THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Cyril emphasizes the importance of honoring our commitments to God, urging those who have made promises to fulfill them promptly. He expresses concern that neglecting to meet these vows is both fearful and perilous, a sentiment supported by Scripture. If we rightly perceive it as dishonorable to be labeled a liar, how can it not be shameful to make declarations before God and later violate those promises? Therefore, the law condemns anyone who has made a vow and failed to act on it, and holds them accountable even if they have not fulfilled it at all. However, it offers leniency to those who are without possessions and are under the authority of others.
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The book of Numbers states: “And Moses spake unto the chiefs of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, This is what the Lord hath commanded: if a man make a vow unto the Lord, or swear by an oath, having put a vow upon his soul, he shall not break his word, but shall fulfil all that came out of his mouth. If a woman shall make a vow unto the Lord, and put a vow upon herself in her father's house, in her youth, and her father shall hear her vow, and the vow which she hath put upon her soul, and her father shall be silent concerning it, then all her vows shall take place, and every vow which she hath put upon her soul shall take place; but if her father, when he hears, forbid her, all her vows and her vows which she hath put upon her soul shall not come to pass, and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father hath forbidden her” (Num. 30:2-6). Similarly, if a married woman has made a vow, the same regulations apply (Num. 30:7-9).