Wives and Daughters Rights: Reading Numbers 30 Today
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Upon first reading Numbers 30 can be seen as very problematic for many modern, North American readers, especially if there is any sensitivity to the rights and roles of women. Before rejecting this passage as hopelessly antiquated with no relevance for the North American Church in 2018, let’s do the interpretive work necessary to determine the original meaning and determine how the timeless principles addressed in the passage might apply today. I wrote a blog about Old Testament interpretive principles a few weeks ago which you can read here.
Keeping Vows to God is Very Important
The passage starts by pointing out that God takes vows taken by men very seriously (Numbers 30:1-2). On the first reading, I doubt that anyone would have a serious objection to God saying that men should keep their vows to God. An objection may arise on one’s second reading of the passage, after reading all the restrictions on whether or not a vow is to be kept on a woman. More on that in a moment. Widows fall into the same category as men. If they make a vow, they are obligated to keep it (Numbers 30:9).
According to Numbers 30:3-5 vows are to be kept by unmarried women unless their fathers objected when they first heard about the oath they have made to God. If their father objects immediately, the daughter is absolved from all guilt for not keeping the oath.
In Numbers 30:6-8, an unmarried woman is to keep her vows, but if she marries and her husband objects to the vow, she is no longer under obligation to keep that vow. She is absolved of all guilt before God for not keeping her oath. In both cases, if the father or husband does not object immediately, he is considered to have given his tacit consent. If he objects at a later time, he is considered guilty of breaking the vow and bears the guilt himself (Numbers 30:13-15).
Why restrict vows for females?
To modern readers, this seems unfair and oppressive to women. This is where an understanding of the culture in which Numbers was written is of paramount importance. The book of Numbers was written to a thoroughly patriarchal society. Women were truly second-class citizens. They were likely viewed as the property of their fathers or husbands. Sexual assault does not seem to have been known as a possibility. Men could divorce their wives for almost any reason, but the reverse is not true. Despite these examples of misogyny and oppression, women were also seen as valuable contributors to society. There were protections in place for female slaves. They were included in the worship of God (Exodus 15:20-21). Despite the latter examples, women’s legal status and rights were very restricted. Daughters and wives were unable to take any action that jeopardized the economic well-being of their family (e.g. marriage dowry). Hence, if a female took a vow that was perceived to be detrimental to their faither or husband, the father or husband could nullify it as the head of the household.
While vestiges of patriarchy are still prevalent in modern society in the U.S., women have much more legal and economic freedom today compared to women at the time of the writing of Numbers. For instance, women are able to enter into legal contracts without the consent of fathers or husbands. A direct application of the restrictions given in Numbers 30, unfiltered through any interpretative framework, is utterly inconceivable in our culture.
In addition to the cultural considerations, there are also other biblical passages that indicate that women have equal standing with men. Because of space, I won’t make a full argument for the role of women in the Christian community. I will let one verse bear the weight of the argument. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Is Numbers 30 relevant today?
While most contemporary, North American readers find the misogyny espoused in Numbers 30 (and many other Old Testament passages) objectionable, there are several principles that can be drawn from this passage that are still quite relevant for today.
First, it seems obvious that God takes vow- or oath-keeping very seriously. In fact, it is so serious that Jesus said its better to not to take and oath than to leave that oath unfulfilled (Matthew 5:33-37). If we make vows to God, then we need to be very conscientious in our fulfilment of that vow.
Second, before making a vow, we should seriously consider how that vow might affect other people, especially our families. In North America, decision-making criteria is frequently directed toward the individual level. We tend to think that the most important factor in making any decision is how it affects us as an individual. This passage should give us pause in our decision-making process. We need to include the possible effects our decision will have on others in our decision-making rubric.
Third, those who have legitimate authority over others, such as parents, who have the ability to “override” another person’s decision, need to use clearly articulated, biblical principles for justifying such a commitment of another person. For example, if a child wants to engage in a regular sporting activity during a scheduled worship time, such as Sunday morning (typically), the parent could justify disallowing such a commitment based on the Scriptural importance of fellowship with other believers and the worship of God, especially if there are no other options available for fellowship and worship.
Conclusion
Women in North America are no longer subject to the authority of their fathers or husbands based on their gender. However, all of us who claim the name of Christ are to “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ (Ephesians 5:21).” As Christians, even though we live in a different time, location, and culture, we can extract principles from Numbers 30 that show us the way to live like Christ today.
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I use the New International Version Application Commentary (along with several others) every week in preparing for sermons and Bible studies. It is unique among my commentaries in that it is focused not only on the text itself, but also points toward potential applications of the text. Here is the commentary on Leviticus and Numbers from that series. I highly recommend this volume and this set. It is rigorous in scholarship, yet is also accessible to anyone who wants to take their study of Scripture to the next level.
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