Leviticus 27

1 The LORD spoke to Moses,

2 "Tell the Israelites: If any of you makes a special vow [to give a person] to the LORD, you may give money instead of the person.

3 The amount you must give for a man from 20 to 60 years old is 20 ounces of silver. Use the standard weight of the holy place.

4 If it is a woman, give 12 ounces.

5 For a boy from 5 to 20 years old, give 8 ounces and for a girl give 4 ounces.

6 For a boy from one month to five years old, give 2 ounces of silver and for a girl give about one ounce.

7 For a man 60 years or over, give 6 ounces and for a woman give 4 ounces.

8 But the person who is too poor to pay the required amount must stand in front of the priest. The priest will determine the amount based on what the person can afford.

9 "If [the vow] is to give the kind of animal that people offer to the LORD, it will be considered holy.

10 Don't exchange or substitute animals, a good one for a bad one or a bad one for a good one. If you do exchange one animal for another, then both animals will be holy.

11 If it is an unclean animal that cannot be brought to the LORD as an offering, bring it in front of the priest.

12 The priest will determine what its value is. The value will be whatever the priest decides.

13 If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more.

14 "If you give your house to the LORD as something holy, the priest will determine what its value is. The value will be whatever the priest decides.

15 If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more.

16 "If a person gives part of a field to the LORD as something holy, its value will be based on the seed planted on it. Ground planted with 2 quarts of barley will be worth 20 ounces of silver.

17 If you give your field in the jubilee year, it will have its full value.

18 But if you give the field after the jubilee year, the priest will estimate its value based on the number of years left until the next jubilee year.

19 If you want to buy it back, you must pay its full value plus one-fifth more.

20 But if you don't buy it back and it is sold to someone else, you cannot buy it back.

21 When the field is released in the jubilee year, it will be holy like a field claimed by the LORD. It will become the property of the priest.

22 You may give a field you bought (not one that was a part of your family property) to the LORD as something holy.

23 The priest must figure out the field's value until the jubilee year. You will pay its value on that day as something holy, belonging to the LORD.

24 In the jubilee year the field will go back to the person from whom it was bought, to whom it belongs as family property.

25 "All values will be set using the standard weight of the holy place.

26 "A firstborn animal already belongs to the LORD because it was born first. Therefore, it cannot be set apart as holy. Whether it is a bull or a sheep, it belongs to the LORD.

27 But if it is an unclean animal, it must be bought back. The payment will be its full value plus one-fifth more. If it is not bought back, it must be sold at the value given it.

28 "However, everything dedicated to the LORD for destruction--a person, an animal, or a field that belongs to you--must not be sold or bought back. Everything dedicated in that way is very holy. It belongs to the LORD.

29 People dedicated this way cannot be bought back. They must be put to death.

30 "One-tenth of what comes from the land, whether grain or fruit, is holy and belongs to the LORD.

31 If you buy back any part of it, you must add one-fifth more to it.

32 Every tenth head of cattle or sheep that you counted is holy and belongs to the LORD.

33 You must not look to see if it is good or bad or exchange it. But if you do exchange it, both the first animal and its substitute will be holy. They cannot be bought back."

34 These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

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;