Numbers 30

After the regulations in Numbers 28–29 on the offerings for each appointed feast, chapter 30 addresses vows (voluntary promises to God to do something) and oaths. The Hebrew text numbers Numbers 29:40 of the Korean Revised Version as 30:1, so the verse numbers in this chapter run one higher in Hebrew than in Korean Bibles. Chapter 31 continues with the account of the war against Midian.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 Moses relays the LORD's command to the heads of the tribes. If a man makes a vow or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he must not break his word but must do all that proceeds out of his mouth.
• Verses 3–5 When a young woman in her father's house makes a vow, the vow stands if her father hears it and says nothing. If her father disallows it on the day he hears it, the vow becomes void, and the LORD forgives her.
• Verses 6–8 If a woman who is under a vow marries, the vow becomes void if her husband disallows it on the day he hears it.
• Verse 9 The vow of a widow or a divorced woman must be kept by the woman herself.
• Verses 10–15 The vow of a wife living in her husband's house is confirmed if her husband hears it and remains silent, and becomes void if he forbids it on the day he hears it. If the husband annuls it some time after hearing it, he bears his wife's iniquity.
• Verse 16 The chapter concludes by stating that these are the statutes concerning a husband and his wife, and a father and his young daughter in his house.

Key Verses

• Numbers 30:2 "He shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth" — This verse states the basic principle governing vows.
• Numbers 30:5 "The LORD shall forgive her" — This makes clear that the woman does not bear responsibility when her vow has been annulled.
• Numbers 30:15 "He shall bear her iniquity" — This shows that if the husband lets the proper time for annulment pass, the responsibility falls on him.

People and Places

• Moses: The leader who conveys the LORD's commands to Israel.
• The heads of the tribes: The leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, who are the first to hear this command.
• No place is named in this chapter. The narrative continuing from chapter 22 is set on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River opposite Jericho.

Points for Reflection

• The "oath to bind his soul" is commonly interpreted as a promise to practice self-denial, such as fasting. The phrase "to afflict the soul" in verse 13 is the same expression as "afflict your souls" in the regulations for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29).
• Interpretations differ on the provision that a father or husband may annul a woman's vow.
• Some read it as a safeguard that protected women and households from rash vows in an ancient society in which the head of the household bore responsibility for its affairs.
• Others see it as an ancient patriarchal institution reflecting the different status of men and women.
• In Judaism, this chapter became the basis for the discussion in the tractate Nedarim ("Vows") of the Mishnah, the compilation of Jewish oral law.
• The teaching that vows must be paid also appears in Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 and Deuteronomy 23:21–23.
• Connections to the New Testament include the following:
• Jesus taught, "Swear not at all" (Matthew 5:33–37; see also James 5:12).
• Jesus criticized the practice of Corban (Mark 7:11–13).
• Paul is recorded as having taken a vow (Acts 18:18).
• Denominational traditions also differ on oaths. The Quaker and Anabaptist traditions read Jesus' teaching as a rejection of oaths altogether. The Reformed tradition, including the Westminster Confession of Faith, affirms lawful oaths and vows.

In the Korean Church

Verse 2 is frequently cited together with Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 in sermons on vow prayers and vow offerings. It serves as the basis for the teaching that vows should be made with care and, once made, must be kept. At the same time, the practice of placing excessive emphasis on vow offerings has drawn criticism.