Leviticus27
New American Standard
1Again, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When someone makes an explicit vow, he shall be valued according to your assessment of persons belonging to the Lord.
3If your assessment is of a male from twenty years even to sixty years old, then your assessment shall be fifty shekels of silver, by the shekel of the sanctuary.
4Or if the person is a female, then your assessment shall be thirty shekels.
5And if the person is from five years even to twenty years old, then your assessment for a male shall be twenty shekels, and for a female, ten shekels.
6But if the person is from a month even up to five years old, then your assessment shall be five shekels of silver for a male, and for a female your assessment shall be three shekels of silver.
7If the person is from sixty years old and upward, if a male, then your assessment shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female, ten shekels.
8But if he is poorer than your assessment, then he shall be presented before the priest, and the priest shall assess him; according to the means of the one who vowed, the priest shall assess him.
9‘Now if it is an animal of the kind that one can present as an offering to the Lord, any such animal that one gives to the Lord shall be holy.
10He shall not replace it nor exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; yet if he does exchange animal for animal, then both it and its substitute shall become holy.
11If, however, it is any unclean animal of the kind which one does not present as an offering to the Lord, then he shall place the animal before the priest.
12And the priest shall assess it as either good or bad; as you, the priest, assess it, so shall it be.
13But if he should ever want to redeem it, then he shall add a fifth of it to your assessment.
14‘Now if someone consecrates his house as holy to the Lord, then the priest shall assess it as either good or bad; as the priest assesses it, so shall it stand.
15Yet if the one who consecrates it should want to redeem his house, then he shall add a fifth of your assessment price to it, so that it may be his.
16‘Again, if someone consecrates to the Lord part of the field of his own property, then your assessment shall be proportionate to the seed needed for it: a homer of barley seed at fifty shekels of silver.
17If he consecrates his field as of the year of jubilee, according to your assessment it shall stand.
18If he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, then the priest shall calculate the price for him proportionate to the years that are left until the year of jubilee; and it shall be deducted from your assessment.
19If the one who consecrates it should ever want to redeem the field, then he shall add a fifth of your assessment price to it, so that it may belong to him.
20Yet if he does not redeem the field, but has sold the field to another person, it may no longer be redeemed;
21and when it reverts in the jubilee, the field shall be holy to the Lord, like a field banned from secular use; it shall be for the priest as his property.
22Or if he consecrates to the Lord a field which he has bought, which is not a part of the field of his own property,
23then the priest shall calculate for him the amount of your assessment up to the year of jubilee; and he shall on that day give your assessment as holy to the Lord.
24In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it, to whom the possession of the land belongs.
25Every assessment of yours, moreover, shall be by the shekel of the sanctuary. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs.
26‘However, a firstborn among animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the Lord, no one may consecrate; whether ox or sheep, it is the Lord’s.
27But if it is among the unclean animals, then he shall redeem it according to your assessment and add to it a fifth of it; and if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your assessment.
28‘Nevertheless, anything which someone sets apart to the Lord for destruction out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the field of his own property, shall not be sold nor redeemed. Anything set apart for destruction is most holy to the Lord.
29No one who may have been set apart among mankind shall be ransomed; he must be put to death.
30‘Now all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.
31If, therefore, someone should ever want to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it a fifth of it.
32For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord.
33He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; yet if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed.’”
34These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the sons of Israel on Mount Sinai.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 27.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: 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).
vv1-13
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.
vv14-25
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.
vv26-33
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.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
פָּלָא: properly, perhaps to separate, i.e. distinguish (literally or figuratively); by implication, to be (causatively, make) great, difficult, wonderful
נֶדֶר: a promise (to God); also (concretely) a thing promised
עֵרֶךְ: a pile, equipment, estimate
נֶפֶשׁ: properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
Cross References
Leviticus 27Establishes the standard sanctuary shekel as twenty gerahs for all estimations.
Supported by John Calvin
Parallels the principle of giving according to one's ability and means.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Forbids working firstlings since they already belong to God as His property.
Supported by John Calvin
Provides a historical example of a parent dedicating a child to God's service.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Connects the valuation of dedicated fields directly to the Cycle of Jubilee.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes that the firstborn cannot be consecrated by vow because they are already God's.
Supported by JFB
Echoes the custom of marking the tenth animal passing under the rod.
Supported by JFB
Alludes to the thirty pieces of silver value given to Christ.
Supported by JFB
Confirms the sanctuary redemption price for children from a month old.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Illustrates similar adjustments in offerings made for those who are poor.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Governs the return of land during the year of Jubilee.
Supported by JFB
Provides ancient historical precedent for giving a tenth of all to God.
Supported by JFB
Admonishes against rashness and delay in fulfilling vows to God.
Supported by JFB
Explains how devoted things are 'most holy' and belong completely to priests.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Reinforces redemption laws for the firstborn of unclean beasts.
Supported by JFB