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

¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Valuation of Persons Vowed

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation.

And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.

And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver.

And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to his ability that vowed shall the priest value him.

Valuation of Dedicated Animals

And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy.

He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.

And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the LORD, then he shall present the beast before the priest:

And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: as thou valuest it, who art the priest, so shall it be.

But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation.

Valuation of Dedicated Houses

¶ And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the LORD, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand.

And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be his.

Valuation of Dedicated Fields

And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD some part of a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof: an homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.

If he sanctify his field from the year of jubile, according to thy estimation it shall stand.

But if he sanctify his field after the jubile, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubile, and it shall be abated from thy estimation.

And if he that sanctified the field will in any wise redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be assured to him.

And if he will not redeem the field, or if he have sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more.

But the field, when it goeth out in the jubile, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.

And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession;

Then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation, even unto the year of the jubile: and he shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy thing unto the LORD.

In the year of the jubile the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.

And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.

Rules for Firstborn Animals

¶ Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the LORD'S firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the LORD'S.

And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation.

The Law of the Devoted Thing (Cherem)

Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.

None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.

The Law of Tithes

And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.

And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.

And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.

Conclusion

These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in 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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