It is a snare to the man who devours that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
It is a snare to the man who devours that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is holy, And after vows to make inquiry.
It is a danger to a man to say without thought, It is holy, and, after taking his oaths, to be questioning if it is necessary to keep them.
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.
It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.
It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.
Who devoureth that which is holy - It is a sin to take that which belongs to God, his worship, or his work, and devote it to one's own use.
And after vows to make inquiry - That is, if a man be inwardly making a rash vow, the fitness or unfitness, the necessity, expediency, and propriety of the thing should be first carefully considered. But how foolish to make the vow first, and afterwards to inquire whether it was right in the sight of God to do it! This equally condemns all rash and inconsiderate conduct. My old MS. Bible translates, Falling is of men often to vowen to seyntis, and after, the vouw is agen brawen. Is it possible that Wiclif could have translated this verse thus? as it strongly countenances vows to and invocations of saints.
Better, It is a snare to a man to utter a vow (of consecration) rashly, and after vows to inquire whether he can fulfill them. Both clauses are a protest against the besetting sin of rash and hasty vows. Compare the marginal reference.
20:25 A snare - It brings guilt upon him. After - After a man has made vows to enquire for ways to break them.