Vows.

From: The New Topical Textbook By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 11

Solemn promises to God. Psa. 76:11¹¹Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. (Psalm 76:11).

WERE MADE IN REFERENCE TO

Devoting the person to God. Num. 6:2²Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: (Numbers 6:2).

Dedicating children to God. 1 Sam. 1:11¹¹And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. (1 Samuel 1:11).

Devoting property to God. Gen. 28:22²²And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. (Genesis 28:22).

Offering sacrifices. Lev. 7:16¹⁶But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten: (Leviticus 7:16). Lev. 22:18, 22¹⁸Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the Lord for a burnt offering; (Leviticus 22:18)
²²Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord. (Leviticus 22:22). Num. 15:3³And will make an offering by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savor unto the Lord, of the herd, or of the flock: (Numbers 15:3).

Afflicting the soul. Num. 30:13¹³Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. (Numbers 30:13).

To be voluntary. Deut. 23:21, 22²¹When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. ²²But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. (Deuteronomy 23:21‑22).

To be performed faithfully. Num. 30:2²If 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. (Numbers 30:2).

To be performed without delay. Deut. 23:21, 23²¹When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. (Deuteronomy 23:21)
²³That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. (Deuteronomy 23:23).

Danger of inconsiderately making. Prov. 20:25²⁵It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry. (Proverbs 20:25).

Of children void without consent of parents. Num. 30:3-5³If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth; ⁴And 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. ⁵But 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. (Numbers 30:3‑5).

Of married women void without consent of husbands. Num. 30:6-8, 10-13⁶And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; ⁷And 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. ⁸But 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. (Numbers 30:6‑8)
¹⁰And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath; ¹¹And 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. ¹²But 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. ¹³Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. (Numbers 30:10‑13).

Of widows and women divorced from their husbands binding. Num. 30:9⁹But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her. (Numbers 30:9).

Of wives, could only be objected to at the time of making. Num. 30:14, 15¹⁴But 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. ¹⁵But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity. (Numbers 30:14‑15).

Might be redeemed by paying a suitable compensation. Ley. 27:1-8, 11-23.

Clean beasts the subjects of, not to be redeemed. Lev. 27:9, 10⁹And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the Lord, all that any man giveth of such unto the Lord shall be holy. ¹⁰He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy. (Leviticus 27:9‑10).

RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE

Of Jacob. Gen. 28:20-22²⁰And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, ²¹So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: ²²And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. (Genesis 28:20‑22). Gen. 31:13¹³I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. (Genesis 31:13).

Of Israelites. Num. 21:2²And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. (Numbers 21:2).

Of Jephthah. Judg. 11:30, 31³⁰And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, ³¹Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. (Judges 11:30‑31).

Of Hannah. 1 Sam. 1:11¹¹And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. (1 Samuel 1:11).

Of Elkanah. 1 Sam. 1:21²¹And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. (1 Samuel 1:21).

Of David. Psa. 132:2-5²How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; ³Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; ⁴I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, ⁵Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. (Psalm 132:2‑5).

Of mariners who cast out Jonah. Jonah 1:16¹⁶Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. (Jonah 1:16).

Of Jonah. Jonah 2:9⁹But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. (Jonah 2:9).

Of Lemuel's mother. Prov. 31:1, 2¹The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. ²What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? (Proverbs 31:1‑2).

Of Paul. Acts 18:18¹⁸And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. (Acts 18:18).

Of certain Jews with Paul. Acts 21:23, 24, 26²³Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; ²⁴Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. (Acts 21:23‑24)
²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. (Acts 21:26).

All things dedicated by, to be brought to the tabernacle. Deu. 12:6, 11, 17, 18, 26.

Of things corrupt or blemished an insult to God. Lev. 22:23²³Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. (Leviticus 22:23). Mal. 1:14¹⁴But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. (Malachi 1:14).

The hire of a prostitute or price of a dog could not be the subject of. Deut. 23:18¹⁸Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God. (Deuteronomy 23:18).

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