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 commanded him. And he said to him, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice. And on the next day also the rest of it shall be eaten.
If a man vows a vow to Jehovah, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that comes out of his mouth. If a woman also vows a vow to Jehovah, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth, read more. and if her father hears her vow and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and if her father is silent as to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father does not allow her in the day that he hears, not any of her vows or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. And Jehovah shall forgive her because her father did not allow her. And if she had a husband when she vowed, or if she said anything rash out of her lips with which she bound her soul, and if her husband heard and is silent as to her in the day that he heard, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband did not allow 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, with which she bound her soul, of no effect. And Jehovah shall forgive her. But every vow of a widow and of her who is divorced, all which she has bound on 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 if her husband heard and is silent as to her, and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband has certainly broken them on the day he heard, whatever comes out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has broken them. And Jehovah shall forgive her. Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may break it.
You shall not bring the hire of a harlot, or the price of a dog, into the house of Jehovah your God for any vow. For even both these are hateful to Jehovah your God.
And Jephthah vowed a vow to Jehovah, and said, If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand,
And it happened at the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her his vow which he had vowed. And she knew no man. And it is a custom in Israel,
Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to Jehovah, and vowed vows.
And Paul having remained many days more, taking leave of the brothers, he sailed from there into Syria. And Priscilla and Aquila were with him. And Paul had shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow.
Therefore do this, what we say to you: We have four men who have a vow on themselves;
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 clothing to put on, and I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall Jehovah be my God. read more. And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house. And of all that You shall give me, I will surely give the tenth to You.
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens.
However, the first-born of an animal, which should be Jehovah's first-born, no man shall sanctify it, whether an ox, or sheep, it is Jehovah's. And if it is of an unclean animal, then he shall redeem it according to your estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it to it. Or if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your estimation. read more. However, no devoted thing that a man shall devote to Jehovah of all that he has, either of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Every devoted thing is most holy to Jehovah. Nothing devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death.
And Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes concerning the sons of Israel, saying, This is the thing which Jehovah has commanded: If a man vows a vow to Jehovah, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that comes out of his mouth.
If a man vows a vow to Jehovah, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that comes out of his mouth.
If a man vows a vow to Jehovah, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that comes out of his mouth. If a woman also vows a vow to Jehovah, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth, read more. and if her father hears her vow and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and if her father is silent as to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father does not allow her in the day that he hears, not any of her vows or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. And Jehovah shall forgive her because her father did not allow her. And if she had a husband when she vowed, or if she said anything rash out of her lips with which she bound her soul, and if her husband heard and is silent as to her in the day that he heard, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband did not allow 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, with which she bound her soul, of no effect. And Jehovah shall forgive her.
When you shall vow a vow to Jehovah your God, you shall not wait to pay it, for Jehovah your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin in you. But if you shall cease to vow, it shall be no sin in you. read more. That which has gone out of your lips you shall keep and perform, even a free-will offering, according as you have vowed to Jehovah your God, which you have promised with your mouth.
And Jephthah vowed a vow to Jehovah, and said, If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, surely it shall belong to Jehovah, or I will offer it up instead of a burnt offering.
And it happened when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me. For I have opened my mouth to Jehovah, and I cannot go back.
And she vowed a vow and said, O, Lord of Hosts, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your handmaid and remember me, and not forget Your handmaid, but will give to Your handmaid a man-child, then I will give him to Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
It is a snare to a man to say rashly, A holy thing, and afterward vows to ask about it.
But cursed be a deceiver; and there is in his flock a male, yet he vows it, but sacrifices to Jehovah a blemished one. For I am a great king, says Jehovah of Hosts, and My name is feared among the nations.
But you say, Whoever says to his father or mother, Whatever you would gain from me, It is a gift to God;
And He said to them, Do you do well to set aside the commandment of God, so that you may keep your own tradition?
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 tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation and put it in the fire under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.
