John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes , etc.] Or the princes of them, who could more easily be convened, and who used to meet on certain occasions, and on whom it lay to see various laws put in execution: concerning the children of Israel ; how they ought to conduct and behave in the following case, it being an affair which concerned them all: saying, this is the thing which the Lord hath commanded ; relating to vows.
Aben Ezra is of opinion that this was delivered after the battle with Midian, of which there is an account in the following chapter, and is occasioned by what was said, to the tribes of Gad and Reuben, ( Numbers 32:24,25) do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth ; to which they replied, thy servants will do as my lord commandeth ; upon which the nature of a vow, and the manner of keeping it, are observed; but the occasion of it rather seems to be what is said towards the close of the foregoing chapter, ( Numbers 29:39), that the various sacrifices there directed were to be offered in their season, besides the vows and freewill offerings; and when these were ratified and confirmed, and when null and void, and to be fulfilled or neglected, is the principal business of this chapter.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1, 2 - No man can be bound by his own promise to do what he is already, by the Divine precept, forbidden to do. In other matters the command is, tha he shall not break his words, through he may change his mind.
Original Hebrew וידבר1696 משׁה4872 אל413 ראשׁי7218 המטות4294 לבני1121 ישׂראל3478 לאמר559 זה2088 הדבר1697 אשׁר834 צוה6680 יהוה׃3068
