1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 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.
3 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.
4 And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
11 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:
12 And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: as thou valuest it, who art the priest, so shall it be.
13 But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.
17 If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy estimation it shall stand.
18 But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubilee, and it shall be abated from thy estimation.
19 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.
20 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.
21 But the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
22 And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession;
23 Then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation, even unto the year of the jubilee: and he shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy thing unto the LORD.
24 In the year of the jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.
25 And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.
26 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.
27 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.
28 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.
29 None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.
30 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.
31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
32 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.
33 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.
34 These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.
1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
2 Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When a man H376 shall make a singular H6381 vow, H5088 the persons H5315 shall be for the LORD H3068 by thy estimation. H6187
3 And thy estimation H6187 shall be of the male H2145 from twenty H6242 years H8141 old H1121 even unto sixty H8346 years H8141 old, H1121 even thy estimation H6187 shall be fifty H2572 shekels H8255 of silver, H3701 after the shekel H8255 of the sanctuary. H6944
4 And if it be a female, H5347 then thy estimation H6187 shall be thirty H7970 shekels. H8255
5 And if it be from five H2568 years H8141 old H1121 even unto twenty H6242 years H8141 old, H1121 then thy estimation H6187 shall be of the male H2145 twenty H6242 shekels, H8255 and for the female H5347 ten H6235 shekels. H8255
6 And if it be from a month H2320 old H1121 even unto five H2568 years H8141 old, H1121 then thy estimation H6187 shall be of the male H2145 five H2568 shekels H8255 of silver, H3701 and for the female H5347 thy estimation H6187 shall be three H7969 shekels H8255 of silver. H3701
7 And if it be from sixty H8346 years H8141 old H1121 and above; H4605 if it be a male, H2145 then thy estimation H6187 shall be fifteen H2568 H6240 shekels, H8255 and for the female H5347 ten H6235 shekels. H8255
8 But if he be poorer H4134 than thy estimation, H6187 then he shall present H5975 himself before H6440 the priest, H3548 and the priest H3548 shall value H6186 him; according to H6310 his ability H3027 H5381 that vowed H5087 shall the priest H3548 value H6186 him.
9 And if it be a beast, H929 whereof men bring H7126 an offering H7133 unto the LORD, H3068 all that any man giveth H5414 of such unto the LORD H3068 shall be holy. H6944
10 He shall not alter H2498 it, nor change H4171 it, a good H2896 for a bad, H7451 or a bad H7451 for a good: H2896 and if he shall at all H4171 change H4171 beast H929 for beast, H929 then it and the exchange H8545 thereof shall be holy. H6944
11 And if it be any unclean H2931 beast, H929 of which they do not offer H7126 a sacrifice H7133 unto the LORD, H3068 then he shall present H5975 the beast H929 before H6440 the priest: H3548
12 And the priest H3548 shall value H6186 it, whether H996 it be good H2896 or H996 bad: H7451 as thou valuest H6187 it, who art the priest, H3548 so shall it be.
13 But if he will at all H1350 redeem H1350 it, then he shall add H3254 a fifth H2549 part thereof unto thy estimation. H6187
14 And when a man H376 shall sanctify H6942 his house H1004 to be holy H6944 unto the LORD, H3068 then the priest H3548 shall estimate H6186 it, whether it be good H2896 or bad: H7451 as the priest H3548 shall estimate H6186 it, so shall it stand. H6965
15 And if he that sanctified H6942 it will redeem H1350 his house, H1004 then he shall add H3254 the fifth H2549 part of the money H3701 of thy estimation H6187 unto it, and it shall be his.
16 And if a man H376 shall sanctify H6942 unto the LORD H3068 some part of a field H7704 of his possession, H272 then thy estimation H6187 shall be according H6310 to the seed H2233 thereof: an homer H2563 of barley H8184 seed H2233 shall be valued at fifty H2572 shekels H8255 of silver. H3701
17 If he sanctify H6942 his field H7704 from the year H8141 of jubile, H3104 according to thy estimation H6187 it shall stand. H6965
18 But if he sanctify H6942 his field H7704 after H310 the jubile, H3104 then the priest H3548 shall reckon H2803 unto him the money H3701 according to H6310 the years H8141 that remain, H3498 even unto the year H8141 of the jubile, H3104 and it shall be abated H1639 from thy estimation. H6187
19 And if he that sanctified H6942 the field H7704 will in any wise H1350 redeem H1350 it, then he shall add H3254 the fifth H2549 part of the money H3701 of thy estimation H6187 unto it, and it shall be assured H6965 to him.
20 And if he will not redeem H1350 the field, H7704 or if he have sold H4376 the field H7704 to another H312 man, H376 it shall not be redeemed H1350 any more.
21 But the field, H7704 when it goeth out H3318 in the jubile, H3104 shall be holy H6944 unto the LORD, H3068 as a field H7704 devoted; H2764 the possession H272 thereof shall be the priest's. H3548
22 And if a man sanctify H6942 unto the LORD H3068 a field H7704 which he hath bought, H4736 which is not of the fields H7704 of his possession; H272
23 Then the priest H3548 shall reckon H2803 unto him the worth H4373 of thy estimation, H6187 even unto the year H8141 of the jubile: H3104 and he shall give H5414 thine estimation H6187 in that day, H3117 as a holy thing H6944 unto the LORD. H3068
24 In the year H8141 of the jubile H3104 the field H7704 shall return H7725 unto him of whom it was bought, H7069 even to him to whom the possession H272 of the land H776 did belong.
25 And all thy estimations H6187 shall be according to the shekel H8255 of the sanctuary: H6944 twenty H6242 gerahs H1626 shall be the shekel. H8255
26 Only the firstling H1060 of the beasts, H929 which should be the LORD'S H3068 firstling, H1069 no man H376 shall sanctify H6942 it; whether it be ox, H7794 or sheep: H7716 it is the LORD'S. H3068
27 And if it be of an unclean H2931 beast, H929 then he shall redeem H6299 it according to thine estimation, H6187 and shall add H3254 a fifth H2549 part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, H1350 then it shall be sold H4376 according to thy estimation. H6187
28 Notwithstanding no devoted thing, H2764 that a man H376 shall devote H2763 unto the LORD H3068 of all that he hath, both of man H120 and beast, H929 and of the field H7704 of his possession, H272 shall be sold H4376 or redeemed: H1350 every devoted thing H2764 is most H6944 holy H6944 unto the LORD. H3068
29 None devoted, H2764 which shall be H3808 devoted H2763 of men, H120 shall be redeemed; H6299 but shall surely H4191 be put to death. H4191
30 And all the tithe H4643 of the land, H776 whether of the seed H2233 of the land, H776 or of the fruit H6529 of the tree, H6086 is the LORD'S: H3068 it is holy H6944 unto the LORD. H3068
31 And if a man H376 will at all H1350 redeem H1350 ought of his tithes, H4643 he shall add H3254 thereto the fifth H2549 part thereof.
