Jacob’s Vow (Gen 28.20-22)
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, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you.
In the modern world (at least in the Western world) we do not offer many prayer vows. Many may not even know what a “prayer-vow” sounds like. Yet, there are many prayer vows in the Bible—two in Genesis.
Background
A vow is a special kind of prayer wherein the offerer makes a promise to do something. Rather than asking for something, thanking God for something, praising Him, or offering a confession, it says, “God, I will do this for you.” Prayer-vows do not only occur in ancient Judaism. Babylonians, Canaanites, Greeks, and Romans all offered prayer-vows. These usually asked a god or goddess for some benefit, and then pledged to do something in return, such as offering a sacrifice or giving money to a temple. There are several prayer-vows in Homer’s Iliad by Greek men pledging to Athena if she will give them victory in battle.1 The Roman Claudius Appius raised his hands to heaven and prayed, “Bellona, grant me the victory this day, and a temple shall be yours.”2 Often, an offering was made with the vow (called “votive” offerings).
Vows in the Old Testament are similar to these in form and function, though sometimes nothing is asked of God. A vow is a statement of intention. For example, a Nazarite vow is a special vow that one makes to refrain from cutting one’s hair, drinking wine, or being around unclean things for thirty days.3 Some prayer-vows seem positive and constructive; others seem selfish. For example, in 1 Samuel 1, Hannah makes a vow that if God will give her a son, she will dedicate him to God.4 That child becomes the great prophet and leader of Israel, Samuel. Yet the vow that Jephthah makes before a battle turns out to be a terrible mistake, because he made a rash promise to sacrifice the first thing that greeted him upon his return home. That “first thing” turned out to be his daughter.5
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