Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.
Every vow of a wife may be established by her husband, or her husband may make it void. This covers every binding oath by a married woman to afflict herself, including through self-denial. The surrounding chapter sets out this authority within the husband-wife relationship and identifies the circumstances in which a vow may be made void.
Applied to a specific case, a wife who cooks swine's flesh for her husband at his request is not counted guilty, since her action is governed by her husband's direction under this principle. This use of the verse addresses the wife's responsibility. It does not teach that eating swine's flesh is harmless or that the food laws no longer matter.
Every vow of a wife may be established by her husband, or her husband may make it void. This covers every binding oath by a married woman to afflict herself, including through self-denial. The surrounding chapter sets out this authority within the husband-wife relationship and identifies the circumstances in which a vow may be made void.
Applied to a specific case, a wife who cooks swine's flesh for her husband at his request is not counted guilty, since her action is governed by her husband's direction under this principle. This use of the verse addresses the wife's responsibility. It does not teach that eating swine's flesh is harmless or that the food laws no longer matter.