32 And concerning the tithe H4643 of the herd, H1241 or of the flock, H6629 even of whatsoever passeth H5674 under the rod, H7626 the tenth H6224 shall be holy H6944 unto the LORD. H3068
33 He shall not search H1239 whether it be good H2896 or bad, H7451 neither shall he change H4171 it: and if he change H4171 it at all, H4171 then both it and the change H8545 thereof shall be holy; H6944 it shall not be redeemed. H1350
34 These are the commandments, H4687 which the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses H4872 for the children H1121 of Israel H3478 in mount H2022 Sinai. H5514
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall accomplish a vow, the persons shall be for Jehovah by thy estimation.
3 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.
4 And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
5 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.
6 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.
7 And if it be from sixty years old and upward; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
8 But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the ability of him that vowed shall the priest value him.
9 And if it be a beast, whereof men offer an oblation unto Jehovah, all that any man giveth of such unto Jehovah shall be holy.
10 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 both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy.
11 And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer an oblation unto Jehovah, then he shall set the beast before the priest;
12 and the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: as thou the priest valuest it, so shall it be.
13 But if he will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part thereof unto thy estimation.
14 And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto Jehovah, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand.
15 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.
16 And if a man shall sanctify unto Jehovah part of the field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the sowing thereof: the sowing of a homer of barley `shall be valued' at fifty shekels of silver.
17 If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy estimation it shall stand.
18 But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain unto the year of jubilee; and an abatement shall be made from thy estimation.
19 And if he that sanctified the field will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be assured to him.
20 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:
21 but the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto Jehovah, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
22 And if he sanctify unto Jehovah a field which he hath bought, which is not of the field of his possession;
23 then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation unto the year of jubilee: and he shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy thing unto Jehovah.
24 In the year of jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongeth.
25 And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.
26 Only the firstling among beasts, which is made a firstling to Jehovah, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox or sheep, it is Jehovah's.
27 And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall ransom it according to thine estimation, and shall add unto it the fifth part thereof: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation.
28 Notwithstanding, no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto Jehovah of all that he hath, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto Jehovah.
29 No one devoted, that shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is Jehovah's: it is holy unto Jehovah.
31 And if a man will redeem aught of his tithe, he shall add unto it the fifth part thereof.
32 And all the tithe of the herd or the flock, whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto Jehovah.
33 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 that for which it is changed shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
34 These are the commandments, which Jehovah commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.
1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
2 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When a man maketh a wonderful vow, by thy valuation the persons `are' Jehovah's.
3 When thy valuation hath been of the male from a son of twenty years even unto a son of sixty years, then hath been thy valuation fifty shekels of silver by the shekel of the sanctuary.
4 And if it `is' a female -- then hath thy valuation been thirty shekels;
5 and if from a son of five years even unto a son of twenty years -- then hath thy valuation been of the male twenty shekels, and for the female, ten shekels;
6 and if from a son of a month even unto a son of five years -- then hath thy valuation been of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy valuation `is' three shekels of silver;
7 and if from a son of sixty years and above -- if a male, then hath thy valuation been fifteen shekels, and for a female, ten shekels.
8 `And if he is poorer than thy valuation, then he hath presented himself before the priest, and the priest hath valued him; according to that which the hand of him who is vowing doth reach doth the priest value him.
9 `And if `it is' a beast of which they bring near an offering to Jehovah, all that `one' giveth of it to Jehovah is holy;
10 he doth not change it nor exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; and if he really change beast for beast, -- then it hath been -- it and its exchange is holy.
11 `And if `it is' any unclean beast of which they do not bring near an offering to Jehovah, then he hath presented the beast before the priest,
12 and the priest hath valued it; whether good or bad, according to thy valuation, O priest, so it is;
13 and if he really redeem it, then he hath added its fifth to thy valuation.
14 `And when a man sanctifieth his house, a holy thing to Jehovah, then hath the priest valued it, whether good or bad; as the priest doth value it so it standeth;
15 and if he who is sanctifying doth redeem his house, then he hath added a fifth of the money of thy valuation to it, and it hath become his.
16 `And if of the field of his possession a man sanctify to Jehovah, then hath thy valuation been according to its seed; a homer of barley-seed at fifty shekels of silver;
17 if from the year of the jubilee he sanctify his field, according to thy valuation it standeth;
18 and if after the jubilee he sanctify his field, then hath the priest reckoned to him the money according to the years which are left, unto the year of the jubilee, and it hath been abated from thy valuation.
19 `And if he really redeem the field -- he who is sanctifying it -- then he hath added a fifth of the money of thy valuation to it, and it hath been established to him;
20 and if he do not redeem the field, or if he hath sold the field to another man, it is not redeemed any more;
21 and the field hath been, in its going out in the jubilee, holy to Jehovah as a field which is devoted; to the priest is its possession.
22 `And if the field of his purchase (which `is' not of the fields of his possession) `one' sanctify to Jehovah --
23 then hath the priest reckoned to him the amount of thy valuation unto the year of jubilee, and he hath given thy valuation in that day -- a holy thing to Jehovah;
24 in the year of the jubilee the field returneth to him from whom he bought it, to him whose `is' the possession of the land.
25 And all thy valuation is by the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs is the shekel.
26 `Only, a firstling which is Jehovah's firstling among beasts -- no man doth sanctify it, whether ox or sheep; it `is' Jehovah's.
27 And if among the unclean beasts, then he hath ransomed `it' at thy valuation, and he hath added its fifth to it; and if it is not redeemed, then it hath been sold at thy valuation.
28 `Only, no devoted thing which a man devoteth to Jehovah, of all that he hath, of man, and beast, and of the field of his possession, is sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to Jehovah.
29 `No devoted thing, which is devoted of man, is ransomed, it is surely put to death.
30 And all tithe of the land, of the seed of the land, of the fruit of the tree, is Jehovah's -- holy to Jehovah.
31 `And if a man really redeem `any' of his tithe, its fifth he addeth to it.
32 `And all the tithe of the herd and of the flock -- all that passeth by under the rod -- the tenth is holy to Jehovah;
33 he enquireth not between good and bad, nor doth he change it; and if he really change it -- then it hath been -- it and its exchange is holy; it is not redeemed.'
34 These `are' the commands which Jehovah hath commanded Moses for the sons of Israel, in mount Sinai.
1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When any one devoteth [anything] by a vow, the persons shall be for Jehovah according to thy valuation.
3 And thy valuation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old: thy valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary;
4 and if it be of a female, thy valuation shall be thirty shekels.
5 And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, thy valuation of the male shall be twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
6 And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, thy valuation of the male shall be five shekels of silver; and for the female thy valuation shall be three shekels of silver.
7 And if it be from sixty years old and above, if it be a male, thy valuation shall be fifteen shekels; and for the female ten shekels.
8 And if he be poorer than thy valuation, he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him: according to his means that vowed shall the priest value him.
9 And if it be a beast whereof men bring an offering unto Jehovah, all that they give of such unto Jehovah shall be holy.
10 They shall not alter it nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; and if he at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
11 And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not bring an offering unto Jehovah, then he shall present the beast before the priest;
12 and the priest shall value it, [judging] between good and bad: according to the valuation of the priest, so shall it be.
