Leviticus 27 meaning explained in AI Summary

Valuation for Vows and Offerings

• Voluntary Offerings and Redemptions: This chapter establishes a system for valuing different things that could be offered to God as a fulfillment of a vow or as a freewill offering. The value determined the amount a person would owe if they wished to redeem the offering later.
• People, Animals, and Land: The chapter provides specific guidelines for valuing people (slaves and servants), animals (suitable or unsuitable for sacrifice), and houses or land dedicated to the Lord. This created a structured system for fulfilling vows and offerings.
• Firstborn Belong to God: An important principle is reiterated: all firstborn males, both human and animal, were already considered dedicated to God. Specific procedures are outlined for redeeming or sacrificing them.

Leviticus 27 deals with the redemption of things dedicated to the Lord. It outlines the procedures and regulations for fulfilling vows made to God, focusing on various categories:

1. Personal Dedications (Verses 1-13):

• People: A value is assigned based on age and gender, with options for redemption payments. (Verses 1-8)
• Unclean Animals: Can be redeemed at a priest-determined price or by adding 20% to its value. (Verses 9-10)
• Clean Animals: Can be redeemed at a priest-determined price or by sacrificing it and adding 20% of its value. (Verses 11-13)

2. Property Dedications (Verses 14-25):

• Houses: Redeemable at a priest-determined price based on value and time of dedication. (Verses 14-15)
• Fields: Redeemable at a price based on the Jubilee year and harvest value. (Verses 16-21)
• Inherited Fields: Follow the same rules as other fields, even if dedicated before the Jubilee year. (Verses 22-24)
• Unredeemable Property: Cities, fields belonging to Levites, and anything specifically designated "most holy" cannot be redeemed. (Verse 25)

3. Tithes (Verses 26-34):

• Firstborn Animals: Belong to God and are not redeemable. (Verse 26)
• Firstborn Donkeys: Can be redeemed with a lamb or put to death. (Verse 27)
• Firstborn Humans: Redeemable with a set price. (Verse 28)
• Firstfruits: Belong to God and are not redeemable. (Verses 29-31)
• Tithe of the Land: Belong to God and are not redeemable. (Verses 32-33)
• Tithe of the Herd and Flock: Every tenth animal belongs to God and cannot be redeemed. (Verse 34)

Overall, Leviticus 27 emphasizes:

• The seriousness of vows made to God: Once dedicated, something belongs to God and requires specific procedures for redemption.
• God's provision for redemption: Even if someone cannot fulfill their vow directly, there are options for redemption through payment or sacrifice.
• The holiness of certain things: Some things, like firstborn animals and tithes, belong entirely to God and cannot be redeemed, highlighting their sacredness.

This chapter provides a detailed framework for the Israelites to navigate their relationship with God, ensuring their vows are treated with respect and their obligations are fulfilled according to His law.

Leviticus 27 bible study ai commentary

Leviticus chapter 27 serves as an appendix to the book, detailing the laws concerning things voluntarily vowed or obligatorily dedicated to God. It establishes an orderly system for monetary valuations, redemption procedures, and the handling of consecrated persons, animals, property, and tithes. The chapter's core theme is that God is the ultimate owner of all things, and any devotion to Him must be treated with the utmost seriousness. These laws, while practical for Israel, prophetically point toward a greater reality: the inadequacy of redeeming things with silver and gold and the necessity of the ultimate, unredeemable sacrifice of Christ.

Leviticus 27 context

This chapter concludes the legal and ritual codes given at Mount Sinai. Vows (neder) were a common practice in the Ancient Near East (ANE), where individuals would promise something to a deity in exchange for favor or help. However, these practices were often arbitrary or exploitative. The regulations in Leviticus 27 distinguish Israelite practice by providing a standardized, fair, and orderly system under priestly authority. It introduces a fixed "shekel of the sanctuary" as the standard of value, preventing both the wealthy from ostentatiously over-valuing their vows and the poor from being excluded. The laws prevent the commercialization of piety and emphasize the solemnity of one's word before Yahweh, setting a high moral and spiritual standard distinct from surrounding cultures.

Leviticus 27:1-2

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons,"

In-depth-analysis

• A Special Vow: The Hebrew word is neder (נֶדֶר). This is a voluntary vow, distinct from the required sacrifices and offerings detailed earlier in Leviticus.
• Valuation of Persons: This is not a valuation of a person's intrinsic worth or market value as a slave. The Hebrew ‘erek (עֵרֶךְ) refers to a pre-determined, fixed equivalent value set by God's law. This standardized system ensured fairness, preventing a vow from being dependent on a person's wealth, status, or physical ability. A person would vow themselves or someone under their authority (e.g., a child) to dedicated service at the sanctuary. Since the sanctuary could not accommodate everyone, this system allowed the service to be converted into a monetary equivalent which would then support the Tabernacle/Temple.

