Bilangan 30:2

30:2 If a man ¹  makes a vow ²  to the Lord or takes an oath ³  of binding obligation on himself, ⁴  he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised. ⁵ 

Ayub 19:19

19:19 All my closest friends ⁶  detest me;

and those whom ⁷  I love have turned against me. ⁸ 

Mazmur 55:21

55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, ⁹ 

but he harbors animosity in his heart. ¹⁰ 

His words seem softer than oil,

but they are really like sharp swords. ¹¹ 

¹ tn The legal construction states the class to which the law applies, and then lays down the condition: “men [man] – if….”

² tn The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative construction to express this: “a man if he vows a vow.”

³ tn The expression is “swear an oath” (הִשָּׁבַע שְׁבֻעָה, hishava’ shÿvu’ah). The vow (נֵדֶר, neder) was a promise to donate something of oneself or one’s substance to the Lord. The solemn oath seals the vow before the Lord, perhaps with sacrifice. The vocabulary recalls Abraham’s treaty with Abimelech and the naming of Beer Sheba with the word (see Gen 21).

⁴ tn The Hebrew text hasלֶאְסֹר אִסָּר (le’sor ’issar), meaning “to take a binding obligation.” This is usually interpreted to mean a negative vow, i.e., the person attempts to abstain from something that is otherwise permissible. It might involve fasting, or abstaining from marital sex, but it might also involve some goal to be achieved, and the abstaining from distractions until the vow is fulfilled (see Ps 132). The נֶדֶר (neder) may have been more for religious matters, and the אִסָּר more for social concerns, but this cannot be documented with certainty.

⁵ tn Heb “according to all that goes out of his mouth.”

⁶ tn Heb “men of my confidence,” or “men of my council,” i.e., intimate friends, confidants.

⁷ tn The pronoun זֶה (zeh) functions here in the place of a nominative (see GKC 447 §138.h).

⁸ tn T. Penar translates this “turn away from me” (“Job 19,19 in the Light of Ben Sira 6,11,” Bib 48 [1967]: 293-95).

⁹ tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhma’ot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhem’ah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (kholqu, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.

¹⁰ tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”

¹¹ tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”