13 And if they will in any wise redeem it, then they shall add a fifth [part] thereof unto thy valuation.
14 And when any one halloweth his house, that it may be holy to Jehovah, the priest shall value it, [judging] between good and bad: as the priest shall value it, so shall it stand.
15 And if he that halloweth it will redeem his house, he shall add the fifth of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be his.
16 And if a man hallow to Jehovah [part] of a field of his possession, thy valuation shall be according to what may be sown in it: the homer of barley seed at fifty shekels of silver.
17 If he hallow his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy valuation shall it stand;
18 but if he hallow his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, until the year of the jubilee; and there shall be a reduction from thy valuation.
19 And if he that hallowed the field will in any wise redeem it, he shall add the fifth of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be assured to him;
20 but if he do not redeem the field, or if he sell the field to another man, it cannot be redeemed any more;
21 and the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy to Jehovah, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
22 And if he hallow to Jehovah a field that he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession,
23 the priest shall reckon unto him the amount of thy valuation, unto the year of the jubilee; and he shall give thy valuation on that day, [as] holy to Jehovah.
24 In the year of the jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought -- to him to whom the land belonged.
25 And all thy valuation shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.
26 Only the firstling which is offered as firstling to Jehovah among the cattle, that shall no man hallow, whether it be ox or sheep; it is Jehovah's.
27 But if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall ransom it according to thy valuation, and shall add a fifth of it thereto; and if it be not redeemed, it shall be sold according to thy valuation.
28 Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man hath devoted to Jehovah of all that he hath, of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy to Jehovah.
29 Nothing devoted, which shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed: it shall certainly be put to death.
30 And as to every tithe of the land, of the seed of the land, and of the fruit of the tree, it is Jehovah's: it is holy to Jehovah.
31 And if any one will at all redeem of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth thereof.
32 And as to every tithe of the herd, or of the flock, of whatever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to Jehovah.
33 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 exchange thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
34 These are the commandments which Jehovah commanded Moses for the children of Israel upon mount Sinai.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'When a man makes a vow, the persons shall be for Yahweh by your valuation.
3 Your valuation shall be of a male from twenty years old even to sixty years old, even your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
4 If it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.
5 If the person is from five years old even to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
6 If the person is from a month old even to five years old, then your valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver.
7 If the person is from sixty years old and upward; if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
8 But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the ability of him who vowed shall the priest value him.
9 "'If it is an animal, of which men offer an offering to Yahweh, all that any man gives of such to Yahweh becomes holy.
10 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 animal for animal, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy.
11 If it is any unclean animal, of which they do not offer as an offering to Yahweh, then he shall set the animal before the priest;
12 and the priest shall value it, whether it is good or bad. As you the priest values it, so shall it be.
13 But if he will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of it to its valuation.
14 "'When a man dedicates his house to be holy to Yahweh, then the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad: as the priest shall evaluate it, so shall it stand.
15 If he who dedicates it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall be his.
16 "'If a man dedicates to Yahweh part of the field of his possession, then your valuation shall be according to the seed for it: the sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.
17 If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand.
18 But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, then the priest shall reckon to him the money according to the years that remain to the Year of Jubilee; and an abatement shall be made from your valuation.
19 If he who dedicated the field will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall remain his.
20 If he will not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more;
21 but the field, when it goes out in the Jubilee, shall be holy to Yahweh, as a field devoted; it shall be owned by the priests.
22 "'If he dedicates to Yahweh a field which he has bought, which is not of the field of his possession,
23 then the priest shall reckon to him the worth of your valuation up to the Year of Jubilee; and he shall give your valuation on that day, as a holy thing to Yahweh.
24 In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongs.
25 All your valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs to the shekel.
26 "'Only the firstborn among animals, which is made a firstborn to Yahweh, no man may dedicate it; whether an ox or sheep, it is Yahweh's.
27 If it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back according to your valuation, and shall add to it the fifth part of it: or if it isn't redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.
28 "'Notwithstanding, no devoted thing, that a man shall devote to Yahweh of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy to Yahweh.
29 "'No one devoted, who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
30 "'All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Yahweh's. It is holy to Yahweh.
31 If a man redeems anything of his tithe, he shall add a fifth part to it.
32 All the tithe of the herds or the flocks, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to Yahweh.
33 He shall not search whether it is good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he changes it at all, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed.'"
34 These are the commandments which Yahweh commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.
1 And the Lord said to Moses,
2 Say to the children of Israel, If a man makes a special oath, you will give your decision as to the value of the persons for the Lord.
3 And you will put the value of a male from twenty years to sixty years old at fifty shekels of silver, by the scale of the holy place.
4 And if it is a female, the value will be thirty shekels.
5 And if the person is from five to twenty years old, the value will be twenty shekels for a male, and ten for a female.
6 And if the person is from one month to five years old, then the value for a male will be five shekels of silver, and for a female three shekels.
7 And for sixty years old and over, for a male the value will be fifteen shekels, and for a female, ten.
8 But if he is poorer than the value which you have put on him, then let him be taken to the priest, and the priest will put a value on him, such as it is possible for him to give.
9 And if it is a beast of which men make offerings to the Lord, whatever any man gives of such to the Lord will be holy.
10 It may not be changed in any way, a good given for a bad, or a bad for a good; if one beast is changed for another, the two will be holy.
11 And if it is any unclean beast, of which offerings are not made to the Lord, then let him take the beast before the priest;
12 And let the priest put a value on it, if it is good or bad; whatever value the priest puts on it, so will it be.
13 But if he has a desire to get it back for himself, let him give a fifth more than your value.
14 And if a man has given his house as holy to the Lord, then the priest will put a value on it, if it is good or bad; as the priest gives decision so will the value be fixed.
15 And if the owner has a desire to get back his house, let him give a fifth more than your value, and it will be his.
16 And if a man gives to the Lord part of the field which is his property, then let your value be in relation to the seed which is planted in it; a measure of barley grain will be valued at fifty shekels of silver.
17 If he gives his field from the year of Jubilee, the value will be fixed by your decision.
18 But if he gives his field after the year of Jubilee, the amount of the money will be worked out by the priest in relation to the number of years till the coming year of Jubilee, and the necessary amount will be taken off your value.
19 And if the man who has given the field has a desire to get it back, let him give a fifth more than the price at which it was valued and it will be his.
20 But if he has no desire to get it back, or if he has given it for a price to another man, it may not be got back again.
21 But the field, when it becomes free at the year of Jubilee, will be holy to the Lord, as a field given under oath: it will be the property of the priest.
22 And if a man gives to the Lord a field which he has got for money from another, which is not part of his heritage;
23 Then the value fixed by you up to the year of Jubilee will be worked out for him by the priest, and in that day he will give the amount of your value as holy to the Lord.
24 In the year of Jubilee the field will go back to him from whom he got it, that is, to him whose heritage it was.
25 And let all your values be based on the shekel of the holy place, that is, twenty gerahs to the shekel.
26 But a man may not give by oath to the Lord the first-fruits of cattle which are offered to the Lord: if it is an ox or a sheep it is the Lord's.
