Vows

Vows [EBD]

voluntary promises which, when once made, were to be kept if the thing vowed was right. They were made under a great variety of circumstances (Gen. 28: 18-22; Lev. 7:16; Num. 30:2-13; Deut. 23:18; Judg. 11:30, 39; 1 Sam. 1:11; Jonah 1:16; Acts 18:18; 21:23).

Vows [NAVE]

VOWS
Mosaic laws concerning, Lev. 23:37, 38; Num. 29:39.
Must be voluntary, see below. Must be performed, see below. Estimation of the redemption price of things offered in vows, to be made by the priest, according to age and sex of the person making the offering, Lev. 27:1-13.
The redemption price of the offering of real estate, to be valued by the priest, Lev. 27:14, 15; of a field, Lev. 27:16-25.
Edible things offered in, to be eaten the same day they were offered, Lev. 7:16-18.
Things offered in, to be brought to the tabernacle or temple, Deut. 12:6, 11, 17, 18, 26; belonged to the priests, Num. 18:14.
Rash: By Jephthah, in consecration of his daughter as a sacrifice, if his campaign against the Ammonites were successful, Judg. 11:29-40; the Israelites, to destroy the Benjamites, Judg. 21:5, 6, with Judg. 20; 21.
Things forbidden to be offered in: Receipts of the prostitute and male paramour, Deut. 23:18; a minor, of himself, Mark 7:11-13.
Unclassified Scriptures Relating to
Gen. 28:20, 21 Gen. 31:13. Lev. 5:4-13; Lev. 22:18-25; Num. 15:2-16; Num. 30:2-16 v. 1.; Deut. 23:18, 21-23; Job 22:27; Psa. 22:25; Psa. 50:14, 15; Psa. 56:12; Psa. 61:5, 8; Psa. 65:1; Psa. 66:13, 14; Psa. 76:11; Psa. 116:14-19; Prov. 20:25; Eccl. 5:4-6; Jonah 2:9; Nah. 1:15 See: Contract; Covenant.
Instances of
Of Jacob, see above, Gen. 28:20-22.
Of the mother of Micah, in the dedication of silver for the making of an idol, Judg. 17:2, 3.
Of Haah, to consecrate to the Lord the child for which she prayed, 1 Sam. 1:11, with vs. 27,28. Of Elkanah, 1 Sam. 1:21.
Of Absalom, 2 Sam. 15:7, 8.
Of Job, not to entertain thoughts of fornication, Job 31:1.
Of David, Psa. 132:2.
Of Ananias and Sapphira, in the dedication of the proceeds of the sale of their land, Acts 5:1-11.
Of the Jews, to slay Paul, Acts 23:12-15.
Of Jephthah, and of the Israelites, see Rash Vows, above.
See: Nazirite.

VOWS [SMITH]

A vow is a solemn promise made to God to perform or to abstain from performing a certain thing. The earliest mention of a vow is that of Jacob. (Genesis 28:18-22; 31:13) Vows in general are also mentioned in the book of Job, (Job 22:27) The law therefore did not introduce, but regulated the practice of, vows. Three sorts are mentioned: 1, Vows of devotion; 2, Vows of abstinence; 3, Vows of destruction.

1. As to vows of devotion, the following rules are laid down: A man might devote to sacred uses possessions or persons, but not the first-born of either man or beast, which was devoted already. (Leviticus 27:28) (a) If he vowed land, he might either redeem it or not Levi 25,27. (b) Animals fit for sacrifice if devoted, were not to be redeemed or changed, (Leviticus 27:9; 10:33) persons devoted stood thus: devote either himself, his child (not the first-born) or his slave. If no redemption took place, the devoted person became a slave of the sanctuary: see the case of Absalom. (2 Samuel 15:8) Otherwise he might be redeemed at a valuation according to age and sex, on the scale given in (Leviticus 27:1-7) Among general regulations affecting vows the following may be mentioned: (1) Vows were entirely voluntary but once made were regarded as compulsory. (Numbers 30:2; 23:21; Ecclesiastes 5:4) (2) If persons In a dependent condition made vows as (a) an unmarried daughter living in her father?s house, or (b) a wife, even if she afterward became a widow the vow, if (a) in the first case her father, or (b) in the second her husband, heard and disallowed it, was void; but,if they heard without disallowance, it was to remain good. (Numbers 30:3-18) (3) Votive offerings arising from the produce of any impure traffic were wholly forbidden. (23:18)
2. For vows of abstinence, see CORBAN.
3. For vows of extermination ANATHEMA and (Ezra 10:8; Micah 4:13) It seems that the practice of shaving the head at the expiration of a votive period was not limited to the Nazaritic vow. (Acts 18:18; 21:24)