Bible references

• 1 Sam 1:11, 28: "And she vowed a vow and said, 'O LORD of hosts... I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life'... Therefore I have lent him to the LORD." (Hannah's vow of Samuel to sanctuary service is a prime example).
• Gen 28:20-22: "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me... then the LORD shall be my God... and of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.'" (Early example of a voluntary vow).
• Acts 18:18: "Paul... took a vow..." (Demonstrates the continuation of vow-taking practices in the early church).

Cross references

Judg 11:30-31 (Jephthah's rash vow); Psa 66:13-14 (Vows paid in the temple); Eccl 5:4-5 (Warning against failing to pay vows).

Leviticus 27:3-7

your valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver... If the person is a female, your valuation shall be thirty shekels... from five years old up to twenty years old... male... twenty shekels... female ten shekels... from one month old up to five years old... male... five shekels... female three shekels... from sixty years old and upward... male... fifteen shekels... female... ten shekels.

In-depth-analysis

• This section provides a standardized table for the valuation (‘erek) based on age and sex.
• The monetary differences are not based on spiritual or intrinsic worth but likely reflect the societal and economic realities of an agrarian society, where value was tied to potential physical labor. A male from 20-60 was at the peak of his strength and economic potential.
• The valuation for a prime male worker (50 shekels) is significantly higher than a prime female worker (30 shekels). Notably, 30 shekels is the price of a slave gored by an ox (Exo 21:32) and the price for which Judas betrayed Jesus (Matt 26:15).
• Even infants and the elderly have a valuation, showing that a vow concerning any person, regardless of ability, was to be taken seriously.

Bible references

• Exo 21:32: "If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver..." (Context for the 30-shekel valuation).
• Matt 26:15: "and said, 'What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?' And they paid him thirty pieces of silver." (Judas' betrayal price tragically echoes this valuation).
• Gal 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (The New Covenant fulfillment transcends these economic and social distinctions).

Cross references

Num 3:47 (Redemption price of firstborn); Num 18:16 (Valuation of the unclean firstborn).

Leviticus 27:8

But if he is too poor to pay your valuation, then he shall be made to stand before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to what the vower can afford the priest shall value him.

In-depth-analysis

• Mercy for the Poor: This verse is a crucial expression of God's grace within the Law. It ensures that poverty does not invalidate a person's devotion or prevent them from fulfilling a vow.
• Priest's Discretion: The priest acts as God's arbiter, assessing the person's genuine ability to pay. The standard valuation is set aside, and a new one is made "according to what the vower can afford."
• This protects the system from becoming a burden or a tool of oppression, emphasizing that the heart's intention is more important to God than the monetary amount.

Bible references

• Lev 5:7: "But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass... two turtledoves or two pigeons..." (Shows a consistent principle of concession for the poor throughout Levitical law).
• Mark 12:43-44: "And he called his disciples to him and said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all... she... put in everything she had.'" (Jesus affirms the principle that the value of an offering is based on the giver's capacity, not the absolute amount).

Cross references

Lev 14:21 (Concession for poor lepers); 2 Cor 8:12 (Willingness to give is what matters).

Leviticus 27:9-13

"If it is an animal that can be offered as an offering to the LORD, all of it that he gives to the LORD is holy. He shall not exchange it or substitute it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; and if he does substitute an animal for an animal, then both it and its substitute shall be holy. And if it is any unclean animal... then he shall set the animal before the priest, and the priest shall value it... If he wishes to redeem it, he shall add a fifth to its valuation.

In-depth-analysis

• Clean Animals: An animal ritually clean for sacrifice (e.g., bull, sheep, goat), once vowed, becomes "holy" (qodesh). It irrevocably belongs to the sanctuary for sacrifice.
• No Substitution: The prohibition against swapping the animal ("good for a bad, or a bad for a good") prevents second-guessing the vow or trying to cheat God by offering a lesser animal. The penalty for attempting to do so—forfeiting both animals—is a powerful deterrent. This stresses the finality and seriousness of a vow.
• Unclean Animals: An unclean animal (e.g., donkey, camel) could not be sacrificed. It was valued by the priest based on its market worth. The vower could either give the animal (which the priests would then sell) or redeem it.
• Redemption Penalty: To redeem the unclean animal, the vower had to pay its assessed value plus a 20% (one-fifth) penalty. This penalty discourages casual redemption and reinforces that something dedicated to God should not be lightly taken back.

