Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush #– #men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.’
and the men of Israel were worn out that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath: ‘The man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies is cursed.’ So none of the troops tasted any food.
Making a vow, she pleaded, ‘Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.’ ,
When a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to put himself under an obligation, he must not break his word; he must do whatever he has promised.
When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, ‘No! Not my daughter! You have devastated me! You have brought great misery on me. I have given my word to the Lord and cannot take it back.’
Instead, we will do everything we promised: we will burn incense to the queen of heaven and offer drink offerings to her just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our officials did in Judah’s cities and in Jerusalem’s streets. Then we had enough food, we were well off, and we saw no disaster,
But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.