Bible Strands
Numbers 30:9
Every vow a widow or divorced woman pledges to fulfill is binding on her.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The passage records divine instruction given to Israel concerning the administration of vows. It addresses women living without a husband's authority, establishing that their personal commitments remain under their own jurisdiction.
The words — נֵדֶר (neder) denotes a formal vow, and אָסְרָה (asar) means she has bound. The syntax links the vow directly to the woman's own self, indicating personal obligation.
The thread — Luke 2:37 notes a widow's lifelong temple devotion. Romans 7:2 states a married woman is legally bound to her husband until his death. Leviticus 21:7 prohibits priests from marrying divorced women. Each text addresses marital or widow status without discussing vow liability.
Why it lands — The text establishes that women without a husband's authority remain fully responsible for their own religious commitments. It requires readers to acknowledge personal accountability in vows when no marital override applies.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.
Cross-references
- Luke 2:37 and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
- Romans 7:2 For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.
- Leviticus 21:7 A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.