27 And if it is an unclean beast, then the owner of it may give money to get it back, in agreement with the value fixed by you, by giving a fifth more; or if it is not taken back, let it be given for money in agreement with your valuing.
28 But nothing which a man has given completely to the Lord, out of all his property, of man or beast, or of the land which is his heritage, may be given away or got back in exchange for money; anything completely given is most holy to the Lord.
29 Any man given completely to the Lord may not be got back: he is certainly to be put to death.
30 And every tenth part of the land, of the seed planted, or of the fruit of trees, is holy to the Lord.
31 And if a man has a desire to get back any of the tenth part which he has given, let him give a fifth more.
32 And a tenth part of the herd and of the flock, whatever goes under the rod of the valuer, will be holy to the Lord.
33 He may not make search to see if it is good or bad, or make any changes in it; and if he makes exchange of it for another, the two will be holy; he will not get them back again.
34 These are the orders which the Lord gave to Moses for the children of Israel in Mount Sinai.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 27
Commentary on Leviticus 27 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
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, Leviticus 26:1; or of beasts, clean and unclean, good or bad, Leviticus 26:9; 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, Leviticus 26:14; 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, Leviticus 26:26; 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, Leviticus 26:30;.
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... After he had delivered the body of laws in the preceding chapter, which by the close of the last seem to have been finished; but here some rules and instructions concerning vows are given, which a man was not obliged to make, but which he did of his own freewill and good pleasure: saying; as follows.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,.... This being an affair which only concerned them; for the Jewish writers sayF8Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Eracin, c. 1. sect. 2. , by this phrase, the children of Israel, Gentiles are excluded:
when a man shall make a singular vow; an unusual, an uncommon one, a very distinguished one, and even what is wonderful, as the word signifies; as when a man, through uncommon zeal for God and his service, devotes himself, or his children, or his cattle, or his houses or fields, to the Lord: the word "man", the Jewish writers sayF9Ibid. , includes every male, and even a Gentile; yea, it is said all estimate and are estimated, vow and are vowed, priests, and Levites, and Israelites, women and servantsF11Misn. Eracin, sect. 1. : the persons shall be for the Lord by thy estimation: as when a man devoted himself or any that belonged to him to the service of the sanctuary, out of his great zeal for it, as to assist the priests and Levites in the meaner sort of work, as to carry wood and draw water, and sweep the tabernacle, and the like; they were not allowed to do these things, partly because it was not the will of God that any or every Israelite should be employed in such menial service, and partly because there were men appointed for such work, as well as to prevent too great a number of persons in the sanctuary, which would be troublesome, and only stand in one another's way; wherefore, on every devoted person to such service a value or price was set, according to the rules after given, which were to be paid in to the priests for the service of the sanctuary, the repair of the house, &c. see 2 Kings 12:4; the word may be rendered, agreeably to the accents, "according to thy estimation of souls (or persons) the vow shall be to the Lord"F12בערכך נפשת ליהוה "pro tua aestimatione animarum, votum erit" Domino, Reinbeck de Accent. Heb. p. 320; ; that is, the price of the person devoted, according to the estimation of the priest, or as settled by the Lord in some following verses, shall be given to him: the word "souls" being used, the Jewish doctors understand it of estimation or value of that on which the soul or life depends; thus, for instance, if a man says, the value of my hand or of my feet be upon me, he says nothing; but if he says, the value of my head or of my liver be upon me, he gives the whole value, i.e. of himself; if he says, the half of my value be upon me, he gives the half of it; but if he says, the value of half of me, he gives the whole value: this is the general rule, that on which the soul or life depends pays the whole valueF13Misn. Eracin, c. 5. sect. 2, 3. ; for a man cannot live without his head, or without his liver, or when half of himself is taken away.
And thy estimation shall be,.... The estimation of the man himself that vowed, or of the priest for him, was not left to be made by either of them at their pleasure, but was to be made according to the following rules, in proportion to the age a person was of to be estimated:
of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old: the account begins with these, because men of an age from the one to the other are fittest for labour, and therefore to be set at the highest price, as they are in the next clause:
even that estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary; a shekel was about half a crown of our money, or somewhat less, so that fifty of these amounted to about six pounds: these shekels were to be of the full weight, according to the standard that was kept in the sanctuary, and were the highest price that was set upon any; and this was paid equally by all of the same age, whether rich or poor: hence it is said,"in estimations there is nothing less than one shekel, nor more than fiftyF14Misn. Eracin, c. 2. sect. 1. .'
And if it be a female,.... That is, of the same age, full twenty years of age, and not more than sixty:
then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels; about three pounds ten shillings of our money, the price of a servant, Exodus 21:32; the reason of this difference of estimation between a man and a woman is, because the woman is the weaker vessel, and her labour and service of less importance and worth, such as spinning, washing, &c.
And if it be from five years old, even unto to twenty years old,.... Not that one of five years old is supposed to vow or to make an estimation, but one grown up, that says, the estimation of this little one, who is five years of age, be upon me; and such an one was bound to pay the value of him, which is as follows:
then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels; which were for the one above two pounds, and for the other more than one pound; these were valued at a less price than the former, partly because, generally speaking, there are more die between the age of five and the age of twenty years than between twenty and sixty; and partly because within that time they are not capable of so much work and service as in the latter; and it may be observed, that the females of this age are not valued in proportion to the females of the other; the estimation of these being just half that of the males, whereas that of the other is more than half; the reason is, that women above twenty years of age, their service bears, a better proportion to that of men, than that of young women to young men under twenty.
And if it be from a month old even unto five years old,.... That is, if a man devotes his child to the Lord within such an age, and says, the estimation of this my son or my daughter be upon me, then he was to pay the value, as next directed; for one under a month old no estimation was to be made: the Jews say,"one less than a mouth old may be vowed, but not estimatedF15Misn. Eracin, c. 1. sect. 1. :"
then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver; somewhat more than ten shillings:
and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver; about seven shillings, which is the least value put on any; and though the lives of male or female at this age are equally uncertain, and the service of either of little worth when near the full time fixed; yet the preference is given to the male, as being of the more perfect kind, and its life generally most desirable.
And if it be from sixty years old and above,.... When man is almost past his labour, and it is high time to leave off business:
if it be a male, then thy estimation shall between shekels; about one pound fifteen shillings:
and for the female ten shekels; about one pound three shillings; it may be observed that there is not the disproportion between a man and a woman in old age as in youth, with respect to the estimation of them; the reason of which is, because there is but little difference in their labour and service; nay, sometimes the woman is most useful and serviceable; for when a man, through age, is quite worn out and his labour gone, an older woman is capable of managing the affairs of the family, and is of great use and service, either by directing and advising, or by doing: so Jarchi observes, when persons come to old age, a woman is nearly to be reckoned as a man, and quotes a proverb of theirs, an old man in a house is a broken potsherd in the house (some interpret the word, a snare or stumbling block, that is in the way); an old woman in a house is a treasure in a house, a good sign in a houseF16T. Bab. Eracin, fol. 19. 1. vid. Yalkut, par. 1. fol. 198. 1. , of great use in the management of the affairs of the family.