If a man vows a vow to Jehovah, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that comes out of his mouth. If a woman also vows a vow to Jehovah, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth, read more. and if her father hears her vow and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and if her father is silent as to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father does not allow her in the day that he hears, not any of her vows or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. And Jehovah shall forgive her because her father did not allow her. And if she had a husband when she vowed, or if she said anything rash out of her lips with which she bound her soul, and if her husband heard and is silent as to her in the day that he heard, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband did not allow 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, with which she bound her soul, of no effect. And Jehovah shall forgive her. But every vow of a widow and of her who is divorced, all which she has bound on 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 if her husband heard and is silent as to her, and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband has certainly broken them on the day he heard, whatever comes out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has broken them. And Jehovah shall forgive her. Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may break it. But if her husband is altogether silent as to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her bonds which are on her. He confirms them, because he was silent as to her in the day that he heard.
When you shall vow a vow to Jehovah your God, you shall not wait to pay it, for Jehovah your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin in you. But if you shall cease to vow, it shall be no sin in you. read more. That which has gone out of your lips you shall keep and perform, even a free-will offering, according as you have vowed to Jehovah your God, which you have promised with your mouth.
When you vow a vow to God, do not wait to pay it. For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you have vowed. it is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
Behold upon the mountains the feet of Him who brings good news, making it heard, Peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, fulfill your vows; for the wicked shall pass through you no more; he is completely cut off.
And Paul having remained many days more, taking leave of the brothers, he sailed from there into Syria. And Priscilla and Aquila were with him. And Paul had shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow.
Therefore do this, what we say to you: We have four men who have a vow on themselves;
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 which he had put at his head, and set it as a memorial pillar, and poured oil on the top of it. And he called the name of that place The House of God. But the name of that 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 clothing to put on, and I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall Jehovah be my God. And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house. And of all that You shall give me, I will surely give the tenth to You.
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, where you vowed a vow to Me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your kindred.
And if it is an animal of which they bring an offering to Jehovah, all that one gives of such to Jehovah shall be holy.
However, no devoted thing that a man shall devote to Jehovah of all that he has, either of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Every devoted thing is most holy to Jehovah.
If a man vows a vow to Jehovah, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that comes out of his mouth. If a woman also vows a vow to Jehovah, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth, read more. and if her father hears her vow and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and if her father is silent as to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father does not allow her in the day that he hears, not any of her vows or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. And Jehovah shall forgive her because her father did not allow her. And if she had a husband when she vowed, or if she said anything rash out of her lips with which she bound her soul, and if her husband heard and is silent as to her in the day that he heard, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband did not allow 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, with which she bound her soul, of no effect. And Jehovah shall forgive her. But every vow of a widow and of her who is divorced, all which she has bound on 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 if her husband heard and is silent as to her, and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband has certainly broken them on the day he heard, whatever comes out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has broken them. And Jehovah shall forgive her. Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may break it. But if her husband is altogether silent as to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her bonds which are on her. He confirms them, because he was silent as to her in the day that he heard. But if he at all breaks them after he has heard, then he has borne her iniquity. These are the statutes which Jehovah commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter in her youth in her father's house.
You shall not bring the hire of a harlot, or the price of a dog, into the house of Jehovah your God for any vow. For even both these are hateful to Jehovah your God.
When you shall vow a vow to Jehovah your God, you shall not wait to pay it, for Jehovah your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin in you.
For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Syria, saying, If Jehovah will indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve Jehovah.
and that who ever would not come within three days, according to the advice of the rulers and the elders, all he owned would be lost, and he himself separated from the congregation of the exiles.
You shall make your prayer to Him, and He shall hear you, and you shall pay your vows.
When you vow a vow to God, do not wait to pay it. For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you have vowed.
Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze; and you shall crush many peoples. And I will give their gain to Jehovah, and their wealth to the Lord of the all the earth.
And Paul having remained many days more, taking leave of the brothers, he sailed from there into Syria. And Priscilla and Aquila were with him. And Paul had shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow.
taking them, be purified with them, and be at expense for them, so that they may shave their heads. And all may know that what they have been told about you is nothing, but you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Law.