Numbers 30:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Regarding widows and widowers, He provides specific guidelines, wisely asserting that their vows must be honored without exception. He consistently admonishes those who are free and outside the bonds of marriage if they refuse to uphold their commitments. However, He justly allows those who find themselves in vulnerable positions, under the authority of others, to be treated differently. In such instances, the guardians—namely, the father and the husband—who have consented to the vows of those under their care are deemed unjust if they fail to uphold their promises. Should they refuse to grant this consent, He decrees the forgiveness of sins, for what is dedicated to God must arise from free will rather than coercion (Num. 30:10-17).