Leviticus 27:1-13

Redeeming What Is the LORD’s

1 The LORD said to Moses,

2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate a person to the LORD by giving the equivalent value,

3 set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels^[a] of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel^[b] ;

4 for a female, set her value at thirty shekels^[c] ;

5 for a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels^[d] and of a female at ten shekels^[e] ;

6 for a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels^[f] of silver and that of a female at three shekels^[g] of silver;

7 for a person sixty years old or more, set the value of a male at fifteen shekels^[h] and of a female at ten shekels.

8 If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay the specified amount, the person being dedicated is to be presented to the priest, who will set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.

9 “ ‘If what they vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the LORD, such an animal given to the LORD becomes holy.

10 They must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if they should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy.

11 If what they vowed is a ceremonially unclean animal—one that is not acceptable as an offering to the LORD—the animal must be presented to the priest,

12 who will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, that is what it will be.

13 If the owner wishes to redeem the animal, a fifth must be added to its value.

Leviticus 27:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

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;

Cross References

• 1. S Genesis 28:20; Numbers 6:2
• 2. S Exodus 30:13; Numbers 3:47; Numbers 18:16
• 3. S Genesis 37:28
• 4. Numbers 3:47; Numbers 18:16
• 5. S Leviticus 5:11
• 6. ver 12,14
• 7. S Genesis 28:20; S Leviticus 1:2
• 8. ver 21,26,28; Exodus 40:9; Numbers 6:20; Numbers 18:17; Deuteronomy 15:19
• 9. ver 33
• 10. ver 27; S Exodus 13:13; Numbers 18:15
• 11. ver 15,19; S Leviticus 25:25
• 12. S Leviticus 5:16

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams; also in verse 16
• [b]. That is, about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams; also in verse 25
• [c]. That is, about 12 ounces or about 345 grams
• [d]. That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
• [e]. That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams; also in verse 7
• [f]. That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams
• [g]. That is, about 1 1/4 ounces or about 35 grams
• [h]. That is, about 6 ounces or about 175 grams