Bible references

• Mal 1:8, 14: "When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil?... Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished." (Directly condemns the attitude these laws were meant to prevent).
• 1 Pet 1:18-19: "...you were redeemed... not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (Contrasts the Levitical system of monetary redemption with the ultimate, priceless redemption in Christ).

Cross references

Lev 22:21-25 (Offerings must be without blemish); Lev 5:16 (The "add a fifth" penalty for restitution).

Leviticus 27:14-15

"When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the LORD, the priest shall value it... If the man who dedicates it wishes to redeem his house, he shall add a fifth to its valuation, and it shall be his."

In-depth-analysis

• This law parallels the one for unclean animals. A house, like an unclean animal, has secular value but cannot be used in a ritual sacrifice.
• Dedication and Redemption: A person could vow their house to God. The priest would assess its market value. The proceeds from its use or sale would go to the sanctuary.
• The owner could buy back his own dedicated house but only by paying the priest's valuation plus the standard 20% (one-fifth) penalty, again discouraging frivolous vows.

Bible references

• 2 Cor 5:1: "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (The concept of our bodies/lives as a "house" dedicated to God).

Cross references

Lev 27:13 (Parallels redemption of an animal); Neh 10:32 (Communal commitment to support God's house).

Leviticus 27:16-25

"If a man dedicates to the LORD part of the land of his possession... Your valuation shall be according to the seed for it... If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee, it shall stand at your full valuation. But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, then the priest shall calculate the price... it shall be released in the Year of Jubilee... But if he does not wish to redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed anymore... the field... shall be holy to the LORD, as a field that has been devoted; the priest shall have it as his possession.

In-depth-analysis

• Land Vows and Jubilee: The valuation of ancestral land is uniquely tied to the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25), when all such land was to return to its original family.
• Valuation Based on Productivity: The value was not based on acreage but on its yield, calculated by the amount of seed needed to sow it (e.g., 50 shekels for a homer of barley seed). The price was then prorated based on the number of years remaining until the next Jubilee.
• Redemption: The owner could redeem it by paying the prorated value plus the 20% penalty.
• Permanent Forfeiture: The land becomes permanently lost to the vower's family under two conditions:
  1. If it's not redeemed and the Jubilee arrives, it becomes the permanent property of the priesthood.
  2. If the vower, after dedicating it, fraudulently sells it to someone else, he forfeits all rights to it, and it goes to the priests at Jubilee. This punished deceit.
• Shekel of the Sanctuary (v. 25): This verse standardizes the currency for all sanctuary transactions, based on a weight of twenty gerahs, ensuring a consistent and fair measure.

Bible references

• Lev 25:10, 23: "And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year... it shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property... The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine." (The foundational principle governing these laws).
• Eze 45:12: "And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs..." (Reaffirms the standard weight for the sanctuary shekel).
• Acts 5:1-4: "But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property... and kept back for himself some of the proceeds... Peter said, '...Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.'" (Holding back what was vowed to God, like selling a dedicated field, has severe consequences).

Cross references

Num 27:8-11 (Laws of inheritance); Ruth 4 (Kinsman-redeemer and land).

Leviticus 27:26-27

"But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD’s. And if it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back at your valuation, and add a fifth to it; or if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold at your valuation."

In-depth-analysis

• What Cannot Be Vowed: This sets a key boundary. A person cannot voluntarily vow something that already belongs to God by law.
• Firstborn Belongs to God: The firstborn of all clean livestock were already holy and designated for the Lord as a sacrifice. To "vow" one would be a meaningless gesture.
• Unclean Firstborn: The firstborn of an unclean animal (like a donkey) was also God's but could not be sacrificed. It had to be redeemed for its value plus the 20% penalty, or else it was sold by the priest.

Bible references

• Exo 13:2: "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." (The original command establishing God's ownership of the firstborn).
• Col 1:15: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." (Jesus is the ultimate Firstborn who belongs to God, fulfilling this principle).

Cross references

Num 3:13 (Firstborn consecrated to God); Deut 15:19 (Law of the firstborn animal).

Leviticus 27:28-29

"But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD from anything that he has, whether of man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD. No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death."

