Numbers 30:3

THE MESSAGE

"When a woman makes a vow to God and binds herself by a pledge as a young girl still living in her father's house, and her father hears of her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then she has to make good on all her vows and pledges. But if her father holds her back when he hears of what she has done, none of her vows and pledges are valid. God will release her since her father held her back.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Also when a woman vows a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth,

King James Version
If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord , and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;

Lexham English Bible
"If a woman makes a vow to Yahweh, and she binds a pledge on herself in her father's house in your childhood,

English Standard Version
"If a woman vows a vow to the Lord and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house in her youth,

New Century Version
If a young woman still living at home makes a promise to the Lord or pledges to do something special,

New English Translation
"If a young woman who is still living in her father's house makes a vow to the Lord or places herself under an obligation,

Amplified Bible
"Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD and binds herself by a pledge [of abstinence], while living in her father's house in her youth,

New American Standard Bible
"And if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and puts herself under a binding obligation in her father's house in her youth,

Geneva Bible (1587)
If a woman also vow a vow vnto the Lord, and binde her selfe by a bonde, being in her fathers house, in the time of her youth,

Legacy Standard Bible
"Also if a woman makes a vow to Yahweh and binds herself by an obligation in her father's house in her youth,

Contemporary English Version
Suppose a young woman who is still living with her parents makes a promise to the Lord .

Complete Jewish Bible
when a man makes a vow to Adonai or formally obligates himself by swearing an oath, he is not to break his word but is to do everything he said he would do.

Darby Translation
If a woman also vow a vow to Jehovah, and bind herself by a bond, in her father's house in her youth,

Easy-to-Read Version
"A young woman might still be living in her father's house. And that young woman might make a special promise to give something to the Lord .

George Lamsa Translation
If a woman also vows a vow to the LORD and binds herself by a bond while she is in her fathers house in her youth,

Good News Translation
When a young woman still living in her father's house makes a vow to give something to the Lord or promises to abstain from something,

Christian Standard Bible®
“When a woman in her father’s house during her youth makes a vow to the Lord or puts herself under an obligation,

Literal Translation
And when a woman vows a vow to Jehovah, and has bound a bond in the house of her father in her youth,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf a damsell make a vowe vnto ye LORDE, and bynde hirself, whyle she is in hir fathers house, and vnmaried,

American Standard Version
Also when a woman voweth a vow unto Jehovah, and bindeth herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth,

Bible in Basic English
If a woman, being young and under the authority of her father, takes an oath to the Lord or gives an undertaking;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If a woman also vowe a vowe vnto the Lorde, & bynde her selfe being in her fathers house in the tyme of her youth:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
When a man voweth a vow unto the LORD, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

King James Version (1611)
If a woman also vow a vow vnto the Lord, and binde her selfe by a bond, being in her fathers house in her youth;

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Whatsoever man shall vow a vow to the Lord, or swear an oath, or bind himself with an obligation upon his soul, he shall not break his word; all that shall come out of his mouth he shall do.

English Revised Version
Also when a woman voweth a vow unto the LORD, and bindeth herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth;

Berean Standard Bible
And if a woman in her father's house during her youth makes a vow to the LORD or obligates herself by a pledge,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If a womman which is in the hows of hir fadir, and is yit in the age of a damysel,

Young's Literal Translation
`And when a woman voweth a vow to Jehovah, and hath bound a bond in the house of her father in her youth,

Update Bible Version
Also when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth,

Webster's Bible Translation
If a woman also shall vow a vow to the LORD, and bind [herself] by a bond, [being] in her father's house in her youth;

World English Bible
Also when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth,

New King James Version
"Or if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by some agreement while in her father's house in her youth,

New Living Translation
"If a young woman makes a vow to the Lord or a pledge under oath while she is still living at her father's home,

New Life Bible
If a woman makes a promise to the Lord, and swears to keep her promise in her father's house when she is young,

New Revised Standard
When a woman makes a vow to the Lord , or binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house, in her youth,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when, a woman, shall vow a vow unto Yahweh, and bind a bond, in the house of her father, in her youth;

Douay-Rheims Bible
(30-4) If a woman vow any thing, and bind herself by an oath, being in her father’s house, and but yet a girl in age: if her father knew the vow that she hath promised, and the oath wherewith she hath bound her soul, and held his peace, she shall be bound by the vow:

Revised Standard Version
Or when a woman vows a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house, in her youth,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by an obligation in her father's house in her youth,

