A general rule, vows must be performed, ver. 1 - 3.
Particular exceptions, of the vow of a daughter,
not allowed by the father, ver. 3 - 5.
And the vow of a wife, not allowed by her husband, 6 - 16.
5: In the days - Speedily, or without delay, allowing only convenient
time for deliberation. And it is hereby intimated, that the day or time he
had for disallowing her vow, was not to be reckoned from her vowing, but
from his knowledge of her vow. The Lord shall forgive - Or, will
forgive her not performing it. But this should be understood only of
vows which could not be performed without invading the father's right; for
if one should vow to forbear such, or such a sin, and all occasions or means
leading to it, and to perform such, or such duties, when he had opportunity,
no father can discharge him from such vows. If this law does not extend to
children's marrying without the parent's consent, so far as to put it in the
power of the parent, to disannul the marriage, (which some think it does)
yet certainly it proves the sinfulness of such marriages, and obliges those
children to repent and humble themselves before God and their parents.
9: Widow or divorced - Though she be in her father's house, whither
such persons often returned.
10: If she vowed - If she that now a widow, or divorced, made that
vow while her husband lived with her; as suppose she then vowed, that if
she was a widow, she would give such a proportion of her estate to pious or
charitable uses, of which vow she might repent when she came to be a widow,
and might believe or repented she was free from it, because that vow was
made in her husband's lifetime; this is granted, in case her husband then
disallowed it; but denied, in case by silence, or otherwise he consented
to it.
13: To afflict her soul - Herself by fasting, by watching, or the
like. And these words are added to shew that the husband had this power
not only in those vows which concerned himself or his estate, but also in
those which might seem only to concern her own person, or body, and the
reason is, because the wife's person or body being the husband's right;
she might not do any thing to the injury of her body without his consent.
15: After he hath heard - And approved them by his silence from day
to day, if after that time he shall hinder it, which he ought not to do:
her non - performance of her vow shall be imputed to him, not to her.
