What does the Bible say about vows?

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The Bible teaches that vows are solemn promises made before God and must be spoken truthfully, undertaken carefully, and faithfully fulfilled. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 and Deuteronomy 23:21-23 warn that it is better not to vow than to make a promise and delay or refuse to perform it. Numbers 30 shows that God takes such commitments seriously and provides orderly instruction for them. Jesus and James call believers to simple, reliable speech, so that our yes is yes and our no is no, without careless oath-making. Christians should therefore avoid rash pledges, seek God’s help to keep lawful promises, and remember that all obedience rests on God’s grace in Christ.

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Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 5:4-6
[4] When you vow a vow to God, don't defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow. [5] It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay. [6] Don't allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don't protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
Numbers 30:2
When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
James 5:12
But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no," "no;" so that you don't fall into hypocrisy.
Deuteronomy 23:21-23
[21] When you shall vow a vow to Yahweh your God, you shall not be slack to pay it: for Yahweh your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you. [22] But if you shall forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in you. [23] That which is gone out of your lips you shall observe and do; according as you have vowed to Yahweh your God, a freewill-offering, which you have promised with your mouth.
Numbers 30:1-16
[1] Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded. [2] When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. [3] Also when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth, [4] and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father holds his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. [5] But if her father disallow her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand: and Yahweh will forgive her, because her father disallowed her. [6] If she be [married] to a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul, [7] and her husband hear it, and hold his peace at her in the day that he hears it; then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. [8] But if her husband disallow her in the day that he hears it, then he shall make void her vow which is on her, and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul: and Yahweh will forgive her. [9] But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, [even] everything with which she has bound her soul, shall stand against her. [10] If she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, [11] and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and didn't disallow her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. [12] But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband has made them void; and Yahweh will forgive her. [13] Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. [14] But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows, or all her bonds, which are on her: he has established them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them. [15] But if he shall make them null and void after that he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity. [16] These are the statutes, which Yahweh commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in her father's house.
Matthew 5:33-37
[33] "Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,' [34] but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; [35] nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. [36] Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black. [37] But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'no.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
Job 22:27
You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows.
Psalms 76:11
Make vows to Yahweh your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.
Psalms 61:8
So I will sing praise to your name forever, That I may fulfill my vows daily.
Proverbs 20:25
It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, Then later to consider his vows.

Study outline

Curated topical outlines from classic public-domain study works.

Nave's Topical Bible

Mosaic laws concerning Leviticus 23:37; Leviticus 23:38; Numbers 29:39
Must be voluntary, see below
Must be performed, see below
Estimation of the redemption price of things offered in vows, to be made by the priest, according to age and sex of the person making the offering Leviticus 27:1-13
The redemption price of the offering of real estate, to be valued by the priest Leviticus 27:14; Leviticus 27:15
Of a field Leviticus 27:16-25
Edible things offered in, to be eaten the same day they were offered Leviticus 7:16-18
Things offered in, to be brought to the tabernacle or temple Deuteronomy 12:6; Deuteronomy 12:11; Deuteronomy 12:17; Deuteronomy 12:18; Deuteronomy 12:26
Belonged to the priests Numbers 18:14
Rash
By Jephthah, in consecration of his daughter as a sacrafice, if his campaign against the Ammonites were successful Judges 11:29-40
The Israelites, to destroy the Benjamites Judges 21:5; Judges 21:6
Things forbidden to be offered in: Receipts of the whore and the price of a “dog” (male prostitute of a pagan shrine) Deuteronomy 23:18
A minor, of himself Mark 7:11-13
UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO Genesis 28:20; Genesis 28:21; Genesis 31:13; Leviticus 5:4-13; Leviticus 22:18-25; Numbers 15:2-16; Numbers 30:1-16; Deuteronomy 23:18; Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Job 22:27; Psalms 22:25; Psalms 50:14
See CONTRACT
See COVENANT
INSTANCES OF
Of Jacob, see above Genesis 28:20-22
Of the mother of Micah, in the dedication of silver for the making of an idol Judges 17:2; Judges 17:3
Of Hannah, to consecrate to the Lord the child for which she prayed 1 Samuel 1:11
Of Elkanah 1 Samuel 1:21
Of Absalom 2 Samuel 15:7; 2 Samuel 15:8
Of Job, not to entertain thoughts of fornication Job 31:1
Of David Psalms 132:2
Of Ananias and Sapphira, in the dedication of the proceeds of the sale of their land Acts 5:1-11
Of the Jews, to kill Paul Acts 23:12-15
Of Jephthah, and of the Israelites
See RASH VOWS, above
See NAZARITE

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

Solemn promises made to God Psalms 76:11
Were made in reference to
Devoting the person to God Numbers 6:2
Dedicating children to God 1 Samuel 1:11
Devoting property to God Genesis 28:22
Offering sacrifices Leviticus 7:16; Leviticus 22:18; Numbers 15:3
Afflicting the soul Numbers 30:13
To be voluntary Deuteronomy 23:21; Deuteronomy 23:22
To be performed faithfully Numbers 30:2
To be performed without delay Deuteronomy 23:21; Deuteronomy 23:23
Danger of inconsiderately making Proverbs 20:25
Of children void without the consent of parents Numbers 30:3-5
Of married women void without consent of husbands Numbers 30:6-8; Numbers 30:10-13
Of widows and women divorced from their husbands binding Numbers 30:9
Of wives, could only be objected to at the time of making Numbers 30:14; Numbers 30:15
Might be redeemed by paying a suitable compensation Leviticus 27:1-8; Leviticus 27:11-23
Clean beasts the subjects of, not to be redeemed Leviticus 27:9; Leviticus 27:10
Recorded in scripture
Of Jacob Genesis 28:20-22; Genesis 31:13
Of Israelites Numbers 21:2
Of Jephthah Judges 11:30; Judges 11:31
Of Hannah 1 Samuel 1:1
Of Elkanah 1 Samuel 1:24
Of David Psalms 132:2-5
Of mariners who cast out Jonah Jonah 1:16
Of Jonah Jonah 2:9
Of Lemuel’s mother Proverbs 31:1; Proverbs 31:2
Of Paul Acts 18:18
Of certain Jews with Paul Acts 21:23; Acts 21:24; Acts 21:26
All things dedicated by, to be brought to the tabernacle Deuteronomy 12:6; Deuteronomy 12:11; Deuteronomy 12:17; Deuteronomy 12:18; Deuteronomy 12:26
Of things corrupt or blemished an insult to God Leviticus 22:23; Malachi 1:14
The hire of a prostitute or price of a dog could not be the subject of Deuteronomy 23:18

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