Numbers 30:9

Num 30:9. Widow or divorced — Though she be in her father’s house, whither such persons often returned.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

THE VOW OF THE WIDOW AND OF THE DIVORCED WIFE, Num_30:9.

Such a vow must be paid, because both the widow and the divorced wife are free from the law of the husband and the father also. According to the rabbins, marriage to a second husband before the vow is performed has no effect upon the vow. It is not in his power to make it void.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30:9 A widow or a divorced woman usually returned to her father’s family (Lev 22:13), but a mature single woman who made a vow or pledge was required to fulfill her religious duties.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For she is in subjection to her husband, and can perform nothing without his consent.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

every vow of a widow--In the case of a married woman, who, in the event of a separation from her husband, or of his death, returned, as was not uncommon, to her father's house, a doubt might have been entertained whether she was not, as before, subject to paternal jurisdiction and obliged to act with the paternal consent. The law ordained that the vow was binding if it had been made in her husband's lifetime, and he, on being made aware of it, had not interposed his veto [Num 30:10-11]; as, for instance, she might have vowed, when not a widow, that she would assign a portion of her income to pious and charitable uses, of which she might repent when actually a widow; but by this statute she was required to fulfil the obligation, provided her circumstances enabled her to redeem the pledge. The rules laid down must have been exceedingly useful for the prevention or cancelling of rash vows, as well as for giving a proper sanction to such as were legitimate in their nature, and made in a devout, reflecting spirit.

Next: Numbers Chapter 31

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

But every vow of a widow,.... The Scripture speaks, as Jarchi says, of a widow from marriage, or that has been married, but a widow from espousals (or that has been only espoused), the husband dead, the power is transmitted, and returns to the father; and with respect to such a case, it is said in the Misnah (y)"if the father (of such a betrothed person) dies, the power is not transmitted to the husband; but if the husband dies, the power is transmitted to the father; in this case, greater is the power of a father than of an husband; in others, greater is the power of an husband than of a father, because an husband makes void (the vow of) one at age, but a father does not make void (the vow of) such an one:"

and of her that is divorced: from her husband on some account or another; now in each of these cases, the one being loosed from the law of her husband by death, and the other by a bill of divorce, if they vowed:

the vows wherewith they have bound their souls shall stand against her; against either of them, they having none over them to disapprove of, contradict, and make void their vows.

(y) Nedarim, c. 10. sect. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Though she be in her father’s house, whither such persons oft returned; which limitation may be gathered both from the opposition of her being

in her husband’s house, Num 30:10, and from hence, that this was the only doubtful cast for if such a person was not in her father’s house, she was unquestionably bound by it, but being now freed from her husband, and returned to her father, it was doubtful whether she was not returned to the same state of subjection in which she was before, and consequently unable to make or perform a vow without her father’s consent, as she was before, which is here denied.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced. This is not one of the cases treated of in this section (see verse 16), but is only mentioned in order to point out that it falls under the general principle laid down in verse 2.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Widow or divorced - Though she be in her father's house, whither such persons often returned.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Moses continues telling the leaders of the tribes what Yahweh has commanded.

a divorced woman

This can be stated in active form. AT: "a woman who has been divorced by a man" (See: Active or Passive)

by which she has bound herself

Here Moses speaks of how a woman has committed herself to fulfilling a promise as if her promise were a physical object that she had bound to her body. AT: "which she has committed herself to fulfill" (See: Metaphor)

will remain in force against her

This is an idiom. It means that her vows will remain in effect and she will be required to fulfill them. See how you translated a similar phrase in Numbers 30:4. AT: "she will be obligated to fulfill" (See: Idiom)

If a woman made a vow in her husband's house

This refers to a married woman. You can make the meaning of this statement clear. AT: "If a married woman makes a vow" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

then all her vows must stand ... remain in force

This is an idiom. The phrase "remain in force" means that her vows will remain in effect and she will be required to fulfill them. See how you translated a similar phrase in Numbers 30:4. AT: "then she must fulfill all her vows ... she must fulfill" (See: Idiom)

all her vows must stand ... the obligations she made must remain in force

These two statements say basically the same thing twice for emphasis and can be combined. AT: "then all of her vows and promises with which she has made must remain in force" (See: Parallelism)

translationWords

divorce

oath

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

והפר את נדרה AND HE (THE HUSBAND) ANNULS HER VOW — One might think that since confirmation by the husband does not require the assent of the father, in the case mentioned here it is annulled even if the father has not annulled it! It, however, states, (v. 17): "[These are the laws … relating to a father with his daughter] בנעריה בית אביה" which means: so long as she is בנעריה (not fully married) she is under her father’s control (Sifrei Bamidbar 155; Ketuvot 46b).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.