FRIDAY Reflections
So why don't women have the freedom to make vows? It isn't fair! Right?
In the West today it
would be absolutely unfair. Women today have freedom. Women didn't have freedom
back then and maybe couldn't have but that is a discussion for another day.
However, these verses don't place all women under men, only some. These women
were under the care and protection of a father or husband and only they could
disallow a vow, not just any man(see verse 16). A woman who was independent
could make any vow she liked. This freedom would have included those women who
were given the inheritance of their fathers.
Another point is that if the father or husband didn't make an objection at the beginning, then he couldn't change his mind later. God also promised if the man tried to change his mind later the judgment for not fulfilling a vow would fall on him and not the woman. This provision actually removed power from the patriarchal system and added a punishment.
Num 30:1-16
(1) And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.
(2) If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear 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.
(3) 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;
(4) And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
(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.
(6) And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;
(7) And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
(8) But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.
(9) But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.
(10) And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;
(11) And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
(12) But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.
(13) Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.
(14) But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.
(15) But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.
(16) These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.
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