But if he be poorer than thy estimation,.... If he is so poor that he is not able to pay the value that, is set upon him, according to the rules before given:
then he shall present himself before the priest; that has made the estimation, according to the above directions, observing the difference of years, and of male and female; but if a person could not pay the said sums that were appointed, he might apply to the priest, and tell his case:
and the priest shall value him; put a price upon him he is able to pay, as follows:
according to his ability that vowed shall the priest value him; he was to examine into his circumstances, and as they appeared to him he was to put a value on him, which was to be paid, but not less than, a shekel; for if he could not pay that, it was to remain as a debt until he couldF17Maimon. Hilchot Eracin, c. 3. sect. 4. ; and it was the ability of him that made the vow that was to be inquired into, and according to which the estimation was to be made, and not of him that was vowed: so it is said in the Misnah,"ability is regarded in the vower, and years in the vowed, and estimations in the estimated, and according to the tithe of the estimation: ability in the vower, how? a poor man that estimates a rich man, pays the value of a poor man; and a rich man that estimates a poor man, pays the value of a rich man: if he is poor and afterwards becomes rich, or rich and afterwards poor, he pays the price of a rich manF18Misn. Eracin, c. 4. sect. 1,2. ;'but the sense which Jarchi gives is, that a priest in such a case was to judge according to what a man has, and so order him to pay, but was to leave him so as he might live, a bed and bolster, and working tools, and if he had an ass he might leave him that.
And if it be a beast whereof men bring an offering to the Lord,.... That is, it such a creature is devoted, which is of that kind which are used in sacrifice to the Lord, such as bullocks, sheep, goats, rams, and lambs:
all that any man giveth of such unto the Lord shall be holy; shall be set apart to sacred uses, and not applied to profane or common uses, but either were for the use of the altar or of the priests; or the price of them for the repair of the sanctuary, according as they were devoted.
He shall not alter it nor change it,.... Some think these two words signify the same, but AbarbinelF19Apud Muis. in loc. makes them different; according to him, to "alter" is for one of another kind, as one of the herd for one of the flock, or the contrary; and to "change" for one of the same kind:
a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; or, as the Targum of Jonathan,"that which is perfect for that which has a blemish in it, or what has a blemish in it for that which is perfect;'a change might not be made neither for the better nor for the worse, but the creature devoted was to be taken as it was; if not fit for sacrifice it was to be sold, and its price put to other uses; for, as AbarbinelF20Ibid. observes, whatsoever was devoted to sacred use was never to be put to any profane one; and this was also to teach men not to be hasty and fickle in such things, but to consider well what they did, and abide by it; for if such alterations and changes could be admitted of, a man after he had vowed might through covetousness repent, and bring a bad one instead of a good one, or, under pretence of bringing a good one instead of a bad one, might bring a bad one and say it was good, as BechaiF21Apud Muis. ib. observes; even one worse than he had brought, thinking to impose upon the ignorance of the priest; and indeed if he was sincere in it, and had a mind to bring a better than what he had vowed, it was not allowed of; if he made any change, though it was for the better, he was to be beaten, as MaimonidesF23Hilchot Temurah, c. 1. sect. 1. affirms:
and if he shall at all change beast for beast; whether of the same or of a different kind, or whether for better or worse:
then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy: both of them were to be the Lord's, and appropriated to sacred use, of one sort or another, either for sacrifice or for the priests family, or the price of it for the repairs of the sanctuary.
And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the Lord,.... Any creature, excepting a dog, the price of which was not to be brought into the house of the Lord; besides oxen, sheep, goats, rams, and lambs; though some understand it even of such that have blemishes on them, and so not fit to be offered unto the Lord; so Jarchi and othersF24Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Menachot, c. 12. sect. 1. :
then he shall present the beast before the priest; to be viewed, examined, and judged of as to its worth, and a value put upon it, that it might be sold or redeemed, as no other but a beast might; so it is observed birds, wood, frankincense, and ministering vessels, have no redemption, for it is only said a beastF25Misn. ib. .
And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad,.... Put a price upon it according to its worth, as it shall appear to him:
as thou valuest it, who art the priest, so shall it be; that shall be the price at which it shall be sold, not to the owner or devoter of it, for he must give more, as appears from Leviticus 27:13; but, as Jarchi observes, to all other men who come to purchase it.
But if he will at all redeem it,.... The owner of it, or he that has devoted it, if he is determined to have it again at any rate:
then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation; he shall give the full price for it, as rated by the priest, and for which it might be sold to another man, and a fifth part of the value of it besides; this was done that the full price might be paid for it, the priest not knowing, as it might be, the worth of it so well as the owner; and that the value of consecrated things might be kept to, and to make men careful how and what they devoted, since, though redeemable, they were obliged to pay a large price for them.
And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the Lord,.... Shall set it apart for sacred service, devote it to holy uses, so that it may be sold, and the money laid out in sacrifices, the repairs of the temple, &c. under this any other goods are comprehended, concerning which the Jews say,"he that sanctifieth his goods, and his wife's dowry is upon him, or he is a debtor; his wife cannot demand her, dowry out of that which is sanctified, nor a creditor his debt; but if he will redeem he may redeem, on condition that he gives the dowry to the wife, and the debt to the creditor; if he has set apart ninety pounds and his debt is an hundred, he may add a penny more, and with it redeem those goods, on condition he gives the wife her dowry and the creditor his debt: whether he sanctifies or estimates his goods, he has no power over his wife's or children's clothes, nor over coloured things, died on their account, nor on new, shoes he has bought for themF26Misn. Eracin, c. 6. sect. 2,5. , &c.'again it is saidF1Misn. Shekalim, c. 4. sect. 8. ,"if anyone sanctified his goods, and there were among them things fit for the altar; wine, oil, and fowls, R. Eliezer says, they might be sold to those that need any of, that kind, and with the price of them burnt offerings might be bought, and the rest of the goods fell to the repair of the temple:"
then the priest shall estimate it whether it be good or bad; shall examine it of what size and in what condition it is, whether a large well built house or not, and whether in good repair or not, and accordingly set a price upon it:
as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand; according to the price he shall set upon it, it may be sold; whoever will give it may purchase it, excepting the owner or he that has sanctified it, he must pay a fifth part more, as follows.
And if he that sanctifieth it will redeem his house,.... An house set apart for holy uses might be redeemed, either by another paying the price set upon it by the priest, or by the original owner of it paying a fifth part more; and this was the case, whether of houses in walled cities or in villages: so Maimonides says,"he that sanctifies his house, whether it be one of those in walled cities, or of those in villages, it may be always redeemed; he that redeems one out of the hand of holiness (or which has been sanctified), if it is a house in a walled city, and remains in the possession of the redeemer twelve months, it is absolutely his; but if it is a house in the villages, and the jubilee comes, and it is in the possession of the redeemer, it returns to its owner in the jubileeF2Hilchot Eracin, c. 5. sect. 3,4. :'but if the owner of it had a mind to redeem it after he had devoted it:
then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be his; that is, he was to give a fifth part more for the house than it was valued at by the priest, or than another might have it for; the reason of which was, to make men careful how they sanctified or vowed their houses or goods, and that it might be certain that the full value was given for it, the worth of which the priest might not know so well as the owner, and the latter, being willing to give the price set by the former, might give suspicion of it; wherefore, in order to have the full price of it with certainty, and to set an high value on things devoted, the owner was to give a fifth part more than the estimation of it: thus, for instance, if an house thus devoted was valued by the priest at the price of an hundred pounds, the owner was obliged, if he would redeem it, to give an hundred twenty pounds.
