Commentary on Numbers, Book · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX.
Chapter XXX Verſe 1 Ver. 1. AND Moſes ſpake unto the Heads of the Tribes.] There were wont to be extraordinary Aſſemblies of theſe, or other great Men, upon ſpecial Occaſions, as Mr. Selden obſerves, Lib. II. de Synedr. cap. 14. n. 4. who are ſometimes called, as they are here, the Heads of all their Tribes, and the Elders, V Deut. 23. and in other places, the Heads of the People, XXX Deut. 5. the whole Congregation of the Children of Iſrael, XVIII Joſh. 1. XXII. 12. the chief of all the People, XX Judg. 2. all Iſrael, 1 Sam. VII. 5. all the Princes of Iſrael, the Princes of the Tribes, 1 Chron. XXVIII. 1. all the Elders of Iſrael and Heads of the Tribes, and chief of the Fathers, 2 Chron. V. 2. the counſel of the Princes and Elders, X Ezra 8. And it is commonly ſaid by the Hebrew Doctors, concerning ſuch Aſſemblies, that whereſoever the Children of Iſrael were met together, or the greater part of them, there the SCHECHINAH (that is, the Divine Majeſty, or the Holy Ghoſt, as they ſometimes ſpeak) was wont to reſt.
Concerning the Children of Iſrael, ſaying.] Acquainted them with a Matter which concerned all the People; willing them to communicate it to them.
This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.] It is very probable there had been ſome Caſe propounded to him about Vows; concerning which he here gives ſuch Rules, as might direct them in time to come.
Ver. 2. If a Man.] It is reaſonable to think, that Verſe 2 this includes the other Sex alſo; provided they be in their own power, and not ſubject to another, and be in their right mind.
Vow a vow unto the LORD.] Promiſe ſolemnly unto God ſomething that is for his Honour and Service; for that ſeems to be meant by unto the LORD. As that he will offer ſome Sacrifice at the Feaſts above-mentioned, more than is preſcribed; or afflict his Soul on ſome other day, beſides the great Day of Atonement. See v. 13.
Or ſwear an Oath to bind his Soul with a bond.] Whether it be a ſimple Vow, or bound alſo with a ſolemn Oath: which made a double Obligation, by calling God to witneſs the Sincerity of his Intentions.
He ſhall not break his word.] In the Hebrew it is, he ſhall not prophane his word: for it being ſolemnly paſſed to God, it made him vile and contemptible, if he did not keep it. The Jewiſh Doctors very prudently adviſe their Scholars not to accuſtom themſelves to make Vows; but to content themſelves with doing what the Law commands, and abſtaining from what it forbids. But if they did make them, to look upon it as an high affront to God not to perform them.
He ſhall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.] If the thing be lawful, and poſſible. And if he appointed no time for the doing of it, he was to think himſelf obliged to do it preſently without delay, XXIII Deut. 21.
Verſe 3 Ver. 3. If a woman alſo vow a vow unto the LORD.] As moſt Interpreters think the word Man, in the foregoing verſe comprehends Women, who were in as perfect liberty as the Men he ſpeaks of; ſo the word Woman here comprehends all Men, who are in the ſame Circumſtances with thoſe Women, whom he here directs in their Vows. Whom he conſiders in a threefold ſtate; before they are married, and after marriage, and in their widowhood.
And bind her ſelf by a bond.] By an Oath, wherewith ſhe confirms her Vow; as it ſeems to be interpreted v. 10, 13.
Being in her fathers houſe, in her youth.] That is, being a part of his Family, and ſtill under his government, and not married. For the Father's power laſts no longer, as Grotius obſerves, Lib. II. de Jure Belli & Pacis, cap. 5. n. 7. In which condition likewiſe are all Sons, who remain in their Father's Family, undiſpoſed of in marriage: And all Servants, who are manifeſtly in ſubjection to their Maſters; and therefore could no more reſolve to do what they pleaſed, then the Women here mentioned.
Ver. 4. And her father heareth her vow, and her bond wherewith ſhe hath bound herſelf.] The firſt of theſe may relate to her ſimple Vow; and the next to an Oath wherewith ſhe binds it, to make it firmer. Verſe 4 Which her Father is ſuppoſed to hear, either when ſhe ſpake the words, or when ſhe acquainted him with her Vow, as in duty ſhe was bound to do.
And her father ſhall hold his peace at her.] If he did not declare that he diſallowed what ſhe had promiſed, it was ſuppoſed he conſented to it: Unleſs he ſaid he would take time to conſider; and neither allow nor diſallow, for the preſent; in which caſe, in all reaſon, ſhe was to wait for his Reſolution.
Then all her Vows ſhall ſtand, &c.] It was not in his power afterward to diſannul any of them, if he did not contradict them when he was told of them, or after the time he had taken for deliberation.
Ver. 5. But if her father diſallow her in the day that he heareth.] As ſoon as he comes acquainted with it.
Not any of her vows, or her bonds wherewith ſhe hath Verſe 5 bound her ſoul, ſhall ſtand.] Though ſhe had bound her Vows with an Oath, they were not to be performed, when her Father had declared his will to the contrary.
And the LORD ſhall forgive her.] The not performing her Vow, ſhall not be imputed to her as a ſin.
