Leviticus 27

Rules about Valuations

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When someone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the value of persons,

3 if the valuation concerns a male from twenty to sixty years of age, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, ^[a] according to the sanctuary shekel. ^[b]

4 Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. ^[c]

5 And if the person is from five to twenty years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be twenty shekels, ^[d] and for the female ten shekels. ^[e]

6 Now if the person is from one month to five years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be five shekels of silver, ^[f] and for the female three shekels of silver. ^[g]

7 And if the person is sixty years of age or older, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels ^[h] for the male and ten shekels for the female.

8 But if the one making the vow is too poor to pay the valuation, he is to present the person ^[i] before the priest, who shall set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.

9 If he vows an animal that may be brought as an offering to the LORD, any such animal given to the LORD shall be holy.

10 He must not replace it or exchange it, either good for bad or bad for good. But if he does substitute one animal for another, both that animal and its substitute will be holy.

11 But if the vow involves any of the unclean animals that may not be brought as an offering to the LORD, the animal must be presented before the priest.

12 The priest shall set its value, whether high or low; as the priest values it, the price will be set.

13 If, however, the owner decides to redeem the animal, he must add a fifth to its value.

14 Now if a man consecrates his house as holy to the LORD, then the priest shall value it either as good or bad. The price will stand just as the priest values it.

15 But if he who consecrated his house redeems it, he must add a fifth to the assessed value, and it will belong to him.

16 If a man consecrates to the LORD a parcel of his land, then your valuation shall be proportional to the seed required for it—fifty shekels of silver for every homer of barley seed. ^[j]

17 If he consecrates his field during the Year of Jubilee, the price will stand according to your valuation.

18 But if he consecrates his field after the Jubilee, the priest is to calculate the price in proportion to the years left until the next Year of Jubilee, so that your valuation will be reduced.

19 And if the one who consecrated the field decides to redeem it, he must add a fifth to the assessed value, and it shall belong to him.

20 If, however, he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold it to another man, it may no longer be redeemed.

21 When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the LORD; it becomes the property of the priests.

22 Now if a man consecrates to the LORD a field he has purchased, which is not a part of his own property,

23 then the priest shall calculate for him the value up to the Year of Jubilee, and the man shall pay the assessed value on that day as a sacred offering to the LORD.

24 In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom it was bought—the original owner of the land.

25 Every valuation will be according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel. ^[k]

26 But no one may consecrate a firstborn of the livestock, because a firstborn belongs to the LORD. Whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD’s.

27 But if it is among the unclean animals, then he may redeem it according to your valuation and add a fifth of its value. If it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.

28 Nothing that a man sets apart ^[l] to the LORD from all he owns—whether a man, an animal, or his inherited land—can be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD.

29 No person set apart for destruction may be ransomed; he must surely be put to death.

Instruction on Tithes

30 Thus any tithe from the land, whether from the seed of the land or the fruit of the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. ¹

31 If a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he must add a fifth to its value.

32 Every tenth animal from the herd or flock that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD.

33 He must not inspect whether it is good or bad, and he shall not make any substitution. But if he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute shall become holy; they cannot be redeemed.’”

34 These are the commandments that the LORD gave to Moses for the Israelites 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.

Cross References

• 1. (Deuteronomy 14:22–29; Deuteronomy 26:1–15; Nehemiah 13:10–14)

Footnotes

• [a]. 50 shekels is approximately 1.26 pounds or 569.8 grams of silver; also in verse 16.
• [b]. A shekel weighed approximately 0.4 ounces or 11.4 grams; also in verse 25.
• [c]. 30 shekels is approximately 12 ounces or 342 grams of silver.
• [d]. 20 shekels is approximately 8 ounces or 228 grams of silver.
• [e]. 10 shekels is approximately 4 ounces or 114 grams of silver; also in verse 7.
• [f]. 5 shekels is approximately 2 ounces or 57 grams of silver.
• [g]. 3 shekels is approximately 1.2 ounces or 34.2 grams of silver.
• [h]. 15 shekels is approximately 6 ounces or 171 grams of silver.
• [i]. Or present himself
• [j]. A homer is a dry measure of approximately 6.24 bushels or 220 liters (probably about 291 pounds or 132 kilograms of barley seed).
• [k]. 20 gerahs is equivalent to one shekel (approximately 0.4 ounces or 11.4 grams).
• [l]. Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD; similarly in verse 29.

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;