TRV
Translation
King James Version
When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
Complete Jewish Bible
"When you make a vow to ADONAI your God, you are not to delay in fulfilling it, for ADONAI your God will certainly demand it of you, and your failure to do so will be your sin
Berean Standard Bible
If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.
American Standard Version
When thou shalt vow a vow unto Jehovah thy God, thou shalt not be slack to pay it: for Jehovah thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
World English Bible Messianic
When you vow a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not be slack to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you.
Geneva Bible (1599)
When thou shalt vowe a vowe vnto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not be slacke to paye it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and so it should be sinne vnto thee.
Young's Literal Translation
`When thou vowest a vow to Jehovah thy God, thou dost not delay to complete it; for Jehovah thy God doth certainly require it from thee, and it hath been in thee--sin.
See also
In the KJVVerse 5,522 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Deuteronomy 23 verses 15–25
15 ¶ Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
16 He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.
17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:
20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
Orders are here given about five several things which have no relation one to another: -
I. The land of Israel is here made a sanctuary, or city of refuge, for servants that were wronged and abused by their masters, and fled thither for shelter from the neighbouring countries, Deu 23:15, Deu 23:16. We cannot suppose that they were hereby obliged to give entertainment to all the unprincipled men that ran from service; Israel needed not (as Rome at first did) to be thus peopled. But, 1. They must not deliver up the trembling servant to his enraged master, till upon trial it appeared that the servant has wronged his master and was justly liable to punishment. Note, It is an honourable thing to shelter and protect the weak, provided they be not wicked. God allows his people to patronise the oppressed. The angel bid Hagar return to her mistress, and Paul sent Onesimus back to his master Philemon, because they had neither of them any cause to go away, nor was either of them exposed to any danger in returning. But the servant here is supposed to escape, that is, to run for his life, to the people of Israel, of whom he had heard (as Benhadad of the kings of Israel, Kg1 20:31) that they were a merciful people, to save himself from the fury of a tyrant; and in that case to deliver him up is to throw a lamb into the mouth of a lion. 2. If it appeared that the servant was abused, they must not only protect him, but, supposing him willing to embrace their religion, they must give him all the encouragement that might be to settle among them. Care is taken both that he should not be imposed up on in the place of his settlement - let it be that which he shall choose and where it liketh him best, and that he should not exchange one hard master for many - thou shalt not oppress him. Thus would he soon find a comfortable difference between the land of Israel and other lands, and would choose it to be his rest for ever. Note, Proselytes and converts to the truth should be treated with particular tenderness, that they may have no temptation to return.
II. The land of Israel must be no shelter for the unclean; no whore, no Sodomite, must be suffered to live among them (Plm 1:17, Plm 1:18), neither a whore nor a whoremonger. No houses of uncleanness must be kept either by men or women. Here is, 1. A good reason intimated why there should be no such wickedness tolerated among them: they were Israelites. This seems to have an emphasis laid upon it. For a daughter of Israel to be a whore, or a son of Israel a whoremaster, is to reproach the stock they are come of, the people they belong to, and the God they worship. It is bad in any, but worst in Israelites, a holy nation, Sa2 13:12. 2. A just mark of displeasure put upon this wickedness, that the hire of a whore, that is, the money she gets by her whoring, and the price of a dog, that is, of the Sodomite, pimp, or whoremaster (so I incline to understand it, for such are called dogs, Rev 22:15), the money he gets by his lewd and villainous practices, no part of it shall be brought into the house of the Lord (as the hire of prostitutes among the Gentiles was into their temples) for any vow. This intimates, (1.) That God would not accept of any offering at all from such wicked people; they had nothing to bring an offering of but what they got by their wickedness, and therefore their sacrifice could not but be an abomination to the Lord, Pro 15:8. (2.) That they should not think, by making and paying vows, and bringing offerings to the Lord, to obtain leave to go on in this sin, as (it should seem) some that followed that trade suggested to themselves, when their offerings were admitted. Pro 7:14, Pro 7:15, This day have I paid my vows, therefore came I forth to meet thee. Nothing should be accepted in commutation of penance. (3.) That we cannot honour God with our substance unless it be honestly and honourably come by. It must not only be considered what we give, but how we got it; God hates robbery for burnt-offerings, and uncleanness too.
III. The matter of usury is here settled, Deu 23:19, Deu 23:20. (1.) They must not lend upon usury to an Israelite. They had and held their estates immediately from and under God, who, while he distinguished them from all other people, might have ordered, had he so pleased, that they should have all things in common among themselves; but instead of that, and in token of their joint interest in the good land he had given them, he only appointed them, as there was occasion, to lend to one another without interest, which among them would be little or no loss to the lender, because their land was so divided, their estates were so settled, and there was so little of merchandise among them, that it was seldom or never that they had occasion to borrow any great sums, only what was necessary for the subsistence of their families when the fruits of their ground had met with any disaster, or the like; and, in such a case, for a small matter to insist upon usury would have been very barbarous. Where the borrower gets, or hopes to get, it is just that the lender should share in the gain; but to him that borrows for his necessary food pity must be shown, and we must lend, hoping for nothing again, if we have wherewithal to do it, Luk 6:35. (2.) They might lend upon usury to a stranger, who was supposed to live by trade, and (as we say) by turning the penny, and therefore got by what he borrowed, and came among them in hopes to do so. By this it appears that usury is not in itself oppressive; for they must not oppress a stranger, and yet might exact usury from him.
