John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 23:22

"But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee." — Deuteronomy 23:22 (ASV)

But if thou shalt forbear to vow. He confirms what He said: that those who have broken their promises to Him would be guilty before God, because no necessity compelled them to promise. Consequently, their guilt was doubled, since they chose to sin instead when it was their choice not to vow. Thus Peter, rebuking the faithlessness of Ananias and Sapphira, says,³¹⁴

“Who hath compelled you to lie to the Holy Ghost? was not the field your own, which you might have retained? but now to defraud God of part of the price, is impious hypocrisy.” (Acts 5:4)

Meanwhile, God indirectly instills sobriety in vowing when He releases them from it as a duty, as if He had reminded them that there was no reason why they should incur guilt by idly promising what He does not require. And surely, nothing is wiser than to be very sparing of vows, since those who rush into them inconsiderately either soon repent of them, or else pay them in a servile manner, as if it were a task to which they are driven by force, and not without annoyance and disgust, thus destroying the grace of the act. As to the words, “that which is gone out of thy lips,” they do not refer to the ceremony on which the Jews, as usual, too unscrupulously insist; but by them, He places a restraint on vowing, to which we are by nature all too inclined. Hence it is said in Psalm 66:13-14,

“I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings; I will pay these my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble;”

Although the Prophet intimates that in his dire straits he had always retained his composure and presence of mind, so as expressly to implore God’s help and to manifest his constancy and confidence by making vows, still it is signified at the same time that he did not precipitately utter empty words, but spoke with serious reflection. And indeed, since the tongue of many is too voluble and outruns their heart, the main obligation of vows is not to be sought in the act of their utterance; but, to make them truly complete, a mutual agreement is required between the heart and tongue.

The same expression will often occur again; and its repetition shows that it is meant to remove the scruples of the weak, lest³¹⁵ as soon as any desire to vow has entered their minds, they should imagine that it imposes a religious obligation. We know that among heathen nations, in the solemn dedication of their temples, a priest was appointed who should³¹⁶ first recite the words, by which ceremony they were reminded that nothing is duly offered to God unless He Himself should dictate it, as it were. I grant that this reason was given little consideration by them; nevertheless, by their example, God would condemn all levity or inconsiderate fervor in sacred offerings.

³¹⁴ It will be seen that C. paraphrases, and does not quote literally the words of St. Peter.. paraphrases, and does not quote literally the words of St. Peter.

³¹⁵ “Afin qu’ils ne se forgent point un remors de conscience, si tost qu’il leur sera renu en fantaste de vouer;” lest they should conceive a remorse of conscience, as soon as they shall have taken a fancy to make a vow. —;” lest they should conceive a remorse of conscience, as soon as they shall have taken a fancy to make a vow. — Fr.

³¹⁶ “Pour dicter, et suggerer les mots;” to dictate and suggest the words. “;” to dictate and suggest the words. “Mos erat, ut in exsecrationibus, et devotionibus, in foederibus, in dedicationibus, in votis, juramentis et aliis hujusmodi, certa verba adhiberentur (quod carmen dicebatur) a quibus ne minimum quidem licebat discedere. Itaque ne quo in verbo peccaretur, praesto erat pontilex, aut sacerdos, qui vel memoriter, vel de scripto dictabat, quae dicenda erant. Liv. 8:9; 31:17; Val. Max. 4:1, 10,” etc. — Facciolati in voce Praeco