Are Single Ladies Bound to the Law of Their Father Until Marriage?
February 24th, 2010
This question has often been a subject of contention in families. While this writer firmly believes that the child’s duty of honoring his/her parents knows no age limitation, it is also my belief that certain Scriptures are wrested from their context in order justify a course of action.
The heart of the matter is. . .The point is a child is no longer bound by parental dictates. To understand this issue, we must examine the biblical text in Numbers 30:1-5Numbers 30:1-5
English: World English Bible - WEB
30
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.
WP-Bible plugin. This text is often used to support the belief that children, especially daughters, are bound by the parent until that daughter is married. The text is rendered in the following:
Numbers 30:1-5Numbers 30:1-5
English: World English Bible - WEB
30
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.
WP-Bible plugin
(1) And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.
(2) If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
(3) If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father’s house in her youth;
(4) And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
(5) But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
This text has often been the target of unbiblical eisegesis. Through the misrepresentation of this text, many parents have sought to maintain unbiblical control over their children that are of adult age and stature. Using verses three and four, the father often maintains that as long as his daughter is single, she is under his God-given authority and is, therefore, bound to follow his explicit will. However, it only takes a brief and accurate examination of the text to reveal the inaccuracy of such a position. The Scriptures do not indicate such authority Read the rest of this entry »