And if a man shall sanctify unto the Lord some part of a field of his possession,.... That which he enjoyed by inheritance from his father, to distinguish it from a field of his own purchase, as in Leviticus 27:22; and which might be devoted, not all of it, but a part of it; partly that he might have something to live upon, or to improve for a livelihood for himself and family, and partly that estates might not be alienated entirely from their families and tribes in which they were:
then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof; not according to the field, the goodness or badness of that, one field being good and another bad, as Jarchi observes, but according to the quantity of seed which it produced, or rather which it required for the sowing of it:
an homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver; which was near six pounds of our money; and here we must carefully distinguish between an "omer", beginning with an "o", and an "homer", beginning with an "h"; not observing this has led some learned men into mistakes in their notes on this place, for an "omer" was the tenth part of an "ephah", Exodus 16:36; and an "ephah" is but the tenth part of an "homer", Ezekiel 45:11; which makes a very great difference in this measure of barley, for an homer of it contained ten ephahs or bushels; and even according to this account a bushel of barley is rated very high, for ten bushels at fifty shekels, reckoning a shekel half a crown, or them at six pounds five shillings, are at the rate of twelve shillings and sixpence a bushel, which is too high a price for barley; wherefore as an ephah, the tenth part of an homer, contained three seahs or pecks, and which some call bushels, then an homer consisted of thirty bushels, which brings down the value of it to little more than two shillings a bushel, which is much nearer the true value of barley; but the truth of the matter is, that the value of barley for sowing is not ascertained, as our version leads us to think; for the words should be rendered, if the "seed be an homer of barley", it, the field, shall be valued "at fifty shekels of silver": if the field take so much seed to sow it as the quantity of an homer of barley, then it was to be rated at fifty shekels of silver; and if it took two homers, then it was to be rated at an hundred shekels, and so on.
If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee,.... The very year, as Aben Ezra, while it is current, or when it is past, and he immediately sanctifies it for an holy use, and one comes to redeem it, as Jarchi says, as soon as ever it is devoted, and a priest has valued it, and there is a purchaser of it:
according to thy estimation it shall stand; what price soever the priest set upon it, that it was to go at, and he that had a mind to purchase it might have it for it, unless it was he that devoted it, and then he was to give a fifth part more, as afterwards expressed.
But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee,.... Some years after it, more or fewer, or it may be, when half way towards another jubilee, or nearer:
then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubilee; thus, for instance, if it only required an homer of barley to sow it, and the whole value of it from jubilee to jubilee was but fifty shekels of silver; then supposing it to be sanctified in the middle of the fifty years, or at twenty five years' end, it was to be reckoned at twenty five shekels, and sold for that money, and so in proportion, reckoning a shekel for a year:
and it shall be abated from thy estimation; not the year of jubilee, but a shekel for every year was to be deducted from the original value of fifty shekels, according to the number of years that had passed or were to come.
And if he that sanctified the field shall in any wise redeem it,.... Is desirous of it, and determined upon it at any rate, repenting that he had parted with it in this manner:
then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation to it: the Jerusalem Targum is, the fifth part of the shekels of silver: that is, if he has a mind to redeem it, and is resolved on it, as soon as he has sanctified it, then, besides the fifty shekels of silver it is rated at, and might be sold for to another, he must pay a fifth part thereof, that is, ten shekels more, for reasons before given, Leviticus 27:15,
and it shall be assured to him; remain firm and stable with him, abide by him, and he in the possession of it as his property, ever after, as if he had never sanctified it.
And if he will not redeem the field,.... He that sanctified it, does not care to give for it the settled price of the fifth part besides, but chooses it should be disposed of for the uses he devoted it to:
or if he have sold the field to another man; that is, either the original owner having bought it and sold it again, or rather the priest, the treasurer, as Jarchi, who had the disposal of it, for the uses and purposes for which it was devoted, when sold by him:
it shall not be redeemed any more; it was not in the power of him that sanctified it to make a purchase of it again; the buyer of it might not sell it to him again, for otherwise, by that means, he might come at it cheaper than the law directs; besides, there is another reason for it, which is suggested in Leviticus 27:21.
But the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee,.... Out of the hand of him that bought it:
shall be holy unto the Lord, as a field devoted; though it went out of the hand of the purchaser, it did not return to him that sanctified or devoted it, but was separated to sacred uses for the service of the Lord; for every devoted thing, whether of man, beast, or field, was most holy to the Lord, Leviticus 27:28,
the possession thereof shall be the priests'; it did not return to the treasurer of the sanctuary, who had sold it to another for the repair of the temple, as Jarchi observes, but as a devoted field it was given to the priests, as it is said, "everything devoted in Israel shall be thine", Numbers 18:14; and even this was divided, as he says, between the priests of that ward or course that happened to be on the day of atonement of the jubilee year: but in case it never was redeemed, but remained sanctified in the year of jubilee, the priests did not possess it without paying for it; and so the Jewish canon runsF3Misn. Eracin, c. 7. sect. 4. ,"the jubilee comes, and the field is not redeemed, the priests enter into it, and pay the price of it;'on which one of the commentatorsF4Bartenora in ib. observes, when anyone has redeemed it, the money becomes sacred for the repairs of the temple; and when the jubilee comes, it goes out (i.e. of the hands of the purchaser) to the priests freely; but if it is not redeemed, the priests must pay the price of fifty shekels, and take it; and if even it was bought by a priest before out of the hands of the treasurer, it went from him to his brethren the priests, in the year of jubilee: the rule is this,"if any of the priests redeem it, and, lo, it is in his possession, he may not say, seeing it goes out to the priests in the year of jubilee, lo, it is in my possession, lo, it is mine, but it shall go out to all his brethren the priestsF5Misn. Eracin, c. 7. sect. 3. .'
And if a man sanctify unto the Lord a field which he hath bought,.... With his own money, of some person in poverty and distress, who was obliged to sell it, and which, according to a former law, returned to the original proprietor in the year of jubilee:
which is not of the fields of his possession; which he has not by inheritance from his fathers. Jarchi observes, there is a difference between a field bought, and a field possessed; for a field bought is not divided to the priests in the year of jubilee, because a man cannot sanctify it but until the year of jubilee; for in the year of jubilee it would go out of his hands, and return to the owner; wherefore if he comes to redeem it, he must redeem it with the price fixed for the field of possession: the Jewish doctors are divided about a field bought of a father by a son, whether it is a field of purchase or of possessionF6Misn. Eracin, c. 7. sect. 5. .
