Leviticus 27:33

33 The owner is not to inquire whether the animal is good or bad, and he cannot exchange it; if he does exchange it, both it and the one he substituted for it will be holy; it cannot be redeemed.'"

Leviticus 27:33 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 27:33

He shall not search whether it be good or bad
In a good or bad state of health, fat or lean, perfect or blemished, but take it as it is, be it what it will:

neither shall he change it;
neither for the better nor the worse, no alteration was to be made, but the beast was to be taken as it came:

and if he change it at all, then both it and the change shall be holy;
be sacred to the Lord, and for his use and service; this was done to restrain men from making any alteration, since if they did, both the one and the other were taken from them; yea, were to be beaten with forty stripes, save one ^F2; whether this change was of the herd with the flock, or of the flock with the herd; or of lambs with goats, or goats with lambs; or of males with females, or of females with males; or of perfect with blemished ones, or of blemished ones with perfect ones:

it shall not be redeemed;
from whence the Jews ^F3 gather, that a tithe beast was not to be bought and sold, whether blemished or unblemished.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Misnah Temurah, c. 1. sect. 1, 2.
F3 Maimon. Hilchot Becorot, c. 6. sect. 5, 6.

Leviticus 27:33 In-Context

31 If someone wants to redeem any of his tenth, he must add to it one-fifth.

32 "'All the tenth from the herd or the flock, whatever passes under the shepherd's crook, the tenth one will be holy to ADONAI.

33 The owner is not to inquire whether the animal is good or bad, and he cannot exchange it; if he does exchange it, both it and the one he substituted for it will be holy; it cannot be redeemed.'"

34 These are the mitzvot which ADONAI gave to Moshe for the people of Isra'el on Mount Sinai.