Bible Commentaries
Numbers 30

Verse 5

But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

In the days — Speedily, or without delay, allowing only convenient time for deliberation. And it is hereby intimated, that the day or time he had for disallowing her vow, was not to be reckoned from her vowing, but from his knowledge of her vow.

The Lord shall forgive — Or, will forgive her not performing it. But this should be understood only of vows which could not be performed without invading the father’s right; for if one should vow to forbear such, or such a sin, and all occasions or means leading to it, and to perform such, or such duties, when he had opportunity, no father can discharge him from such vows. If this law does not extend to children’s marrying without the parent’s consent, so far as to put it in the power of the parent, to disannul the marriage, (which some think it does) yet certainly it proves the sinfulness of such marriages, and obliges those children to repent and humble themselves before God and their parents.

Verse 9

But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.

Widow or divorced — Though she be in her father’s house, whither such persons often returned.

Verse 10

And if she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;

If she vowed — If she that now a widow, or divorced, made that vow while her husband lived with her; as suppose she then vowed, that if she was a widow, she would give such a proportion of her estate to pious or charitable uses, of which vow she might repent when she came to be a widow, and might believe or repented she was free from it, because that vow was made in her husband’s lifetime; this is granted, in case her husband then disallowed it; but denied, in case by silence, or otherwise he consented to it.

Verse 13

Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.

To afflict her soul — Herself by fasting, by watching, or the like. And these words are added to shew that the husband had this power not only in those vows which concerned himself or his estate, but also in those which might seem only to concern her own person, or body, and the reason is, because the wife’s person or body being the husband’s right; she might not do any thing to the injury of her body without his consent.

Verse 15

But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.

After he hath heard — And approved them by his silence from day to day, if after that time he shall hinder it, which he ought not to do: her non-performance of her vow shall be imputed to him, not to her.