Then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation, even unto the year of jubilee,.... The priest was to estimate the field of purchase sanctified, and set a price upon it according to the best of his judgment, and give it to the person that sanctified it, or whoever would redeem it; and this estimate was made, according to the number of years there were to the year of jubilee:
and he shall give thine estimation in that day; the price set upon the field by the priest immediately, either the sanctifier, but without adding the fifth part, as in Leviticus 27:19; so MaimonidesF7Hilchot Eracin, c. 4. sect. 26. observes, or any other purchaser:
as a holy thing unto the Lord; to sacred uses, as the repairs of the temple, &c. to which the purchase money was appropriated.
In the year of jubilee, the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought,.... Not to him that sanctified it, whether he redeemed it or not; nor to him that bought it of the treasurer of the temple after it was sanctified; but to the original proprietor and owner of it, of whom he bought it that sanctified it, for so it follows:
even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong; which was a possession of his he had by inheritance from his fathers, and therefore, according to the law of the year of jubilee, was then to return to him, and could be retained no longer, nor even converted to holy uses; for as it is said in the MisnahF8Ut supra. (Hilchot Eracin, c. 4. sect. 26.) ,"a field of purchase goes not out to the priests in the year of jubilee; for no man can sanctify a thing which is not his own;'as what he had purchased was no longer his than to the year of jubilee, and therefore could not devote it to sacred uses for any longer time.
And all thy estimation shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary,.... The shekel kept in the sanctuary, which was the standard of all shekels; not that there was a shekel in the sanctuary different from the common one; for every shekel ought to have been as that, of the full weight and worth of it; and the estimation was to be according to such a shekel, and the money paid in such, even in full weight:
twenty gerahs shall be the shekel; which the Targum of Jonathan calls "meahs" or "oboli", one of which was about three halfpence of our money, scarce so much, and weighed near eleven grains, as Bishop CumberlandF9Of Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 111. has calculated: see Ezekiel 45:12.
Only the firstlings of the beasts,.... These are excepted from being sanctified, or set apart for sacred uses, for a very good reason, suggested in the next clause:
which should be the Lord's firstling, no man shall sanctify it; it being what he has a claim upon, and ordered to be sanctified to him by a law previous to this, Exodus 13:2; wherefore to sanctify such a creature, would be to sanctify what was his before; not merely in a general sense, in which all creatures are his, but in a special sense, having in a peculiar manner required it as his; and therefore to sanctify, or vow to him, what was his before, must be trifling with him, and mocking of him:
whether it be ox, or sheep; the firstlings of either of them:
it is the Lord's; which he has claimed as his own special and peculiar property, antecedent to any vow of its owner.
And if it be of an unclean beast,.... This is to be understood, not of the firstling of unclean creatures in common, which were to be redeemed with a lamb, and not with money, according to the estimation of the priest, and a fifth part added to that; but of such as were sanctified, or vowed, for the reparation of the sanctuary, as Jarchi notes:
then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation; the price the priest should set upon it, how much it was worth in his judgment:
and shall add a fifth part of it thereto; to the price, set upon a fifth part of that over and above the sum; this the sanctifier, or he that made the vow, was obliged to pay, if he thought fit to redeem it:
or if it be not redeemed; by him, he does not choose to give the price, and the fifth part:
then it shall be sold according to thy estimation; to another man, without the fifth part, that chooses to purchase it, and then the purchase money was laid out for sacred uses.
Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the Lord,.... This is a different vow from the former, expressed by "sanctifying"; for though "sanctifying" and "devoting" were both vows, yet the latter had an execration or curse added to it, by which a man imprecated a curse upon himself, if that itself, which he devoted, was put to any other use than that for which he devoted it; wherefore this sort of vow was absolute and irrevocable, and what was vowed was unalienable, and therefore not to be sold or redeemed as afterwards expressed, whereas things sanctified might:
of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; but must be put to the use for which it was devoted. This must be understood of such as were his own, and he had a right to dispose of; which were in his own power, as Aben Ezra interprets the phrase, "of all that he hath": if of men, they must be such as were his slaves, which he had a despotic power over; such as he could sell, or give to another, or leave to his children for a perpetual inheritance, Leviticus 25:46; and could dispose of as he pleased, and so devote to the service of the priests: thus Jarchi interprets it of menservants and maidservants, Canaanitish ones; and if of beasts, such as were his own property, and not another's; and if of fields, such as were his possession by inheritance. Some Jewish writers, as Abendana, from the phrase, "of all that he hath", gather, that a man might devote only a part of what he had, and not the whole; and so it is said in the Misnah,"a man may devote of his flock and of his herd, of his servants and maidens Canaanites, and of the field of his possession; but if he devote all of them, they are not devotedF11Eracin, c. 8. sect. 4. ,'the vow is null and void; and so one of the commentatorsF12Bartenora in ib. upon it says, he may devote some movable things, but not all; some of his Canaanitish servants and maidens, but not all; some part of the field of his possession, but not the whole: but a man's children, and Hebrew servants, and purchased fields, according to the Jewish canon, might not be devoted;"if anyone devotes his son or his daughter, his servant or his handmaid, that are Hebrews, or the field of his purchase, they are not devoted (or to be reckoned so), for no man devotes (or ought to devote) what is not his ownF13lb. sect. 5. .'A commentatorF14Bartenora in Misn. Eracin, c. 8. sect. 5. excepts his daughter, and says, he may devote his daughter, because he may sell her while a minor, but not an adult virgin; see Exodus 21:7,
every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord; and therefore not to be appropriated to any use but his, nor to be meddled with, not even touched or handled by any but the priests, as the most holy things that were eatable were only to be eaten by them.
None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed,.... This is said, not of such men as are devoted to the Lord, as in the preceding verse; for it is not said here as there, "none devoted unto the Lord", but of such as are devoted to ruin and destruction, for whom there was no redemption, but they must die; nor is it said, "which is devoted by men, but of men", or from among men; whether they be devoted by God himself, as all idolaters, and particularly the seven nations of the land of Canaan, and especially the Amalekites, who therefore were not to be spared on any account, but to be put to death, Exodus 22:20. So in the TalmudF15T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 38. 2. , this is interpreted of Canaanitish servants and handmaids; or whether devoted by men to destruction, either by the people of Israel, as their avowed enemies they should take in war, whom, and their cities, they vowed to the Lord they would utterly destroy, Numbers 21:2; and of such Aben Ezra interprets the words of the text; or such as were doomed by the civil magistrates to die for capital crimes, by stoning, burning, strangling, and slaying with the sword. And this sense is given into by many; because the judges kill with many kinds of death, therefore, says Chaskuni, it is said "every devoted thing", as if he should say, with whatsoever of the four kinds of death the judges pass sentence of destruction on a man, he must die that death; so Jarchi and Ben Melech interpret it of such as go out to be slain, i.e. by the decree of the judges; and if one says, his estimation, or the price of him be upon me, he says nothing, it is of no avail:
but shall surely be put to death; as the same writer observes, lo, he goes forth to die, he shall not be redeemed, neither by price nor estimation. The Targum of Jonathan is,"he shall not he redeemed with silver, but with burnt offerings, and holy sacrifices, and petitions of mercy, because he is condemned by a sentence to be slain.'And of either, or of all of these, may the words be understood, and not as they are by some, as if Jewish parents and masters had such a power over their children and servants to devote them to death, or in such a manner devote them, that they were obliged to put them to death; for though they had power in some cases to sell, yet had no power over their lives to take them away, or to devote them to death, which would be a breach of the sixth command, and punishable with death; even a master that accidentally killed his servant did not escape punishment; nay, if he did him any injury, by smiting out an eye, or a tooth, he was obliged to give him his freedom, and much less had he power to take away his life, or devote him to destruction. Some have thought, that it was through a mistaken sense of this law, that Jephthah having made a rash vow sacrificed his daughter, Judges 11:30; but it is a question whether he did or not.
