Leviticus Chapter 27 — Vows and Valuations
This chapter details the regulations for voluntary vows and the monetary valuations for people, animals, and property dedicated to God.
1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When a man consecrates a person to the LORD in a vow, according to your valuation,
3your valuation of a male from twenty years old to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel*A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces. of the sanctuary.
4If she is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.
5If the person is from five years old to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
6If the person is from a month old 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.
7If the person is from sixty years old and upward; if he is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
8But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall assign a value to him. The priest shall assign a value according to his ability to pay.
9“ ‘If it is an animal of which men offer an offering to the LORD, all that any man gives of such to the LORD becomes holy.
10He shall not alter it, nor exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good. If he shall at all exchange animal for animal, then both it and that for which it is exchanged shall be holy.
11If it is any unclean animal, of which they do not offer as an offering to the LORD, then he shall set the animal before the priest;
12and the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad. As the priest evaluates it, so it shall be.
13But 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 the LORD, then the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad. As the priest evaluates it, so it shall stand.
15If 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 the LORD part of the field of his possession, then your valuation shall be according to the seed for it. The sowing of a homer†1 homer is about 220 liters or 6 bushels of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels‡A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces. of silver.
17If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand.
18But 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.
19If 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.
20If he will not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more;
21but the field, when it goes out in the Jubilee, shall be holy to the LORD, as a devoted field. It shall be owned by the priests.
22“ ‘If he dedicates a field to the LORD which he has bought, which is not of the field of his possession,
23then 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 the LORD.
24In 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.
25All your valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs§A gerah is about 0.5 grams or about 7.7 grains. to the shekel.*A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.
26“ ‘However the firstborn among animals, which belongs to the LORD as a firstborn, no man may dedicate, whether an ox or a sheep. It is the LORD’s.
27If 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 devotes to the LORD of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Everything that is permanently devoted is most holy to the LORD.
29“ ‘No one devoted to destruction, 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 the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD.
31If a man redeems anything of his tithe, he shall add a fifth part to it.
32All the tithe of the herds or the flocks, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to the LORD.
33He shall not examine whether it is good or bad, neither shall he exchange it. If he exchanges it at all, then both it and that for which it is exchanged shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed.’ ”
34These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Leviticus 27:8
“But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall assign a value to him. The priest shall assign a value according to his ability to pay.”
This verse demonstrates the accessibility of the law, ensuring that even those with limited means could fulfill their vows to God.
Leviticus 27:30
“All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD.”
This is a foundational verse regarding the practice of tithing, establishing that a portion of the land's increase belongs to God.
Leviticus 27:34
“These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.”
This concluding statement identifies the divine source and historical context of the laws recorded throughout the book.
Chapter Summary
Leviticus 27 serves as an appendix to the book, focusing on the laws surrounding voluntary vows and the consecration of property. It establishes specific monetary values for individuals dedicated to the Lord, categorized by age and gender, while providing adjustments for those who are too poor to pay the standard rate. The text also covers the dedication of animals, houses, and land. For items being redeemed, a surcharge of one-fifth of the valuation is typically required. The chapter makes a distinction for 'devoted' things, which are considered permanently set apart and cannot be redeemed. It concludes with the laws of the tithe, declaring that a tenth of all produce and livestock belongs to the Lord, and emphasizes that these commands were given to Moses on Mount Sinai for the children of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questions
The value was based on specific age and gender brackets. For example, a male between 20 and 60 years old was valued at fifty shekels, while a female of the same age was valued at thirty shekels. These values represented a standard donation to the sanctuary.
In most cases involving houses, animals, or land, a person could redeem the item by paying its assigned value plus an additional twenty percent (one-fifth) of that value.
Something 'devoted' (herem) was considered most holy and set apart permanently. Unlike items dedicated through a standard vow, devoted things could not be sold or redeemed; they belonged entirely to the sanctuary or the priests.
The tithe was determined by having the animals pass under a rod. Every tenth animal was marked as holy to the Lord, regardless of whether it was 'good or bad.' The owner was not permitted to swap or exchange the selected animal.
Study Note
The 'shekel of the sanctuary' mentioned in verse 25 refers to a standardized weight kept by the priests to ensure consistent and honest economic transactions within the community.
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