Leviticus 27

1 ADONAI said to Moshe,

2 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'If someone makes a clearly defined vow to ADONAI to give him an amount equal to the value of a human being,

3 the value you are to assign to a man between the ages of twenty and sixty years is to be fifty shekels of silver [one-and-a-quarter pounds], with the sanctuary shekel being the standard,

4 if a woman, thirty shekels.

5 If it is a child five to twenty years old, assign a value of twenty shekels for a boy and ten for a girl;

6 if a baby one month to five years of age, five shekels for a boy and three for a girl;

7 if a person past sixty, fifteen shekels for a man and ten for a woman.

8 If the person is too poor to be evaluated, set him before the cohen, who will assign him a value in keeping with the means of the person who made the vow.

9 "'If the vow is for the value of an animal of the kind used when people bring an offering to ADONAI, all that a person gives of such animals to ADONAI will be holy.

10 He is not to exchange or replace it by substituting a good animal for a bad one or vice versa; if he does make such a substitution, both the original animal and the one replacing it will be holy.

11 If the animal is an unclean one, such as may not be used in an offering to ADONAI, he must set it before the cohen;

12 and the cohen is to set a value on it in relation to its good and bad points; the value set by you the cohen will stand.

13 But if the person making the vow wishes to redeem the animal, he must add one-fifth to your valuation.

14 "'When a person consecrates his house to be holy for ADONAI, the cohen is to set a value on it in relation to its good and bad points; the value set by the cohen will stand.

15 If the consecrator wishes to redeem his house, he must add one-fifth to the value you have set on it; and it will revert to him.

16 "'If a person consecrates to ADONAI part of a field belonging to his tribe's possession, you are to value it according to its production, with five bushels of barley being valued at fifty shekels of silver [one-and-a-quarter pounds].

17 If he consecrates his field during the year of yovel, this valuation will stand.

18 But if he consecrates his field after the yovel, then the cohen is to calculate the price according to the years remaining till the next yovel, with a corresponding reduction from your valuation.

19 If the one consecrating the field wishes to redeem it, he must add one-fifth to your valuation, and the field will be set aside to revert to him.

20 If the seller does not wish to redeem the field, or if [the treasurer for the cohanim] has already sold the field to someone else, it can no longer be redeemed.

21 But when the purchaser has to vacate the field in the yovel, it will become holy to ADONAI, like a field unconditionally consecrated; it will belong to the cohanim.

22 "'If he consecrates to ADONAI a field which he has bought, a field which is not part of his tribe's possession,

23 then the cohen is to calculate its value according to the years remaining until the year of yovel; and the man will on that same day pay this amount; since it is holy to ADONAI.

24 In the year of yovel the field will revert to the person from whom it was bought, that is, to the person to whose tribal possession it belongs.

25 "'All your valuations are to be according to the sanctuary shekel [two-fifths of an ounce], twenty gerahs to the shekel.

26 "'However, the firstborn among animals, since it is already born as a firstborn for ADONAI, no one can consecrate -neither ox nor sheep -since it belongs to ADONAI already.

27 But if it is an unclean animal, he may redeem it at the price at which you value it and add one-fifth; or if he does not redeem it, it is to be sold at the price at which you value it.

28 However, nothing consecrated unconditionally which a person may consecrate to ADONAI out of all he owns - person, animal or field he possesses -is to be sold or redeemed; because everything consecrated unconditionally is especially holy to ADONAI.

29 No person who has been sentenced to die, and thus unconditionally consecrated, can be redeemed; he must be put to death.

30 "'All the tenth given from the land, whether from planted seed or fruit from trees, belongs to ADONAI; it is holy to ADONAI.

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.

Leviticus 27 Commentary

Chapter 27

The law concerning vows, Of persons and animals. (1-13) Vows concerning houses and land. (14-25) Devoted things not to be redeemed. (26-33) Conclusion. (34)

Verses 1-13 Zeal for the service of God disposed the Israelites, on some occasions, to dedicate themselves or their children to the service of the Lord, in his house for life. Some persons who thus dedicated themselves might be employed as assistants; in general they were to be redeemed for a value. It is good to be zealously affected and liberally disposed for the Lord's service; but the matter should be well weighed, and prudence should direct as to what we do; else rash vows and hesitation in doing them will dishonour God, and trouble our own minds.

Verses 14-25 Our houses, lands, cattle, and all our substance, must be used to the glory of God. It is acceptable to him that a portion be given to support his worship, and to promote his cause. But God would not approve such a degree of zeal as ruined a man's family.

Verses 26-33 Things or persons devoted, are distinguished from things or persons that were only sanctified. Devoted things were most holy to the Lord, and could neither be taken back nor applied to other purposes. Whatever productions they had the benefit, God must be honoured with the tenth of, if it could be applied. Thus they acknowledge God to be the Owner of their land, the Giver of its fruits, and themselves to be his tenants, and dependants upon him. Thus they gave him thanks for the plenty they enjoyed, and besought his favour in the continuance of it. We are taught to honour the Lord with our substance.

Verse 34 The last verse seems to have reference to this whole book. Many of the precepts in it are moral, and always binding; others are ceremonial, and peculiar to the Jewish nation; yet they have a spiritual meaning, and so teach us; for unto us, by these institutions, is the gospel preached, as well as unto them, Heb. 4:2 . The doctrine of reconciliation to God by a Mediator, is not clouded with the smoke of burning sacrifice, but cleared by the knowledge of Christ and him crucified. We are under the sweet and easy institutions of the gospel, which pronounces those true worshippers, who worship the Father in spirit and truth, by Christ only, and in his name. Yet, let us not think, because we are not tied to the ceremonial rites and oblations, that a little care, time, and expense, will serve to honour God with. Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near with a true heart, and in full assurance of faith, worshipping God with the more cheerfulness and humble confidence, still saying, BLESSED BE GOD FOR JESUS CHRIST.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVEITICUS 27

This chapter contains various laws concerning vows made unto the Lord, whether of persons whose estimation was to be made by the priest, according to their age, sex, and condition, Le 26:1-8; or of beasts, clean and unclean, good or bad, Le 26:9-13; or of houses, fields, and lands, the estimation of which was to be according to its seed, and the time of its being set apart, whether from or after the year of jubilee, and the number of years to it, Le 26:14-25; with this exception to the above laws, that no firstling of the Lord's might be sanctified, and if an unclean beast it might be redeemed, but nothing devoted to the Lord, whether of man, beast, or field, might be sold or redeemed, Le 26:26-29; and the chapter is concluded with some laws concerning the redemption or change of tithes, what might or what might not be redeemed or changed, Le 26:30-34;