And all the tithe of the land,.... Of which there were various sorts, the first tithe, the tithe out of the tithe, the second tithe, and the poor's tithe, which are generally reduced to three,"The first tenth part of all increase I gave to the sons of Aaron, who ministered at Jerusalem: another tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it every year at Jerusalem:' (Tobit 1:7)so MaimonidesF16Hilchot Maaser Sheni, c. 1. sect. 1. says,"after they had separated the first tithe every year, they separate the second tithe, as it is said Deuteronomy 14:22; and in the third year, and in the sixth, they separate the poor's tithe, instead of the second tithe:'so that, properly speaking, there were but two tithes, though commonly reckoned three; the tithes of all eatables were given to the Levites every year, and a tenth part of that given by the Levites to the priests, and the second tithe was eaten by the owners; instead of which, according to the above writer, in the third and sixth years it was given to the poor, and called theirs; of this second tithe, Jarchi interprets this law, and so does MaimonidesF17Hilchot Maaser, c. 1. sect. 2. :
whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: is to be given to him as an acknowledgment of his being the proprietor of the land, and that all the increase of it is owing to his blessing, and therefore is given in way of gratitude to him: the former of these takes in all sorts of corn that is man's food, as wheat and barley; and the latter wine and oil, and all sorts of fruits that are eatable; for it is said to be a general rule, that whatever is for food, and is preserved (having an owner, and not being common), and grows up out of the earth, is bound to tithesF18Misn. Masserot, c. 1. sect. 1. :
it is holy unto the Lord; the first tithe was eaten by the priests and Levites only, and the other before the Lord in Jerusalem only, and that by clean persons. Something of this kind obtained among the Heathens, it may be in imitation of this, particularly among the Grecians; PisistratusF19In Laert. Vit. Solon. p. 36. tells Solon, that everyone of the Athenians gave a tenth part of his inheritance, not to me, says he, who was their governor, but for public sacrifices, and the common good, and when engaged in war, to defray the charge of it; and so, by the oracle of Apollo, the Corcyraenans were directed to send to Olympia and Delphos the tenth part of the produce of their fieldsF20Pausan. Phocica, sive, l. 10. p. 624. ; and by the same oracle, the island of the Syphnians, in which was a golden mine, were ordered to bring the tenth of it to the same placeF21Ibid. p. 628. . So the PelasgiF23Dionys. Halicarnass. apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 4. p. 159. in a time of scarcity vowed the tithes of all their increase to the gods, and having obtained their wish, devoted the tenth of all their fruits and cattle to them.
And if a man, will redeem ought of his tithes,.... Of his own, and not his neighbour's, as Jarchi observes; for if he redeemed the tithes of his neighbour, but did not add a fifth part, which he was obliged to do if he redeemed his own, as follows:
he shall add thereunto the fifth part thereof; besides giving the value for what part of his tithes he redeemed, he gave a fifth part of that sum over and above; as, supposing the tithe was worth fifty shillings, then he gave that, and ten shillings more, and so in proportion. The use of this redemption, as Jarchi suggests, was, that he might have liberty of eating it in any place: for he understands it of the second tithe, as before observed, and which was to be eaten at Jerusalem.
And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock,.... Of oxen and sheep, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; for this law only concerns such, as MaimonidesF24Hilchot Becorot, c. 6. sect. 1. observes, for none but clean beasts were tithed, though the firstlings of unclean beasts were to be redeemed:
even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord: which being slain, the blood and fat were to be offered the altar, and the flesh eaten by the owners, as Jarchi observes; who adds, this is not reckoned with the rest of the gifts of the priesthood; and we do not find it was given to the priests: the "rod", under which these are said to pass, is either the shepherd's rod, as Aben Ezra under, which they passed morning and evening, when led out or brought in, as in Jeremiah 33:13; or the rod of the tither: the manner of tithing, as described by Maimonides, was this;"he gathers all the lambs and all the calves into a field, and makes a little door to it, so that two cannot go out at once; and he places their dams without, and they bleat, so that the lambs hear their voice, and go out of the fold to meet them, as it is said, "whatsoever passeth under the rod"; for it must pass of itself, and not be brought out by his hand; and when they go out of the fold, after another, he begins and counts them with the rod, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and the tenth that goes out, whether male or female, whether perfect or blemished, he marks with a red mark, and says, this is the titheF25lbid. c. 7. sect. 1. :'the time of tithing the cattle was on the first of Elul or August; for so it is saidF26Misn. Roshhashanah, c. 1. sect. 1. ,"the first of Elul is the beginning of the year for the tithing of beasts;'when they tithed all that were born the preceding year: but we are elsewhere toldF1Misn. Becorot, c. 9. sect. 1. , there were three times for tithing beasts; fifteen days before the passover, (which was the last of Adar or February,) and fifteen days before the Pentecost, and fifteen days before the feast of tabernacles, which was the last of Elul or August; and these tithings were made for the sake of those that went up to these feasts, that it might be certain the cattle sold and eaten were tithed.
He shall not search whether it be good or bad,.... In a good or bad state of health, fat or lean, perfect or blemished, but take it as it is, be it what it will:
neither shall he change it; neither for the better nor the worse, no alteration was to be made, but the beast was to be taken as it came:
and if he change it at all, then both it and the change shall be holy; be sacred to the Lord, and for his use and service; this was done to restrain men from making any alteration, since if they did, both the one and the other were taken from them; yea, were to be beaten with forty stripes, save oneF2Misnah Temurah, c. 1. sect. 1,2. ; whether this change was of the herd with the flock, or of the flock with the herd; or of lambs with goats, or goats with lambs; or of males with females, or of females with males; or of perfect with blemished ones, or of blemished ones with perfect ones:
it shall not be redeemed; from whence the JewsF3Maimon. Hilchot Becorot, c. 6. sect. 5,6. gather, that a tithe beast was not to be bought and sold, whether blemished or unblemished.
These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses,.... Meaning either what are contained in this chapter, or rather in the whole book, which he delivered to Moses:
for the children of Israel; to be observed by them, priests and people: and these were given to him
in Mount Sinai; either when upon it, or rather when near it, in the wilderness of it, after the tabernacle was set up, and the Lord spake to him out of that; see Leviticus 1:1.