Numbers 30:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

when a man makes a vow to ADONAI or formally obligates himself by swearing an oath, he is not to break his word but is to do everything he said he would do.

Berean Standard Bible:

If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised.

American Standard Version:

When a man voweth a vow unto Jehovah, or sweareth 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.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

If a man^{H376} vow^{H5087} a vow^{H5088} unto the LORD^{H3068}, or swear^{H7650} an oath^{H7621} to bind^{H631} his soul^{H5315} with a bond^{H632}; he shall not break^{H2490} his word^{H1697}, he shall do^{H6213} according to all that proceedeth^{H3318} out of his mouth^{H6310}.

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Numbers 30:2

**Themes:**
- **Integrity and Truthfulness:** The verse emphasizes the importance of honesty and reliability in one's speech, particularly when making promises or commitments to God.
- **Personal Responsibility:** It underscores the personal accountability one has to fulfill their vows and oaths, suggesting that a person's word is a binding commitment.
- **Religious Commitment:** The verse reflects the gravity of religious vows and the expectation that individuals must follow through with their religious obligations.

**Historical Context:**
- **Late Bronze Age:** Numbers 30:2 is set within the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, which is traditionally dated to the Late Bronze Age (circa 1550–1200 BCE).
- **Mosaic Law:** This verse is part of the Mosaic Law, a body of laws and rituals given by God to Moses for the people of Israel. It reflects the legal and religious codes that governed the Israelite community.
- **Covenantal Relationship:** The emphasis on fulfilling vows and oaths is tied to the covenantal relationship between God and Israel. Keeping one's word was not only a matter of personal integrity but also a reflection of one's commitment to the covenant with God.
- **Gender and Social Structure:** The broader chapter of Numbers 30 deals with vows made by women, indicating the patriarchal social structure of the time, where a woman's vows could be annulled by her father or husband. The verse itself, however, speaks generally to the male population, reflecting the societal norms regarding gender roles and responsibilities.

In summary, Numbers 30:2 reflects the themes of integrity, personal responsibility, and religious commitment within the historical context of the Mosaic Law and the covenantal relationship between God and the Israelites in the Late Bronze Age, with attention to the patriarchal structure of Israelite society.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H376
   There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אִישׁ
   Transliteration: ʼîysh
   Pronunciation: eesh
   Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
   
2. Strong's Number: H5087
   There are 28 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָדַר
   Transliteration: nâdar
   Pronunciation: naw-dar'
   Description: a primitive root; to promise (pos., to do or give something to God); (make a) vow.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5088
   There are 57 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נֶדֶר
   Transliteration: neder
   Pronunciation: neh'-der
   Description: or נֵדֶר; from נָדַר; a promise (to God); also (concretely) a thing promised; vow(-ed).
   
4. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
5. Strong's Number: H7650
   There are 175 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁבַע
   Transliteration: shâbaʻ
   Pronunciation: shaw-bah'
   Description: a primitive root; properly to be complete, but used only as a denominative from שֶׁבַע; to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times); adjure, charge (by an oath, with an oath), feed to the full (by mistake for שָׂבַע), take an oath, [idiom] straitly, (cause to, make to) swear.
   
6. Strong's Number: H7621
   There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שְׁבוּעָה
   Transliteration: shᵉbûwʻâh
   Pronunciation: sheb-oo-aw'
   Description: feminine passive participle of שָׁבַע; properly, something sworn, i.e. an oath; curse, oath, [idiom] sworn.
   
7. Strong's Number: H631
   There are 565 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָסַר
   Transliteration: ʼâçar
   Pronunciation: aw-sar'
   Description: a primitive root; to yoke or hitch; by analogy, to fasten in any sense, to join battle; bind, fast, gird, harness, hold, keep, make ready, order, prepare, prison(-er), put in bonds, set in array, tie.
   
8. Strong's Number: H5315
   There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
   Transliteration: nephesh
   Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
   Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it.
   
9. Strong's Number: H632
   There are 99 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱסָר
   Transliteration: ʼĕçâr
   Pronunciation: es-sawr'
   Description: or אִסָּר; from אָסַר; an obligation or vow (of abstinence); binding, bond.
   
10. Strong's Number: H2490
    There are 131 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חָלַל
    Transliteration: châlal
    Pronunciation: khaw-lal'
    Description: a primitive root (compare חָלָה); also denominative (from חָלִיל); properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute); begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound.
    
11. Strong's Number: H1697
    There are 1290 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: דָּבָר
    Transliteration: dâbâr
    Pronunciation: daw-baw'
    Description: from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work.
    
12. Strong's Number: H6213
    There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עָשָׂה
    Transliteration: ʻâsâh
    Pronunciation: aw-saw'
    Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.
    
13. Strong's Number: H3318
    There are 992 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָצָא
    Transliteration: yâtsâʼ
    Pronunciation: yaw-tsaw'
    Description: a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.; [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter.
    
14. Strong's Number: H6310
    There are 460 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: פֶּה
    Transliteration: peh
    Pronunciation: peh
    Description: from פָּאָה; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to; accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, tenor, [idiom] to, [phrase] two-edged, wish, word.