Leviticus27

Leviticus 27 outlines the laws concerning vows and dedications made to the Lord, detailing the monetary estimation of persons, animals, houses, and fields. It specifies conditions for redemption, often requiring an added fifth part of the estimated value. The chapter also addresses the sanctity of firstlings and tithes, which are holy unto the Lord. These commandments conclude the laws given by the Lord to Moses at Mount Sinai.

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Introduction to Vows and Redemption

Then the LORD said to Moses,

Valuation of Persons Vowed

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

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

Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.

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

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, and for the female three shekels of silver.

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

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

Valuation of Dedicated Animals

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Valuation of Dedicated Houses

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.

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

Valuation of Dedicated Fields

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Every valuation will be according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.

Rules for Firstborn Animals

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.

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.

The Law of the Devoted Thing (Cherem)

Nothing that a man sets apart 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.

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

The Law of Tithes

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.

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

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

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.’”

Conclusion

These are the commandments that the LORD gave to Moses for the Israelites on Mount Sinai.

Study Notes for Leviticus 27

Verse 2

A 'singular vow' (neder) is a voluntary promise to dedicate a person or object to the Lord. Since the Law forbids human sacrifice, the dedicated person must be redeemed by a monetary payment calculated by the priest.

Verse 3

The standard valuation system is based on productivity and physical strength. Fifty shekels represents the peak earning years (20-60) for a male. The 'shekel of the sanctuary' was the standardized, precise weight used for religious transactions.

Verse 8

This provision demonstrates divine mercy and practicality. If the vower is poor, the valuation is adjusted based on their true economic ability, ensuring the vow does not become a crushing financial burden.

Verse 9

If a clean beast (suitable for offering) is vowed, it automatically becomes holy and cannot be redeemed or used for common purposes.

Verse 10

This strict prohibition against substitution reflects the seriousness of the vow. If a substitution is attempted, both the original and the substitute become holy, emphasizing that dedicated property cannot be manipulated for personal gain.

Verse 13

The addition of a 'fifth part' (20%) is the standard penalty required throughout this chapter when redeeming something that has already been dedicated to God (cf. vv. 15, 19, 27, 31). This added cost discourages rash vows.

Verse 14

Like other dedicated items, a house could be vowed. The priest determines the value based on the quality and condition of the property.

Verse 16

Fields are valued based on the amount of seed required to plant them (a measure of productivity), rather than total acreage. The estimation is tied to the Jubilee cycle, ensuring that land ownership remains ultimately tied to God's grant.

Verse 18

If a field is vowed after the Jubilee, its value is depreciated proportionally based on the remaining years until the next Jubilee, when all ancestral land reverts to its original owner.

Verse 21

A field that is vowed and not redeemed becomes the permanent possession of the priesthood after the Jubilee. This treats the unredeemed land like *cherem* (devoted) property, moving it out of the cycle of Israelite inheritance.

Verse 25

This verse standardizes the monetary unit, confirming that the shekel must equal twenty *gerahs* (a small weight measure). This ensures consistency and honesty in all estimations and transactions related to the sanctuary.

Verse 26

The firstborn animal already belongs to God (Ex. 13:2, 12) and is therefore not the vower's property to dedicate. It cannot be sanctified because it is inherently and mandatorily the Lord’s.

Verse 28

This introduces the category of *cherem* (the devoted thing), which is placed under a permanent ban. Unlike voluntary vows (*neder*), *cherem* cannot be sold or redeemed; it is 'most holy' and must be irrevocably separated for God.

Verse 29

The specific application of *cherem* to a person means they must be put to death. This extreme rule was reserved for those under divine judgment (like condemned enemies in warfare) and ensured the absolute sanctity of the ban.

Verse 30

Tithes (a mandatory tenth) are distinct from voluntary vows. They are considered inherently 'holy unto the LORD,' reinforcing the theological concept that God owns all the land and its produce.

Verse 32

Tithing livestock likely involved counting animals as they passed through a gate or under a shepherd's rod. Every tenth animal was dedicated to God regardless of its quality, emphasizing that the dedication was based on divine claim, not human selection.

Verse 34

This verse serves as the formal conclusion to the entire book of Leviticus, placing these laws concerning ritual purity, holiness, and redemption firmly within the covenant framework established by God at Mount Sinai.

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