A Summary (Numbers 30:13-16).
‘Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows, or all her bonds, which are on her: he has established them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.'
The whole position with regard to husband and wife was now summarised. On the day that he heard of his wife's vow, whether it was to perform something positive, or abstain from doing something, or to afflict herself in some way, he could make it void. But if from day to day he said nothing once he had heard of it, then it became binding. All such vows would be established. All such bonds would be binding. By holding his peace and saying nothing on the day that he heard of them he has firmly established them.
‘But if he shall make them null and void after that he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.'
This principle has been seen in two ways. Some see this as representing a case where the husband having said nothing on the day that he heard of the vow, decided later to rescind it. Had he rescinded it immediately there would have been no iniquity. But because he has rescinded it late he must pay any penalty required for failure to fulfil the vow. This rested on him as the head of the household because he had originally confirmed the vow by his silence.
But it seems more probable that this is simply a reminder that the husband must not rescind any vows made by his wife lightly. While the woman would be forgiven because it was at her husband's demand that the vow was rescinded, he himself was still to be held as accountable. He must bear the result of his decision. If his decision was wise and reasonable there would be no cost. If it was not then he was accountable to Yahweh. The responsibility had come on him.
‘These are the statutes, which Yahweh commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in her father's house.'
The chapter finishes with a summary of what the chapter was about. It may suggest that this chapter once stood alone as a written record with this as the colophon. But note that it does not mention vows (although it may have been filed under ‘vows'). The principle behind this chapter was of overall authority in a household and not just a matter of vows. It covers the situation between a man and his wife, and a father and his young unmarried daughters with regard to overall authority.