Essay for Deuteronomy 23:22
כִּֽי־תִדֹּ֥ר נֶ֙דֶר֙ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תְאַחֵ֖ר לְשַׁלְּמ֑וֹ כִּֽי־דָּרֹ֨שׁ יִדְרְשֶׁ֜נּוּ יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ וְהָיָ֥ה בְךָ֖ חֵֽטְא׃
When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not be slack to pay it; for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it will be sin in thee.
The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox
The issue of taking vows is treated extensively in the book of Numbers (cf. Chaps. 6 and 30), and was of major concern in the religious life of ancient Israel as an opportunity to make a more personal contribution to religious practice. The law also demonstrates the significance of the spoken word (through the use of “lips” and “mouth”), common to ancient societies and to many later ones as well.
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