30:13 “Any vow or sworn obligation that would bring affliction to her, 3 her husband can confirm or nullify. 4
30:3 “If a young 5 woman who is still living 6 in her father’s house makes a vow to the Lord or places herself under an obligation,
1 tn The intent of this expression is that he does not object to the vow.
2 tn The verb קוּם (qum) is best translated “stand” here, but the idea with it is that what she vows is established as a genuine oath with the father’s approval (or acquiescence).
3 tn The sentence uses the infinitive construct לְעַנֹּת (lÿ’annot, “to afflict”), which is the same word used in the instructions for the day of atonement in which people are to afflict themselves (their souls). The case here may be that the woman would take a religious vow on such an occasion to humble herself, to mortify her flesh, to abstain from certain things, perhaps even sexual relations within marriage.
4 tn Heb “or her husband can nullify.”
5 tn The qualification comes at the end of the verse, and simply says “in her youth.”
6 tn The Hebrew text just has “in her father’s house” and not “who is still living,” but that is the meaning of the line.
7 tn The legal construction states the class to which the law applies, and then lays down the condition: “men [man] – if….”
8 tn The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative construction to express this: “a man if he vows a vow.”
9 tn The expression is “swear an oath” (הִשָּׁבַע שְׁבֻעָה, hishava’ shÿvu’ah). The vow (נֵדֶר, neder) was a promise to donate something of oneself or one’s substance to the
10 tn The Hebrew text hasלֶאְסֹר אִסָּר (le’sor ’issar), meaning “to take a binding obligation.” This is usually interpreted to mean a negative vow, i.e., the person attempts to abstain from something that is otherwise permissible. It might involve fasting, or abstaining from marital sex, but it might also involve some goal to be achieved, and the abstaining from distractions until the vow is fulfilled (see Ps 132). The נֶדֶר (neder) may have been more for religious matters, and the אִסָּר more for social concerns, but this cannot be documented with certainty.
11 tn Heb “according to all that goes out of his mouth.”