In-depth-analysis

• Devoted Things (Herem): This introduces the most severe level of dedication, herem (חֵרֶם). Unlike a neder (vow), something made herem was irrevocably and permanently given over to God. It was "most holy" and could not be sold or redeemed.
• Context of Herem: This law is often misunderstood as permitting human sacrifice. It does not. The practice of herem was primarily applied in holy war under God's specific command, where enemy cities, people, and idols were "devoted to destruction" as an act of divine judgment (e.g., Jericho).
• "No One Devoted... Shall Be Ransomed": This likely refers to a person placed under the ban of divine judgment (like Achan), not an Israelite vowing their child. It served to regulate the practice of herem, ensuring that once God's judgment was declared, it could not be commuted for a price. This was a polemic against pagan practices and prevented bribery or human trafficking under a religious guise.

Bible references

• Josh 6:17: "And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction (herem)..." (The classic example of herem in holy war).
• 1 Sam 15:3: "Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction (herem) all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman..." (Saul's failure to fully obey this command led to his downfall).
• Gal 3:13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'" (Christ, in a theological sense, became herem for us, taking the curse of destruction so that we could be redeemed).

Cross references

Josh 7:15 (Achan, who took of the herem thing, became herem); Num 21:2-3 (Israel devoting Canaanite cities to destruction).

Leviticus 27:30-33

"Every 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... And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the LORD. One shall not differentiate between good or bad, nor shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and its substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed."

In-depth-analysis

• The Tithe is Not a Vow: Like the firstborn, the tithe (tenth part) is not a voluntary gift; it already "is the LORD's." The chapter concludes by reinforcing this obligatory holiness.
• Redemption of Produce Tithe: The tithe of produce could be redeemed, but only with the 20% penalty. This might be done for convenience (e.g., if one lived far from the sanctuary).
• Irredeemable Livestock Tithe: The tithe of the herd/flock could not be redeemed.
• "Pass under the Staff": This describes the counting method. A herdsman would have his animals pass through a narrow gate one by one, and he would mark every tenth one with a rod dipped in paint. The process was random, preventing the owner from pre-selecting the worst animals for the tithe. This rule parallels the law against substituting vowed animals (v. 10), ensuring God receives a fair representation of the flock, not the leftovers.

Bible references

• Gen 14:20: "And Abram gave him a tenth of everything." (Pre-Mosaic example of tithing to God's priest, Melchizedek).
• Matt 23:23: "Woe to you... for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others." (Jesus affirms the practice of tithing but condemns making it a substitute for true righteousness).
• Heb 7:5-6: "And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment... to take tithes from the people... But this man [Melchizedek]... collected a tenth from Abraham." (The writer of Hebrews uses the principle of tithing to argue for Christ's superior priesthood).

Cross references

Num 18:21 (The tithe is for the support of the Levites); Deut 14:22-29 (Laws concerning the use of the tithe).

Leviticus chapter 27 analysis

• From Voluntary to Obligatory: The chapter's structure moves progressively from the most voluntary acts of devotion (special vows) to things that are obligatorily God's (firstborn and tithes), forming a comprehensive summary of material dedication.
• The 20% Penalty: The recurring addition of "a fifth" (20%) for redemption is a consistent legal principle in Leviticus (see also Lev 5:16, 6:5). It acts as a "seriousness tax," deterring people from making vows lightly or trying to retract their commitments for personal gain. It underscores the sanctity of what has been set apart for God.
• Typology of Redemption: The entire chapter builds a theology of redemption. Almost everything dedicated to God can be bought back with money (silver shekels) plus a penalty. This creates a powerful shadow of the New Covenant reality. All these valuations and redemptions are ultimately insufficient. The New Testament teaches that we are not redeemed by money ("silver or gold") but by the "precious blood of Christ" (1 Pet 1:18-19), who is the one thing dedicated to God that could not be, and was not, redeemed. His sacrifice is the final, irrevocable herem against sin and a full payment far beyond any valuation.
• God's Ownership: The overarching message is that God is the true owner of everything—people, animals, land. Offerings, vows, and tithes are not about "giving God something He doesn't have" but about acknowledging His ownership and lordship over every aspect of life in a tangible, orderly, and serious way.

Leviticus 27 summary

Leviticus 27 provides an appendix of laws governing vows and dedications. It establishes fair, standardized valuations for consecrated people, animals, and property, with provisions for redemption that include a penalty to ensure sincerity. It distinguishes between voluntary vows (neder), the irrevocable devotion of something to God (herem), and items that already belong to God by law (firstborn and tithes). The chapter frames all material devotion within an orderly system that acknowledges God's ultimate ownership and foreshadows the priceless, final redemption found only in Christ.