- a singular vow:
- A vow is a religious promise made to God, for the most part with prayer, and paid with thanksgiving. Vows were either of abstinence ("And the LORDª spakeª° unto¹ Moses,ª saying,ª° ... And they shall putª°¹ my nameª upon¹ the childrenª of Israel;ª and I¹ will blessª° them." {Num 6:1-27} and "And Mosesª spakeª° unto¹ the headsª of the tribesª concerning the childrenª of Israel,ª saying,ª° This¹ [is] the thingª which¹ the LORDª hath commanded.ª° ... These¹ [are] the statutes,ª which¹ the LORDª commandedª°¹ Moses,ª between¹ a manª and his wife,ª between¹ the fatherª and his daughter,ª [being yet] in her youthª in her father'sª house.ª" {Num 30:1-16}), or the devoting of something to the Lord, as sacrifices ("But if¹ the sacrificeª of his offeringª [be] a vow,ª or¹ a voluntary offering,ª it shall be eatenª° the same dayª that he offerethª°¹ his sacrifice:ª and on the morrowª¹ also the remainderª° of¹ it shall be eaten:ª°" {Lev 7:16}), or the value of persons, beasts, houses, or lands, concerning which the law is here given. A man might vow or devote himself, his children, his domestics, his cattle, his goods, etc.; and respecting the redemption of all these, rules are laid down in this chapter. But if, after consecrating these things, he refused to redeem them, they then became the Lord's property forever. The persons continued all their lives devoted to the sanctuary, the goods were sold for the profit of the temple, or the priests; and the animals, if clean, were offered in sacrifice; and if not proper for sacrifice, were sold, and the proceeds devoted to sacred uses. This is a general view of the different laws relative to vows, mentioned in this chapter. "When¹ thou vowestª° a vowª unto God,ª deferª° not¹ to payª° it; for¹ [he hath] no¹ pleasureª in fools:ª payª°¹ that which¹ thou hast vowed.ª° ... Betterª [is it] that¹ thou shouldest not¹ vow,ª° than that thou shouldest vowª°¹¹ and not¹ pay.ª°" {Ecc 5:4-5}
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