, not being conscious of his own weakness. Israel, on hearing the law, did not hesitate to say, "all that the Lord hath said we will do;" but they alas, miserably failed. The law made vows binding, and gave directions as to exceptional cases where it was impossible to perform them. Nu 30:2-14; De 23:21-23; Ps. 1:14; Ec 5:4-5; Na 1:15; etc.
The only instances of vows in the N.T. are those of Paul (or Aquila, as some judge) at Cenchrea, which is shrouded in mystery, and the four men at Jerusalem. Ac 18:18; 21:23. These were probably the vows of Nazariteship, by the head being shaven. According to the law the final shaving must be at the tabernacle or temple. Nu 6:18.
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And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings.
When a man vows a vow to LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. Also when a woman vows a vow to LORD, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth, read more. and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father remains silent at her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father disallows her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. And LORD will forgive her, because her father disallowed her. And if she is [married] to a husband, while her vows are upon her, or the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul, and her husband hears it, and remains silent at her in the day that he hears it, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallows her in the day that he hears it, then he shall make void her vow which is upon her, and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. And LORD will forgive her. But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, [even] everything with which she has bound her soul shall stand against her. And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, and her husband heard it, and remained silent at her, and did not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has made them void, and LORD wi Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband altogether remains silent at her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her. He has established them, because he remained silent at her in the day that he heard them.
When thou shall vow a vow to LORD thy God, thou shall not be slack to pay it. For LORD thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shall forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. read more. That which has gone out of thy lips thou shall observe and do, according as thou have vowed to LORD thy God, a freewill-offering, which thou have promised with thy mouth.
When thou vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou vow. Better is it that thou should not vow, than that thou should vow and not pay.
Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep thy feasts, O Judah. Perform thy vows, for the wicked one shall no more pass through thee. He is utterly cut off.
But Paul, who still remained considerable days with the brothers, having separated, sailed away to Syria (and with him Priscilla and Aquila), having shaved his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow.
Smith
Vows.
A vow is a solemn promise made to God to perform or to abstain from performing a certain thing. The earliest mention of a vow is that of Jacob.
Vows in general are also mentioned in the book of Job,
The law therefore did not introduce, but regulated the practice of, vows. Three sorts are mentioned: 1, vows of devotion; 2, vows of abstinence; 3, vows of destruction.
1. As to vows of devotion, the following rules are laid down: A man might devote to sacred uses possessions or persons, but not the first-born of either man or beast, which was devoted already.
(a) If he vowed land, he might either redeem it or not Levi 25,27. (b) Animals fit for sacrifice if devoted, were not to be redeemed or changed,
persons devoted stood thus: devote either himself, his child (not the first-born) or his slave. If no redemption took place, the devoted person became a slave of the sanctuary: see the case of Absalom.
Otherwise he might be redeemed at a valuation according to age and sex, on the scale given in
Among general regulations affecting vows the following may be mentioned: (1) Vows were entirely voluntary but once made were regarded as compulsory.
(2) If persons In a dependent condition made vows as (a) an unmarried daughter living in her father's house, or (b) a wife, even if she afterward became a widow the vow, if (a) in the first case her father, or (b) in the second her husband, heard and disallowed it, was void; but,if they heard without disallowance, it was to remain good.
(3) Votive offerings arising from the produce of any impure traffic were wholly forbidden.
De 23:18
2. For vows of abstinence, see CORBAN.
See Corban
3. For vows of extermination ANATHEMA and
See Anathema
It seems that the practice of shaving the head at the expiration of a votive period was not limited to the Nazaritic vow.
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And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at first. read more. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, and LORD will be my God, then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that thou shall give me I will surely give the tenth to thee.
I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointed a pillar, where thou vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return to the land of thy nativity.
And if it be a beast, of which men offer an oblation to LORD, all that any man gives of such to LORD shall be holy.
Notwithstanding, nothing set apart, that a man shall set apart to LORD of all that he has, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; everything set apart is most holy to LORD.
When a man vows a vow to LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. Also when a woman vows a vow to LORD, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth, read more. and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father remains silent at her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father disallows her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. And LORD will forgive her, because her father disallowed her. And if she is [married] to a husband, while her vows are upon her, or the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul, and her husband hears it, and remains silent at her in the day that he hears it, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallows her in the day that he hears it, then he shall make void her vow which is upon her, and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. And LORD will forgive her. But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, [even] everything with which she has bound her soul shall stand against her. And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, and her husband heard it, and remained silent at her, and did not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has made them void, and LORD wi Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband altogether remains silent at her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her. He has established them, because he remained silent at her in the day that he heard them. But if he shall make them null and void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity. These are the statutes, which LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth in her father's house.
Thou shall not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of LORD thy God for any vow, for even both these are an abomination to LORD thy God.
When thou shall vow a vow to LORD thy God, thou shall not be slack to pay it. For LORD thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee.
For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If LORD shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve LORD.
And that whoever did not come within three days, according to the counsel of the rulers and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity.
Thou shall make thy prayer to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shall pay thy vows.
When thou vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou vow.
Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass, and thou shall beat many peoples in pieces. And I will devote their gain to LORD, and their substance to LORD of the whole earth.
But Paul, who still remained considerable days with the brothers, having separated, sailed away to Syria (and with him Priscilla and Aquila), having shaved his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow.
Having taken these, be purified with them. And pay expenses for them, so that they may shave the head. And all may know, that things of which they have been informed about thee, are nothing, but thou thyself also walk orderly, keep