Vow
A vow is a solemn promise made to God. Scripture treats vows as serious commitments that should not be made lightly and must be kept when lawfully made.
At a Glance
A vow is a solemn promise made to God. Scripture treats vows as serious commitments that should not be made lightly and must be kept when lawfully made.
Description
A vow is a solemn and voluntary promise made to God, usually expressing dedication, thanksgiving, or a request offered with a pledged response. In the Old Testament, vows appear in personal devotion, public worship, and special acts of consecration, and God’s people are warned not to speak hastily or fail to perform what they have promised. Scripture presents vows as serious because they are made before the Lord, yet it does not encourage careless or manipulative bargaining with God. In the New Testament, the emphasis falls strongly on truthful, straightforward speech and integrity, so the safest conclusion is that vows may be recognized as weighty commitments before God, but they should be approached with great caution and never treated casually.