| |
Vows
|
vou ('iccar, nedher)
RELATED: Oath |
|
|
|
|
|
Easton's Bible Dictionary
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
( Genesis
28:18 - 22
; Leviticus
7:16 ; Numbers
30:2 - 13
; Deuteronomy
23:18 ; Judges
11:30 , 11:39
; 1
Samuel 1:11 ; Jonah
1:16 ; Acts
18:18 ;
21:23 ).
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
(no entry)
Smith's Bible Dictionary
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 Leviticus 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 fathers 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. ( Deuteronomy 23:18 ) |
(2) For vows of abstinence,
see CORBAN.
(3) For vows of extermination and ANATHEMA
( 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 )
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
vou (nedher; euche; 'iccar, found only in Numbers 30:6
, 8 , 10 and translated horismos, by the Septuagint:
A vow could be positive (nedher) and included all promises to perform certain
things for, or bring certain offerings to, God, in return for certain benefits
which were hoped for at His hand (Jacob in Genesis 28:20 - 22 ; Leviticus 27:2
, 8 ; Numbers 30 ; Jephthah in Judges 11:30 ; Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:11 ; Absalom
in 2 Samual 15:8 ; vows of heathen in Jonah 1:16); or negative ('iccar), and included
promises by which a person bound himself or herself to abstain from certain things
(Numbers 30:3). Nowhere in the Old Testament do we find the making of vows regarded
as a religious duty (Deuteronomy 23:22), but the fulfilling of a vow was considered
as a sacred and binding duty (Deuteronomy 23:21 - 23 ; Judges 11:35 ; Ecclesiastes
5:4 ; compare Psalms 22:25 ; 66:13 ; 76:11 ; 116:18). A vow was as binding as
an oath (see OATH) and therefore to be kept to the letter; and it was not to be
lightly made (Proverbs 20:25). A father could veto a daughter's vow, and a husband
a wife's. If a husband did not veto a wife's vow, and then caused her to break
it, the sin was his and not hers (Numbers 30, passim). It seems that vows were
considered binding only when actually uttered (Deuteronomy 23:23). Persons, including
one's self, animals, land and other possessions, could be vowed, but all these
could be redeemed with money (see JEPHTHAH), which money was to be estimated by
the priest, except in the case of a clean animal. In the case of land, houses
and unclean animals a fifth part of the estimated value was to be added to make
up the redemption money. In the case of land the sum was greater or smaller as
the coming year of Jubilee was far off or near (Leviticus 27, passim). Nothing
which was by nature holy could be made the object of a vow, e.g. firstlings, tithes,
etc. (Leviticus 27:26 , 28 , 30); and, on the other hand, an abomination, e.g.
the hire of a prostitute, could not be made the object of a vow (Deuteronomy 23:18).
In Malachi 1:14 the offering of what was of less value than what had been vowed
is vigorously condemned.
In the New Testament Jesus refers to vows only to condemn the abuse of them (Matthew
15:4 - 6 ; Mark 7:10 - 13; compare Talmud, Nedharim, and see CORBAN). In Acts
18:18 (compare Acts 21:23 , 24) Paul desires to show his Jewish brethren that
he is willing to keep the forms of Jewish piety so long as they do not clash with
his Christian conscience (compare 1 Corinthians 9:21). For the vow of the Nazirite,
see NAZIRITE.
Paul Levertoff
Tags:
bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, define, horismos, 'iccar, nedher, oath, promise, vows
Comments:
|
 |
|
