Rash Oath תִשָּׁבַע֩ לְבַטֵּ֨א

We are in chapter five of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. תִשָּׁבַע֩ לְבַטֵּ֨א rash oath, rash vow, swear thoughtlessly. It is used 2 times in the Old Testament, both in our chapter. Let’s look at those. Leviticus 5:4 If anyone utters with his lips a תִשָּׁבַע֩ לְבַטֵּ֨א rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of יְבַטֵּ֧א rash בִּשְׁבֻעָ֖ה oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt. We also see one of the words in our phrase used with a different word for rash. Numbers 30:6-8 If she marries a husband, while under וּנְדָרֶ֖יהָ her vows or any מִבְטָ֣א thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself, and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day that he hears, then נְדָרֶ֗יהָ her vows shall stand, and her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. But if, on the day that her husband comes to hear of it, he opposes her, then he makes void נִדְרָהּ֙ her vow that was on her, and the מִבְטָ֣א thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself. And the Lord will forgive her. Here are a couple of examples of this same concept using different words. Saul and Jephthah take rash oaths. 1 Samuel 14:24-30 And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul וַיֹּאֶל֩ 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. Now when all the people came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. 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. But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so 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. 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 faint. Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 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.” Saul’s thoughtless vow pressed or as the NIV says distressed his people because they fought without food. But our next example has an evil outcome. Judges 11:30-35 And Jephthah made a וַיִּדַּ֨ר vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands … Thus Israel subdued Ammon. When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.” This example illustrates how the nations around God’s people influenced them because of their child sacrifices. Because God has always been against such evil practices. It also emphasizes why not being thoughtless or rash in making a vow or taking an oath. I’ll close with this proverb which uses different words but has the same thoughts as our phrase. Proverbs 20:25 It is a snare to say יָ֣לַע rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after נְדָרִ֣ים making vows.