Vows

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

VOWS . In common with most peoples of the ancient world, the making of vows was of frequent occurrence among the Israelites. The underlying idea in making a vow was to propitiate the Deity; this was done either by promising to do something for Him, or to please Him by the exercise of self-denial. Vows were made from a variety of motives: Jacob vows a vow according to which he will please Jahweh by becoming His worshipper, on condition that Jahweh will keep him safe during his journey and give him food and raiment (  Genesis 28:20-22 ). Jephthah vows to offer to Jahweh the first person he sees coming out of his house on his return from battle, provided he is victorious (  Judges 11:30-31 ). Hannah vows that if Jahweh gives her a son, she will dedicate him to the service of God (  1 Samuel 1:11 ). These cases are typical: in each something is promised to God, on condition that God will do something for him who makes the vow. But there was another class of vows which were of a more disinterested character; the most striking here would be the Nazirite vow, according to which a man undertook to lead a strenuously austere life, which was supposed to approximate to the simple life of the patriarchs; that was done out of protest against the current mode of life, which had been largely adopted from the Canaanites; indeed, the Nazirite vow implied, and was intended to be, a life of greater loyalty to Jahweh.

There are two words in Hebrew for a vow though they do not necessarily correspond to the two ideas just mentioned: neder , which is a vow whereby a man dedicates something, even himself, to God; ’issar , a vow by which a man binds himself to abstain from enjoyment, or to exercise self-denial, in honour of Jahweh.

Vows were clearly of very common occurrence in Israel, indeed it would almost seem as though at one time it was deemed generally incumbent on men to make vows; this would, at all events, explain the words in  Deuteronomy 23:22 , ‘But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.’ A vow having once been made had to be kept at all costs (  Deuteronomy 23:21;   Deuteronomy 23:23 ,   Numbers 30:2 ,   Judges 11:35 ); though, as regards women, they might be absolved by father or husband, under certain conditions, from fulfilling a vow (  Numbers 30:1-8 ). From the expression used in connexion with the making of a vow, ‘to bind the soul’ (  Numbers 30:2 ), it would seem that the idea was that if the vow was broken the life was forfeited to the Deity to whom the vow had been made; the warning, therefore, of   Proverbs 20:25 ,   Exodus 5:5 (4), needed.

In making a vow in which something was promised to Jahweh, only such things could be promised as were truly the property of him who vowed; for this reason a man might not promise a firstling or the like, as that was already the property of Jahweh (cf.  Leviticus 27:26-29 ).

In later times the spirit in which vows were observed appears to have degenerated; Malachi speaks sternly of those who make a vow, and in fulfilling it sacrifice unto the Lord ‘a blemished thing’ ( Malachi 1:14 ). Another, and still worse, misuse of vows meets us in the Gospels: the spurious piety of some men induced them to vow gifts to the use of the sanctuary, but they neglected, in consequence, the most obvious duties of natural affection; when a man uttered the word ‘ Corban ’ in reference to any possession of his, it meant that it was dedicated to God. Money that should have gone to the support of aged parents was pronounced to be ‘Corban,’ the son felt himself relieved of all further responsibility regarding his parents, and took honour to himself for having piously dedicated his substance to God (see   Matthew 15:5 ,   Mark 7:9 ff.).

W. O. E. Oesterley.

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

VOWS. —A vow ( votum , εὐχή) is a promise made to God (‘promissio Deo facta,’ Thom. Aquin. ii. ii. Q. 88). It is a perfectly natural, and indeed inevitable, expression of religious feeling wherever there is a conception of a personal God with whom men come into any kind of relationship. Thus vows form part of the great pre-Christian and non-Christian religious systems. They are of two kinds: (1) vows made in hope of receiving some desired good, or of delivery from some special danger; and (2) vows of devotion made in expectation of attaining closer relationship with God. In the OT we have examples of (1) in  Genesis 28:22;  Genesis 28:22,  Judges 11:30,  1 Samuel 1:11. Such vows may involve the dedication to God of a person, an animal, a field, a house or other property. Accurate laws were made for the regulating of such vows and the defining of persons competent to make them (Leviticus 27,  Numbers 30:1 ff.). Of (2) the Nazirite vow taken for life ( Judges 16:17) or for a fixed period ( Numbers 6:13) is an example.

In our Lord’s teaching there is only one mention of vows ( Matthew 15:4 ff. ||  Mark 7:10 ff.). Here He rebukes in the severest manner the making of vows which interfere with the simple and obvious duties of man to man, and, as may be gathered from the Rabbinical teaching on Corban, hypocritical vows which were not meant to be kept. He says nothing about the making and keeping of justifiable and proper vows. It is therefore in accordance with a natural religious instinct and with the assumption of the rightness of making vows which underlies our Lord’s rebuke of the Pharisaical abuse of them, that the Church subsequently imposed vows upon candidates for baptism. The baptismal vow is in reality a dedication of the whole person to God, and is in harmony with the general spirit of the gospel as well as with the Apostolic teaching ( Romans 5:11;  Romans 12:1-2,  1 Corinthians 7:16-17). The various monastic vows were supposed to be analogous to the OT Nazirite vow, and were regarded as means of attaining specially close communion with God.

Literature.—Robertson Smith, RS [Note: S Religion of the Semites.] 2 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] , 1894; Rothe, Theol. Ethik , vol. iii. [1848]; Zockler, Krit. Gesch. der Askese  ; Daab, Die Zulässigkeit der Gelübden , 1896; Ramsay, ‘Greek of Early Church and Pagan Ritual’ in ExpT [Note: xpT Expository Times.] x. (1899) 13.

J. O. Hannay.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Vows. 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;  Genesis 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; Leviticus 27.

(b) Animals fit for sacrifice, if devoted, were not to be redeemed or changed,  Leviticus 27:9-10;  Leviticus 27:33, 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;  Deuteronomy 23:21;  Ecclesiastes 5:4.

(2) If persons in a dependent condition made vows as

(a) an unmarried daughter living in her father's 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, 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 Destruction or Extermination , See Anathema and  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;  Acts 21:24.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

The Israelites were not told to make vows, but if they voluntarily made them, God said they must conscientiously perform them. Man is ever ready to boast of his strength, not being conscious of his own weakness. Israel, on hearing the law, did not hesitate to say, "all that the Lord hath said we will do;" but they alas, miserably failed. The law made vows binding, and gave directions as to exceptional cases where it was impossible to perform them.  Numbers 30:2-14;  Deuteronomy 23:21-23;  Psalm 1:14;  Ecclesiastes 5:4,5;  Nahum 1:15; etc.

The only instances of vows in the N.T. are those of Paul (or Aquila, as some judge) at Cenchrea, which is shrouded in mystery, and the four men at Jerusalem.  Acts 18:18;  Acts 21:23 . These were probably the vows of Nazariteship, by the head being shaven. According to the law the final shaving must be at the tabernacle or temple.  Numbers 6:18 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 28 1822-22 Leviticus 7:16 Numbers 30:2-13 Deuteronomy 23:18 Judges 11:30,39 1 Samuel 1:11 Jonah 1:16 Acts 18:18 21:23

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 28:20 Numbers 21:2 Judges 11:30 Numbers 6:1 Acts 18:18

Scott Langston