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
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 27
Commentary on Leviticus 27 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 27
Le 27:1-18. Concerning Vows.
2-8. When a man shall make a singular vow, &c.—Persons have, at all times and in all places, been accustomed to present votive offerings, either from gratitude for benefits received, or in the event of deliverance from apprehended evil. And Moses was empowered, by divine authority, to prescribe the conditions of this voluntary duty.
the persons shall be for the Lord, &c.—better rendered thus:—"According to thy estimation, the persons shall be for the Lord." Persons might consecrate themselves or their children to the divine service, in some inferior or servile kind of work about the sanctuary (1Sa 3:1). In the event of any change, the persons so devoted had the privilege in their power of redeeming themselves; and this chapter specifies the amount of the redemption money, which the priest had the discretionary power of reducing, as circumstances might seem to require. Those of mature age, between twenty and sixty, being capable of the greatest service, were rated highest; young people, from five till twenty, less, because not so serviceable; infants, though devotable by their parents before birth (1Sa 1:11), could not be offered nor redeemed till a month after birth; old people were valued below the young, but above children; and the poor—in no case freed from payment, in order to prevent the rash formation of vows—were rated according to their means.
9-13. if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the Lord—a clean beast. After it had been vowed, it could neither be employed in common purposes nor exchanged for an equivalent—it must be sacrificed—or if, through some discovered blemish, it was unsuitable for the altar, it might be sold, and the money applied for the sacred service. If an unclean beast—such as an ass or camel, for instance, had been vowed, it was to be appropriated to the use of the priest at the estimated value, or it might be redeemed by the person vowing on payment of that value, and the additional fine of a fifth more.
14, 15. when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the Lord, &c.—In this case, the house having been valued by the priest and sold, the proceeds of the sale were to be dedicated to the sanctuary. But if the owner wished, on second thought, to redeem it, he might have it by adding a fifth part to the price.
16-24. if a man shall sanctify unto the Lord some aprt of a field of his possession, &c.—In the case of acquired property in land, if not redeemed, it returned to the donor at the Jubilee; whereas the part of a hereditary estate, which had been vowed, did not revert to the owner, but remained attached in perpetuity to the sanctuary. The reason for this remarkable difference was to lay every man under an obligation to redeem the property, or stimulate his nearest kinsman to do it, in order to prevent a patrimonial inheritance going out from any family in Israel.
26, 27. Only the firstling of the beasts—These, in the case of clean beasts, being consecrated to God by a universal and standing law (Ex 13:12; 34:19), could not be devoted; and in that of unclean beasts, were subject to the rule mentioned (Le 27:11, 12).
28, 29. no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath, … shall be sold or redeemed—This relates to vows of the most solemn kind—the devotee accompanying his vow with a solemn imprecation on himself not to fail in accomplishing his declared purpose.
29. shall surely be put to death—This announcement imported not that the person was to be sacrificed or doomed to a violent death; but only that he should remain till death unalterably in the devoted condition. The preceding regulations were evidently designed to prevent rashness in vowing (Ec 5:4) and to encourage serious and considerate reflection in all matters between God and the soul (Lu 21:4).
30-33. all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land—This law gave the sanction of divine authority to an ancient usage (Ge 14:20; 28:22). The whole produce of the land was subjected to the tithe tribute—it was a yearly rent which the Israelites, as tenants, paid to God, the owner of the land, and a thank offering they rendered to Him for the bounties of His providence. (See Pr 3:9; 1Co 9:11; Ga 6:6).
32. whatsoever passeth under the rod, &c.—This alludes to the mode of taking the tithe of cattle, which were made to pass singly through a narrow gateway, where a person with a rod, dipped in ochre, stood, and counting them, marked the back of every tenth beast, whether male or female, sound or unsound.
34. These are the commandments, &c.—The laws contained in this book, for the most part ceremonial, had an important spiritual bearing, the study of which is highly instructive (Ro 10:4; Heb 4:2; 12:18). They imposed a burdensome yoke (Ac 15:10), but yet in the infantine age of the Church formed the necessary discipline of "a schoolmaster to Christ" [Ga 3:24].