Becauſe her father diſallowed her.] Whoſe conſent was ſuppoſed to be neceſſary, before the Vow could be binding; ſhe being, while a part of his Family, under his power, and not her own. Some have fancied that when her Father was dead, the Vow revived, becauſe then ſhe was at her own diſpoſal: but it is plain, her Father wholly diſannulled the Vow, when he did not approve it, ſo that it could not recover a force it never had, being made without his conſent. The ſame is to be ſaid of a Guardian, who was ſuppoſed to be in the place of a Father, when he died and left his Children to his care. And this power was fit to be reſerved to Parents (as a late learned Man, Puffendorf, obſerves) not only leaſt Women, in their imprudent years, ſhould undo themſelves by vowing more than their Fortunes could bear; but alſo leaſt the Paternal Eſtate ſhould be burdened by ſuch Vows, or the neceſſary Affairs of the Family hindred. So that this power did not flow from poſitive Laws, but from natural Reaſon; no Body that is ſubject to another having any right to diſpoſe of thoſe things which are under that power to which they are ſubject.
Verſe 6 Ver. 6. And if ſhe had at all an husband when ſhe vowed.] Was a married Woman, or eſpouſed to an Husband, though ſtill in her Father's Houſe (as it appears from v. 10. this muſt be interpreted) when ſhe made this Vow, then it was to be conſidered, not what her Father, but her Husband (under whoſe power ſhe now was) ſhould determine about it.
Or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith ſhe bound her ſoul.] Said any thing, which ſhe confirmed by an Oath.
Verſe 7 Ver. 7. And her husband heard it.] Either was preſent when ſhe ſpake it; or ſhe told it him afterwards.
And he held his peace, in the day that he heard it.] Said nothing to ſignifie his diſallowance of it. See v. 4.
Then her vows ſhall ſtand, &c.] As before v. 4.
Ver. 8. But if her husband diſallow her, &c.] See v. 5. where there is the ſame Caſe of a Daughter under the power of her Father, as here of a Wife under the power of his Husband. Verſe 8
Ver. 9. But every vow of a Widow, or of her that is Verſe 9 divorced, wherewith ſhe hath bound her ſoul, ſhall ſtand against her.] The reaſon of this is ſo plain, that one would think it needed not to have been mentioned, becauſe ſuch Women were wholly in their own power, being free from their Husbands. Therefore, it is very probable, he ſpeaks here of a Widow, or divorced Woman, returned to her Father's Houſe (as the manner frequently was, XXII Lev. 13.) who might be ſuppoſed to recover his ancient power over her, to diſannul her Vows, as he might before ſhe was married. Which is here abſolutely condemned: for though ſhe lived with him, ſhe was her own Woman, (as we now ſpeak) and might diſpoſe of her ſelf and her Goods, as ſhe pleaſed, without his conſent.
Ver. 10. And if ſhe vowed in her husbands houſe, or Verſe 10 bound her ſoul by a bond with an oath.] i. e. Engaged herſelf in a Vow, and perhaps confirmed it with an Oath, while ſhe and her Husband lived together, or before ſhe was divorced from him.
Ver. 11. And her husband heard it and held his peace, Verſe 11 and diſallowed it not, then all her vows ſhall ſtand, &c.] She was bound, in this caſe, to make them good after he was dead; or ſhe was divorced from him.
Ver. 12. But if her husband hath utterly made them Verſe 12 void on the day he heard them, &c.] Then, when ſhe was in her own power, by his death or by a divorce, ſhe was not bound to make them good; becauſe when ſhe made them, her Husband, under whoſe power ſhe then was, had utterly made them void.
Ver. 13. Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the ſoul.] This ſhows what the matter of theſe Vows frequently was; to abſtain from ſuch or ſuch Meats, though in themſelves lawful; or to faſt, and eat nothing at all on other days, as well as on the great Day of Expiation; which was the only Faſt ordained by the Law of Moſes.
Her husband may eſtabliſh it, or her husband may make it void.] There is an excellent Diſcourſe of Maimonides in his More Nevochim (P. III. cap. 48.) to ſhow that this is moſt reaſonable; where he obſerves, that as the Law prohibited ſome Meats, ſo pious People ſometimes vowed to forbear ſuch as were not prohibited; that by this means they might learn Contentment with a little, or Continence, and give a check to an immoderate Appetite. From whence the ſaying among the Doctors, That Vows are the hedge of Separation; i. e. a great guard to an holy Life. But ſince, through the vehemence of their Affections and Paſſions, many Women are prone to act unadviſedly, if Vows were wholly in their power, great Inconveniences, Diſſentions and Confuſions might ariſe in Families, whilſt this ſort of Meat is lawful to the Huſband, but not to the Wife; this permitted to the Daughter, but prohibited to the Mother. For which reaſon, ſaith he, this Authority was given to the Governours of Families; in all things to order them, as they ſaw would be for their profit, or detriment.
Verſe 14 Ver. 14. But if her husband.] Or, For if her Husband.
Altogether hold his peace at her, from day to day.] When he knew what ſhe had vowed; as it follows in the end of the verſe.
He eſtabliſheth all her vows, &c.] His ſilence was to be interpreted a Conſent, to allow what ſhe vowed. There was no need to add the contrary, which is here to be underſtood: that if he ſaid he did not allow them, then they ſhould not bind her.
Ver. 15. But if he ſhall any ways make them void, Verſe 15 after he hath heard them.] Hinder her from performing her Vow, after he had given his conſent, by ſaying nothing againſt it, when he heard her make the Vow.
Then he ſhall bear her iniquity.] God will puniſh him, not her, for not performing the Vow. Paulus Fagius thinks the meaning is, that if the firſt day he heard of her vow he did not diſannul it, but attempted to do it the next day, or the third day after, he ſhould bear the blame, if the Vow was not made good.
Ver. 16. Theſe are the Statutes which the LORD Verſe 16 commanded Moſes, between a Man and his Wife, between the Father and his Daughter, being yet in her youth, in her Fathers Houſe.] It is likely ſome differences aroſe in ſome Families about theſe Matters; and therefore theſe Laws were made for the ſettling the power of Husbands over their Wives, and Parents over their Children, while they were young, and continued a part of their Family.