After reading chapter 30:
*This chapter is about vows to Yahweh, or pledges and obligations. A man who makes a vow must keep it completely. A woman who makes a vow must keep it, unless her husband or father forbids it at any time, then it becomes nullified. However, if he nullifies her vow some time after it has been made, he is responsible for her guilt, as if that actually means anything.
* You may ask why a husband or father would want to nullify a vow made by a woman. My guess is because it affects him personally. A woman could vow never to marry, or to refrain from sex if married. She might vow to give away personal possessions or money that the man has an interest in. She might also vow to spend all her days in prayer, not attending to household matters. Notice that a woman can not nullify a husband's vow, which is no surprise, considering it was a patriarchical society.
No comments:
Post a Comment