Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 27

Verse 2

27:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a {a} singular vow, the persons [shall be] for the LORD by {b} thy estimation.

(a) As of his son or daughter.

(b) Who art the priest.

Verse 3

27:3 And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty {c} shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

(c) Read the value of the shekel in Exodus 30:13.

Verse 6

27:6 And if [it be] from a {d} 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.

(d) He speaks of those vows by which the fathers dedicated their children to God who were not of such force; but they might be redeemed from them.

Verse 8

27:8 But if he be poorer {e} 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.

(e) If he is not able to pay according to your estimate.

Verse 9

27:9 And if [it be] a {f} beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that [any man] giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy.

(f) Which is clean, Leviticus 11:2.

Verse 10

27:10 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 {g} holy.

(g) That is, consecrate to the Lord.

Verse 16

27:16 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 {i} homer of barley seed [shall be valued] at fifty shekels of silver.

(i) Homer is a measure containing ten ephahs, read of an ephah in Exodus 16:16; Exodus 16:36.

Verse 20

27:20 And if he will not redeem the field, or if he have {k} sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more.

(k) For their own necessity or godly uses.

Verse 21

27:21 But the field, when it goeth out in the jubile, shall be {l} holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest’s.

(l) That is, who dedicate to the Lord with a curse to him that turns it to his private use, Numbers 21:2, De 13:15, Joshua 9:17.

Verse 23

27:23 Then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation, [even] unto the year of the jubile: and he shall give {m} thine estimation in that day, [as] a holy thing unto the LORD.

(m) The priests evaluation.

Verse 26

27:26 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 {n} LORD’S.

(n) It was the Lord’s already.

Verse 29

27:29 None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; [but] shall surely be {o} put to death.

(o) It shall remain without redemption.

Verse 31

27:31 And if a man will at all redeem [ought] of his tithes, he shall add thereto the {p} fifth [part] thereof.

(p) Besides the value of the thing itself.

Verse 32

27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, [even] of whatsoever passeth under the {q} rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

(q) All that which is numbered: that is, every tenth as he falls by tale without exception or respect.