God’s Word Translation
Numbers 30:2
2If a man makes a vow to the Lord that he will do something or swears an oath that he won’t do something, he must not break his word. He must do everything he said he would do.
Numbers 30:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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 according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
- New International Version (NIV)When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Context of Numbers 30:2
1Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded ⌞about vows⌟: If a man makes a vow to the Lord that he will do something or swears an oath that he won’t do something, he must not break his word. He must do everything he said he would do. 3“A young girl, who still lives in her father’s house, might make a vow to the Lord that she will do something or swear an oath that she won’t do something. 4If her father says nothing to her when he hears about it, her vow or oath must be kept.
Read all of Numbers 30Numbers 30:2 word by word
אִישׁ֩ כִּֽי־יִדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר לַֽיהוָ֗ה אֽוֹ־הִשָּׁ֤בַע שְׁבֻעָה֙ לֶאְסֹ֤ר אִסָּר֙ עַל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכָל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- vowנָדַרnâdar · to vowH5087
- a vowנֶ֫דֶרneder nêder · vowH5088
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- or swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- an oathשְׁבוּעָהshebû‛âh · oathH7621
- to bindאָסַר'âsar · to bindH631
- his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- with a bondאִסָּר'ĕsâr 'issâr · injunctionH632
- he shall not breakחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
- his wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- he shall doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- according to all that proceedethיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: speakH3318
- out of his mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
Cross-references for Numbers 30:2
- Numbers 21:2Then the Israelites made this vow to the Lord: “If you will hand these people over to us, we’ll destroy their cities because you’ve claimed them.”
- Genesis 28:20Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and will watch over me on my trip and give me food to eat and clothes to wear,
- Leviticus 27:2“Tell the Israelites: If any of you makes a special vow ⌞to give a person⌟ to the Lord, you may give money instead of the person.
- Deuteronomy 23:21If you make a vow to the Lord your God, don’t avoid keeping it. The Lord your God expects you to keep it. You would be guilty of a sin if you didn’t.
- Judges 11:11Jephthah went with them, and the people made him their leader and commander. So Jephthah went to Mizpah and repeated all these things in the presence of the Lord.
- Psalms 15:3The one who does not slander with his tongue, do evil to a friend, or bring disgrace on his neighbor.
- Psalms 56:12I am bound by my vows to you, O God. I will keep my vows by offering songs of thanksgiving to you.
- Psalms 76:11Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them. Let everyone around him bring gifts to the one who must be feared.
- Psalms 119:106I took an oath, and I will keep it. I took an oath to follow your regulations, which are based on your righteousness.
- Proverbs 20:25It is a trap for a person to say impulsively, “This is a holy offering!” and later to have second thoughts about those vows.
- Exodus 20:7“Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished.
- Leviticus 5:4“If you hastily take a vow about what you will or will not do (as some people do) and then ignore it (although you know what you said), you will be guilty.
- Matthew 5:33“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Never break your oath, but give to the Lord what you swore in an oath to give him.’
- Matthew 14:7he swore he would give her anything she wanted.
- Acts 23:12In the morning the Jews formed a conspiracy. They asked God to curse them if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul.
- 2 Corinthians 1:23I appeal to God as a witness on my behalf, that I stayed away from Corinth because I wanted to spare you.
Commentaries on Numbers 30:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2If a man vow a vow - A vow is a religious promise made to God. Vows were of several kinds: - Of abstinence or humiliation, see Numbers 30:13; Of the Nazarite, see Numbers 6; Of giving certain things or sacrifices to the Lord, Leviticus 7:16; Of alms given to the poor, see Deuteronomy 23:21. The law in this chapter must have been very useful, as it both prevented and annulled rash vows, and provided a proper sanction for the support and performance of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The “vow” was positive; the “bond” negative or restrictive. By a vow a man engaged to dedicate something to God, or to accomplish some work for Him: by a bond he debarred himself from some privilege or enjoyment. A vow involved an obligation to do: a bond, an obligation to forbear doing.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2Vows included promises to give offerings, like Hannah's vow in 1 Samuel 1. It included pledges to abstain from certain things, like the Nazirite vow in Numbers 6. Jesus mentioned the teachings about vows in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:33.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord--A mere secret purpose of the mind was not enough to constitute a vow; it had to be actually expressed in words; and though a purely voluntary act, yet when once the vow was made, the performance of it, like that of every other promise, became an indispensable duty--all the more because, referring to a sacred thing, it could not be neglected without the guilt of prevarication and unfaithfulness to God. he shall not…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 30:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 30
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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