Numbers 30:9-10

Vows Made by Widows

30:9 “But every vow of a widow or of a divorced woman which she has pledged for herself will remain intact. 30:10 If she made the vow in her husband’s house or put herself under obligation with an oath,

Numbers 30:13

30:13 “Any vow or sworn obligation that would bring affliction to her, her husband can confirm or nullify.


tn The Hebrew text says her vow “shall stand against her.” In other words, she must fulfill, or bear the consequences of, whatever she vowed.

tn The sentence uses the infinitive construct לְעַנֹּת (lÿannot, “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.

tn Heb “or her husband can nullify.”