Contextual Overview

³"When a woman makes a vow to God and binds herself by a pledge as a young girl still living in her father's house, and her father hears of her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then she has to make good on all her vows and pledges. But if her father holds her back when he hears of what she has done, none of her vows and pledges are valid. God will release her since her father held her back. ⁶"If she marries after she makes a vow or has made some rash promise or pledge, and her husband hears of it but says nothing to her, then she has to make good on whatever she vowed or pledged. But if her husband intervenes when he hears of it, he cancels the vow or rash promise that binds her. And God will release her. ⁹ "Any vow or pledge taken by a widow or divorced woman is binding on her. ¹⁰"When a woman who is living with her husband makes a vow or takes a pledge under oath and her husband hears about it but says nothing and doesn't say she can't do it, then all her vows and pledges are valid. But if her husband cancels them when he hears about them, then none of the vows and pledges that she made are binding. Her husband has canceled them and God will release her. Any vow and pledge that she makes that may be to her detriment can be either affirmed or annulled by her husband. But if her husband is silent and doesn't speak up day after day, he confirms her vows and pledges—she has to make good on them. By saying nothing to her when he hears of them, he binds her to them. If, however, he cancels them sometime after he hears of them, he takes her guilt on himself." ¹⁶ These are the rules that God gave Moses regarding conduct between a man and his wife and between a father and his young daughter who is still living at home.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Numbers 30:2 - to bind 1 Samuel 1:11 - vowed 1 Corinthians 14:34 - as

Cross-References

Genesis 30:2
Jacob got angry with Rachel and said, "Am I God? Am I the one who refused you babies?"

Genesis 30:3
Rachel said, "Here's my maid Bilhah. Sleep with her. Let her substitute for me so I can have a child through her and build a family." So she gave him her maid Bilhah for a wife and Jacob slept with her. Bilhah became pregnant and gave Jacob a son.

Genesis 30:9
When Leah saw that she wasn't having any more children, she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob for a wife. Zilpah had a son for Jacob. Leah said, "How fortunate!" and she named him Gad (Lucky). When Leah's maid Zilpah had a second son for Jacob, Leah said, "A happy day! The women will congratulate me in my happiness." So she named him Asher (Happy).

Ruth 4:11
All the people in the town square that day, backing up the elders, said, "Yes, we are witnesses. May God make this woman who is coming into your household like Rachel and Leah, the two women who built the family of Israel. May God make you a pillar in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem! With the children God gives you from this young woman, may your family rival the family of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord,.... Who has not passed thirteen years, as the Targum of Jonathan:

[and] bind [herself] by a bond; lay herself under obligation to perform her vow by an oath: being in her father's house; unto the twelfth year, as the same Targum; that is, that is under his care, tuition, and jurisdiction, whether she literally, or properly speaking, is in the house or no at the time she vows; so Jarchi interprets it of her being in the power of her father, though not in his house, she being not at age to be at her own disposal, but at his: wherefore it is added,

in her youth; which, as the same writer explains it, signifies that she is

"neither a little one, nor at age; for a little one's vow is no vow, and one at age is not in the power of her father to make void her vow: who is a little one? our Rabbins say, one of eleven years of age and one day, her vows are examined, whether she knows on whose account she vows and consecrates, or devotes anything; one vows a vow that is twelve years and one day old, there is no need to examine them.''

He seems to refer to a passage in the Misnah t,

"a daughter of eleven years and one day, her vows are examined; a daughter of twelve years and one day, her vows are firm, but they are to be examined through the whole twelfth year.''

t Niddah, c. 5. sect. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Being in her father’s house in her youth - It was not ordinarily until her betrothal or marriage, that the female passed (some suppose by purchase) from the power of her father to that of her husband.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 30:3. In her youth — That is, say the rabbins, under twelve years of age; and under thirteen in case of a young man. Young persons of this age were considered to be under the authority of their parents, and had consequently no power to vow away the property of another. A married woman was in the same circumstances, because she was under the authority of her husband. If however the parents or the husband heard of the vow, and objected to it in the same day in which they heard of it, (Numbers 30:5), then the vow was annulled; or, if having heard of it, they held their peace, this was considered a ratification of the vow.

A rash vow was never to be kept; "for," says Philo, and common sense and justice say the same, "he who commits an unjust action because of his vow adds one crime to another,

1. By making an unlawful vow;

2. By doing an unlawful action."