VOPHSI (vOph'si), (Heb. vof-see', addi tional), father of the Nahbi who represented the tribe of Naphtali in the exploration of Canaan (Num. xiii:i4), B. C. before VOW (you), (Heb. naw'dar, promise), is represented by a Hebrew word which signifies to ' promise,' and may therefore be defined as a religious undertaking, either (1) positive, to do or perform; (2) or negative, to abstain from doing or performing a certain thing.
The morality of vows we shall not here discuss, but merely remark that vows were quite in place in a system of religion which so largely con sisted of doing or not doing certain outward acts, with a view of pleasing Jehovah and gaining his favor. The Israelite, who had been taught by performances of daily recurrence to consider par ticular ceremonies as essential to his possessing the divide favor, may easily have been led to the conviction which existed probably in the primitive ages of the world. that voluntary oblations and self-imposed sacrifices had a special value in the sight of God. And when once this conviction had led to corresponding practice, it could not be otherwise than of the highest consequence that these sacred promises, which in sanctity differed little from oaths, should be religiously and scrupu lously observed. • (1) A Guard Against Impending Evil. Vows which rest on a human view of religious obligations, assuming as they do that a kind of recompense is to be made to God for good en joyed, or consideration offered for good deside rated, or a gratuity presented to buy off an im pending or threatened ill, are found in existence in the antiquities of all nations, and present them selves in the earliest Biblical periods (Gen. xxviii: 20 ; Judg. xi:3o, 35; I Sam. i:it ; 2 Sam. xv:8). With great propriety the performance of these voluntary undertakings was accounted a highly religious duty (Judg. xi:35; Eccles. v:4, 5). The words of the last vow are too emphatic, and in the present day too important, not to be cited: 'Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay' (comp. Ps.
lxvi :13. sq.; lxxvi :it ; cxvi :18) . The views which guided the Mosaic legislation were not dis similar to those just expounded. Like a wise lawgiver, Moses, in this and in other particulars, did not attempt to sunder the line of continuity between the past and the present. He found vows in practice; he aimed to regulate what it would have been folly to try to root out (Deut. xxiii: 21, sq.). The words in the 22d verse are clearly in agreement with our remarks: 'If thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.' (2) Vows of Devotion. In vows of devotion a man might devote to sacred uses possessions or persons, but not the firstborn either of man or beast, which was devoted already (Lev. xxvii: 26). Land might either be redeemed or not (Lev. xxv, xxvii). Animals fit for sacrifice, if devoted, could not be redeemed or changed (Lev. xxvii :9, to, 33). A man might devote himself, his child (not the firstborn), or his slave. If no redemp tion took place, the devoted person became a slave of the sanctuary (2 Sam. xv:8). Other wise he might be redeemed according to the scale given in Lev. xxvii :1-7.
(3) General Vows. Vows of Abstinence, see CORBAN. VOWS of Extermination, see ANATH EMA. (Ezra x :8 ; Micah iv :13.) It seems that the practice of shaving the head at th‘2 expira tion of a votive period was not limited to the Nazaritic vow (Acts xviii :18, xxi :24). Vows were entirely voluntary, but once made were re garded as compulsory (Num. xxx :2; Deut. xxiii : 21; Eccles. v:4). If persons in a dependent condi tion made a vow, it was void, if disallowed by the one supporting the but if they heard without disallowance, it was to remain good (Num. xxx:3-15). Votive offerings aris ing from the gain in any impure traffic were wholly forbidden (Deut. xxiii :18). (See OATH.) J. R. B.