IV. The performance of the vows wherewith we have bound our souls is here required; and it is a branch of the law of nature, Deu 23:21-23. (1.) We are here left at our liberty whether we will make vows or no: If thou shalt forbear to vow (some particular sacrifice and offering, more than was commanded by the law), it shall be no sin to thee. God had already signified his readiness to accept a free-will offering thus vowed, though it were but a little fine flour (Lev 2:4, etc.), which was encouragement enough to those who were so inclined. But lest the priests, who had the largest share of those vows and voluntary offerings, should sponge upon the people, by pressing it upon them as their duty to make such vows, beyond their ability and inclination, they are here expressly told that it should not be reckoned a sin in them if they did not make any such vows, as it would be if they omitted any of the sacrifices that God had particularly required. For (as bishop Patrick well expresses it) God would have men to be easy in his service, and all their offerings to be free and cheerful. (2.) We are here laid under the highest obligations, when we have made a vow, to perform it, and to perform it speedily: "Thou shalt not be slack to pay it, lest if it be delayed beyond the first opportunity the zeal abate, the vow be forgotten, or something happen to disable thee for the performance of it. That which has gone out of thy lips as a solemn and deliberate vow must not be recalled, but thou shalt keep and perform it, punctually and fully." The rule of the gospel goes somewhat further than this. Co2 9:7, Every one, according as he purposeth in his heart, though it have not gone out of his lips, so let him give. Here is a good reason why we should pay our vows, that if we do not God will require it of us, will surely and severely reckon with us, not only for lying, but for going about to mock him, who cannot be mocked. See Ecc 5:4.
V. Allowance is here given, when they passed through a cornfield or vineyard, to pluck and eat of the corn or grapes that grew by the road-side, whether it was done for necessity or delight, only they must carry none away with them, Deu 23:24, Deu 23:25. Therefore the disciples were not censured for plucking the ears of corn (it was well enough known that the law allowed it), but for doing it on the sabbath day, which the tradition of the elders had forbidden. Now, 1. This law intimated to them what great plenty of corn and wine they should have in Canaan, so much that a little would not be missed out of their fruits: they should have enough for themselves and all their friends. 2. It provided for the support of poor travellers, to relieve the fatigue of their journey, and teaches us to be kind to such. The Jews say, "This law was chiefly intended in favour of labourers, who were employed in gathering in their harvest and vintage; their mouths must not be muzzled any more than that of the ox when he treads out the corn." 3. It teaches us not to insist upon property in a small matter, of which it is easy to say, What is that between me and thee? It was true the grapes which the passenger ate were none of his own, nor did the proprietor give them to him; but the thing was of so small value that he had reason to think were he present, he would not deny them to him, anymore than he himself would grudge the like courtesy, and therefore it was no theft to take them. 4. It used them to hospitality, and teaches us to be ready to distribute, willing to communicate, and not to think every thing lost that is given away. Yet, 4. It forbids us to abuse the kindness of our friends, and to take the advantage of fair concessions to make unreasonable encroachments: we must not draw an ell from those that give but an inch. They may eat of their neighbour's grapes; but it does not therefore follow that they may carry away.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 15–25. Public domain.
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Ambrose of MilanAD 397
On Cain and Abel
A wish is a request for blessings from God with a promise to fulfill a duty. And so, when you obtain what you have asked for, it is ungrateful to delay the promise.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 23:21 delivers a profound divine command concerning the solemnity of vows made to the LORD, underscoring the absolute necessity of their prompt and faithful fulfillment. This verse articulates God's unwavering expectation of integrity from His covenant people, establishing that a vow is not a casual promise but a sacred obligation with eternal implications. Neglecting to honor such a commitment is not merely a lapse in diligence but a direct spiritual offense against God, explicitly declared as "sin."
