Gen 18:27, 30, 32, 28:20, 22, Num 30:2-5, Judg 11:30, 1Sa 14:24-45 | ESV | STEP | Abraham answered and said , Behold , I have undertaken to speak to the Lord , I who am but dust and ashes .

30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

Genesis 18:32

32 Then he said, ^b“Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

Genesis 28:20

20 Then Jacob ^cmade a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,

Genesis 28:22

22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, ^dshall be God’s house. And ^eof all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

Numbers 30:2-5

2 ^fIf a man vows a vow to the Lord, or ^gswears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. ^hHe shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Women and Vows

3 “If a woman vows a vow to the Lord and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father’s house in her youth, 4 and her father hears of her vow and of her pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. 5 But if her father opposes her on the day that he hears of it, no vow of hers, no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. And the Lord will forgive her, because her father opposed her.

Judges 11:30

30 And Jephthah ⁱmade a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand,

1 Samuel 14:24-45

Saul’s Rash Vow

24 And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, ^jso Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food. 25 Now when all the people ^{▼▼Hebrew land} came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, ^lso he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were ^mfaint. 29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.”

31 They struck down the Philistines that day from ⁿMichmash to ^oAijalon. And the people were very ^pfaint. 32 The people ^qpounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them ^rwith the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating ^swith the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.” ^{▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew this day} 34 And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35 And Saul ^ubuilt an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But ^vthe priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37 And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” ^wBut he did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39 For ^xas the Lord lives who saves Israel, ^ythough it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.” 41 Therefore Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.” ^{▼▼Vulgate and Septuagint; Hebrew Therefore Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Give Thummim.”} ^aaAnd Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. 42 Then Saul said, ^ab“Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken.

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, ^ac“Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, ^ad“I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” 44 And Saul said, ^ae“God do so to me and more also; ^afyou shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45 Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! ^agAs the Lord lives, ^ahthere shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die.