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Both men and women could “vow” a vow. Numbers 30 deals with the law concerning
vows; cf. Num. 30:2: “If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his
soul with a bond …”; and Num. 30:3: “If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, and
bind herself by a bond.…”
The Septuagint has
$
(“to wish”).
B. Noun.
(
$&
, 5088), “vow; votive offering.” This noun occurs 60 times in biblical
Hebrew and is often used in conjunction with the verb (19 times): “… Any of thy vows
which thou vowest …” (Deut. 12:17). Modern versions compress the noun and verb into
one idiom: “Or whatever you have vowed to give” (
NIV
), or give a technical usage to the
noun: “Or any of your votive offerings which you vow” (
RSV
)
The vow has two basic forms, the unconditional and the conditional. The
unconditional is an “oath” where someone binds himself without expecting anything in
return: “I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people” (Ps.
116:14). The obligation is binding upon the person who has made a “vow.” The word
spoken has the force of an oath which generally could not be broken: “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 [everything he said] " (Num. 30:2). The conditional “vow” generally
had a preceding clause before the oath giving the conditions which had to come to pass
before the “vow” became valid: “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with
me, and will [watch over me] … , so that I come again to my father’s house in peace;
then shall the Lord be my God … and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the
tenth unto thee” (Gen. 28:20-22).
“Vows” usually occurred in serious situations. Jacob needed the assurance of God’s
presence before setting out for Padan-aram (Gen. 28:20-22); Jephthah made a rash “vow”
before battle (Judg. 11:30; cf. Num. 21:1-3); Hannah greatly desired a child (1 Sam.
1:11), when she made a “vow.” Though conditional “vows” were often made out of
desperation, there is no question of the binding force of the “vow.” Ecclesiastes amplifies
the Old Testament teaching on “vowing”: “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not
to pay it.… Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not
pay.… Neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error” (5:4-6). First, “vow” is
always made to God. Even non-lsraelites made “vows” to Him (Jonah 1:16). Second, a
“vow” is made voluntarily. It is never associated with a life of piety or given the status of
religious requirement in the Old Testament. Third, a “vow” once made must be kept. One
cannot annul the “vow.” However, the Old Testament allows for “redeeming” the “vow”;
by payment of an equal amount in silver, a person, a field, or a house dedicated by “vow”
to the Lord could be redeemed (Lev. 27:1-25).
This practice, however, declined in Jesus’ time, and therefore the Talmud frowns
upon the practice of “vowing” and refers to those who vow as “sinners.”
:
signifies a kind of offering: “And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings,
and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and [contributions] of your hand, and your vows, and
your freewill offerings …” (Deut. 12:6). In particular the word represents a kind of peace
or “votive offering” (Ezra 7:16). It also is a kind of thank offering: “Behold upon the
mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! … Perform
thy vows …” (Nah. 1:15). Here even Gentiles expressed their thanks to God presumably