Deuteronomy 23 · Verse 21

Deuteronomy 23:21

When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
Deuteronomy 23:21, King James Version

Deuteronomy 23:21 in other translations

BSBIf you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.
WEBWhen you vow a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not be slack to pay it, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you.
ASVWhen thou shalt vow a vow unto Jehovah thy God, thou shalt not be slack to pay it: for Jehovah thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
YLT‘When thou vowest a vow to Jehovah thy God, thou dost not delay to complete it; for Jehovah thy God doth certainly require it from thee, and it hath been in thee--sin.
DARBYWhen thou vowest a vow to Jehovah thy God, thou shalt not delay to perform it; for Jehovah thy God will certainly require it of thee, and it shall be sin in thee.
BBEWhen you take an oath to the Lord, do not be slow to give effect to it: for without doubt the Lord your God will make you responsible, and will put it to your account as sin.
WebsterWhen thou shalt vow a vow to the LORD thy God, thou shalt not defer to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

What does Deuteronomy 23:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 23:21-22
21-22. When thou shalt vow a vow--(See on Nu 30:2).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 When thou shalt vow, etc. - See on Num 30:2 (note), etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 23:15-25

It is honourable to shelter and protect the weak, provided they are not wicked. Proselytes and converts to the truth, should be treated with particular tenderness, that they may have no temptation to return to the world. We cannot honour God with our substance, unless it be honestly and honourably come by. It must not only be considered what we give, but how we got it. Where the borrower gets, or hopes to get, it is…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 23:15-25 →

Deuteronomy 23:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּֽי\־ki-ifH3588
תִדֹּ֥רti.Doryou will vowH5087
נֶ֙דֶר֙ne.dera vowH5088
לַיהוָ֣הla.Yah.wehto YahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
תְאַחֵ֖רte.'a.Cheryou will delayH309
לְשַׁלְּמ֑וֹle.sha.le.Moto pay itH7999
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
דָּרֹ֨שׁda.Roshcertainly <to require>H1875
יִדְרְשֶׁ֜נּוּyid.re.She.nuhe will require itH1875
יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְme.'i.Makhfrom with <the> youH5973
וְהָיָ֥הve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
בְךָ֖ve.Khaon <the> you
חֵֽטְא\׃Chet'sinH2399

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 23:21

  • Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

    When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

  • Psalms 66:13-14

    I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

  • Psalms 116:18

    I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people,

  • Psalms 56:12

    Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

  • Numbers 30:1-16

    And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father’s house in her youth; And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. …

  • Psalms 76:11

    Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

  • Jonah 1:16

    Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

  • Leviticus 27:2-34

    Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the Lord by thy estimation. And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels. And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. …

  • Genesis 35:1-3

    And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth–el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Beth–el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

  • Genesis 28:20

    And Jacob vowed 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 raiment to put on,

  • Deuteronomy 23:18

    Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

  • Matthew 5:33

    Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
18; Ge 28:20; 35:1-3; Le 27:2-34; Nu 30:2-16; Ps 56:12; 66:13,14
Ps 76:11; 116:18; Ec 5:4,5; Jon 1:16; 2:9; Na 1:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 23:20

    Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

  • Deuteronomy 23:21

    When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

  • Deuteronomy 23:22

    But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

Read all of Deuteronomy 23

Deuteronomy 23:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Cuando prometieres voto á Jehová tu Dios, no tardarás en pagarlo; porque ciertamente lo demandará Jehová tu Dios de ti, y habría en ti pecado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Tu prendras un intérêt de l’étranger, mais de ton frère tu ne prendras pas d’intérêt; afin que l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, te bénisse en tout ce à quoi tu mets la main, dans le pays où tu entres pour le posséder.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn du Jehova, deinem Gott, ein Gelübde tust, so sollst du nicht zögern, es zu bezahlen; denn Jehova, dein Gott, wird es gewißlich von dir fordern, und es wird Sünde an dir sein.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cum votum voveris Domino Deo tuo, non tardabis reddere: quia requiret illud Dominus Deus tuus, et si moratus fueris, reputabitur tibi in peccatum.