A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Numbers · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX.
Verſ. 1. ANd Moſes ſpake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Iſrael, &c.]
There being mention made in the latter end of the foregoing chapter verſ. 39. of ſacrifices due upon a vow made, which were to be carefully brought in (beſides the ſet ſacrifices which God had injoyned) upon this occaſion, it ſeems, theſe precepts are in this next chapter here added concerning vows, to ſhew who they were that muſt alwayes neceſſarily perform their vows, and who not; and theſe Laws it is ſaid that Moſes made known to the heads of the tribes, becauſe they were the men that were according to theſe Laws to judge, either to bind them to their vows or free them, &c.
Verſ. 2. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or ſwear an oath, &c.]
That is, if a man, to wit, a man of grown years, having power over himſelf, ſhall bind his ſoul with a bond, whether it be onelyonly a promiſe or vow that he hath ſolemnly made unto the Lord, or whether it be a vow ſtrengthened with an oath, or that he hath ſworn that he will do ſuch or ſuch a thing, he ſhall not break his word, but ſhall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth, that is, he muſt not fail to do exactly what he hath vowed and ſworn to do, and that without delay (for it is alſo added, Deut. 23. 21. When thou ſhalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou ſhalt not ſlack to pay it) to wit, if it were not an unlawfull thing he had vowed or ſworn: for vows for the doing of that which it is unlawfull to do are not vows binding the conſcience; for how can that vow bind men to God, when they vow to do that which God forbids, and will not have done? ſuch as was that of thoſe fourtie men, Acts 23. 21▪ that had bound themſelves with an oath that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
Verſ. 3. If a woman alſo vow a vow unto the Lord, and bind her ſelf by a bond being in her fathers houſe, &c.]
That is, under his power and command, whether in his houſe or no; and by the rule of analogy the ſame exception is to be allowed for ſonnes and ſervants under their governours power. As for thoſe laſt words, in her youth, either they are onelyonly added, becauſe it is for the moſt part in their youth that maids continue in t…eir fathers houſe (for it is not likely that they had power to vow without the conſent of their fathers when they had lived unmarried till riper years, and were ſtill under their father sjurisdiction) or elſe becauſe though their fathers were dead, yet in their youth maids had no power to vow without the conſent of their governours▪ whereas being of full years and at their own diſpoſing they might vow, and were then bound to do what they had vowed.
Verſ. 5. And the Lord ſhall forgive her, becauſe her father▪ diſallowed her.]
Hereby is meant either that the Lord would forgive her raſhneſſe in vowing, when ſhe was not in her own power; or rather that the Lord would not impute this as a ſinne to her, ſeeing her father refuſed to let her keep it.
Verſ. 8. But if her husband diſallowed her on the day that he heard it, &c.]
This laſt clauſe, on the day that he heard it, is added, firſt, to ſhew that whenever he ſhall come to hear it he may make her vow void, though it were long after the vow were made; ſecondly, to ſhew that if he diſſembled for a time, and afterwards ſhewed his diſlike, though it were the next day after▪ it ſhould be to no purpoſe.
Verſ. 9. But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their ſouls, ſhall stand against her.]
If it were made in her widowhood, ſhe muſt perform it, yea (ſay the Hebrews) though ſhe be afterward married, or be turned to her fathers houſe.
Verſ. 10. And if ſhe vowed in her husbands houſe, &c.]
There being …o probable reaſon that can be given, why that which was ſaid before concerning the husbands ratifying or diſannulling his wives vows, verſ. 6, 7, 8. ſhould here be repeated again, it is rather to be thought that there is ſome difference betwixt that which is ſaid there, and that which is added here. Some hold that the Law given verſ. 6, 7, 8. is concerning the woman that is onelyonly betrothed, and that this here is concerning the woman that is married. But ſeeing in both places the words are concerning the woman that hath a husband, I ſee no warrant for this conceit. Either therefore the firſt is meant of a woman married to a husband, but living ſtill in her fathers houſe, and this of the wife that is gone to her husbands houſe, which may ſeem to be implyed in theſe words, And if ſhe vowed in her husbands houſe; or …ather the firſt Law is concerning the wives vows, that were to be performed in the time of her being under the ſubjection of her husband, which might be eſtabliſhed or made void by her husband, as he pleaſed. But here the Law ſpeaks concerning vows made by the wives, their husbands yet living, but to be performed after the husbands death; concerning which the Lord gives the ſame Law, to wit, that the husbands ſhould have power to ratifie or diſannull them. Women married might be very forward to make large vows what they would do if ever they came to be fre… women again, and then being free might make light of performing their vows under a pretence that thoſe vows were made when they were under the power of their husbands: To prevent this therefore this Law is here added, that in caſe a woman vowed in her husbands houſe, if her husband held his peace (as it follows verſ. 11.) then all her vows ſhould ſtand, to wit, even after her husbands death, or after ſhe is made free by divorce; and indeed the very dependance of theſe words upon that which went before, verſ. 9. concerning widows or wives divorced is a ſtrong argument for this expoſition.
Verſ. 13. Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the ſoul, her husband may establiſh it; or her husband may make it void.]
Theſe words to afflict the ſoul, ſeem to be added to ſhew th… full extent of the former Law, and not by way of limitation or reſtraint, to wit, that it is in the husbands power to eſtabliſh or make void very vow of his wife; yea though it be a vow that concerns not the goods of the husband, but onelyonly the affliction of her own perſon by abſtinence, faſting, &c.
Verſ. 15. But if he ſhall any wayes make them void after that he hath heard them, then he ſhall bear her iniquitie.]
That is, though the wife hath full libe…ty to perform her vow, if her husband heard it and did not that day contradict it; yet if afterward the husband ſhall violently refuſe to let her perform it (which however by Gods Law he might not do) in this caſe the wife muſt not ſtrive againſt her husband: and why? he ſhall bear her iniquity, that is▪ the ſinne ſhall be imputed to her husband, not to her, that would have kept her promiſe if ſhe might.