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 23:21 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful and authoritative message. The most prominent is Legal Injunction, as the verse functions as a direct, authoritative command from God delivered through Moses, characteristic of the Deuteronomic law code. This is reinforced by the pervasive use of Imperative Mood ("thou shalt not slack"), which underscores the non-negotiable nature of the divine directive. The verse also skillfully utilizes Cause and Effect, establishing a clear logical progression: if a vow is made, then its payment must not be delayed, precisely because God will actively demand its fulfillment, and failure to comply will inevitably result in sin. The Pleonasm "vow a vow" (Hebrew: ki tidor neder) serves to emphasize the act of vowing itself, highlighting its profound significance and solemnity. Finally, the phrase "the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee" employs a mild form of Anthropomorphism, attributing human-like action (demanding payment or accountability) to God, thereby making His active involvement and the seriousness of His oversight more relatable and impactful for the Israelite audience.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 23:21 profoundly articulates the enduring biblical principle that words spoken, particularly those directed to God, carry immense weight and demand utmost integrity. It reflects God's own perfect faithfulness to His promises and His expectation that His covenant people will mirror His unwavering character. This passage underscores that our commitments are not merely human endeavors but are witnessed and upheld by a holy God who values truthfulness and honors His own word above all. It teaches that integrity in speech is foundational to a right relationship with God and that spiritual commitments are not to be taken lightly, for they bear eternal significance. The seriousness of a vow, even if voluntarily made, reveals the high standard of faithfulness God requires from those who claim to follow Him, emphasizing that our words are a reflection of our heart's posture toward the Divine.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 23:21 serves as a timeless and potent reminder for believers today about the profound importance of integrity in our commitments, especially those made to God. While formal vows might be less common in contemporary Christian practice than in ancient Israel, the underlying principle remains powerfully relevant. Any promise, pledge, or commitment made to God, whether explicit or implicit, in prayer, worship, or service, falls under the spirit of this divine command. This includes the solemn vows of marriage, the public declarations of faith at baptism or confirmation, ordination vows, or even personal resolutions to dedicate time, talent, or treasure to the Lord's work. This verse challenges us to cultivate a heart of careful deliberation before making any commitments and a spirit of diligent and prompt fulfillment once they are made. It calls us to live lives marked by consistent faithfulness, reflecting the unwavering character of our God, and reminds us that our words, especially those directed to Him, matter deeply and bear spiritual weight.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Are Christians required to make vows to God today?
Answer: No, Christians are not explicitly commanded to make vows in the New Testament. The emphasis shifts from formal, binding vows to a call for absolute truthfulness and integrity in all speech, whether a formal vow or an everyday statement. Jesus taught, "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Matthew 5:37). The New Testament encourages believers to live lives of such consistent honesty that formal oaths or vows become unnecessary. However, if a Christian chooses to make a vow or a solemn promise to God, then Deuteronomy 23:21's principle of prompt and faithful fulfillment certainly applies, as God still values integrity and commitment.
What if someone made a vow they now realize they cannot keep, or it was made rashly?
Answer: The Old Testament did provide certain provisions for unintentional sins or rash vows (e.g., Leviticus 5:4-6). While the New Testament doesn't detail a specific "vow-breaking" sacrifice, the overarching principle for any sin is confession, repentance, and seeking God's forgiveness through Christ (1 John 1:9). If a vow was made rashly or is genuinely impossible to keep without leading to further sin, the individual should confess this to God, repent of the rashness, and seek His grace and wisdom. The emphasis is on the heart's intention and integrity, and it is better to admit a mistake and seek forgiveness than to persist in a commitment that dishonors God or leads to further transgression.
How does this verse apply to modern church pledges or commitments, such as financial giving or membership covenants?
Answer: While not formal "vows" in the ancient sense, modern church pledges and membership covenants embody the spirit of Deuteronomy 23:21. When a believer commits to financially support the church, serve in a ministry, or uphold the responsibilities of church membership, these are solemn promises made before God and the community. The principle of integrity, promptness, and accountability remains paramount. Just as God "requires" the fulfillment of ancient vows, He expects His people to honor their word in contemporary commitments. These actions reflect a heart devoted to God and a commitment to the body of Christ, reinforcing the importance of sincerity and faithfulness in all our spiritual undertakings.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 23:21, with its stern command regarding the fulfillment of vows, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While humanity consistently struggles to keep its promises, often "slacking" or failing to pay, Jesus perfectly embodied the principle of absolute faithfulness to God's will. He did not make a vow in the Deuteronomic sense, yet His entire life was a living "vow" of perfect obedience to the Father's mission and plan. He declared, "I delight to do thy will, O my God" (Psalm 40:8, a prophecy fulfilled in Hebrews 10:7), demonstrating a prompt, unwavering, and complete commitment. The ultimate "vow" was God's covenant promise to redeem humanity, and Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, perfectly fulfilled every jot and tittle of that divine pledge through His sinless life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection. He is the "Amen, the faithful and true witness" (Revelation 3:14), the one in whom all of God's promises are "Yea, and in him Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). For believers, our ability to live with integrity and fulfill our commitments is not based on our own strength, which would inevitably lead to "sin in thee," but on the power of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to walk in Christ's faithfulness. Through Him, we are empowered to be people of our word, reflecting the character of the One who perfectly kept every divine and human obligation, securing our salvation and demonstrating the ultimate integrity.