Leviticus 27 20

Leviticus 27:20 kjv

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.

Leviticus 27:20 nkjv

But if he does not want to redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed anymore;

Leviticus 27:20 niv

If, however, they do not redeem the field, or if they have sold it to someone else, it can never be redeemed.

Leviticus 27:20 esv

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.

Leviticus 27:20 nlt

But if he does not want to buy it back, and it is sold to someone else, the field can no longer be bought back.

Leviticus 27 verses

Leviticus 27 20 Meaning

This verse details a crucial condition concerning a consecrated field that a person has dedicated to the Lord. It establishes that if the original dedicator, or the family possessing the right, fails to redeem (buy back) the dedicated field, or if they have sold this specific dedicated field to another individual (other than a redemption transaction to themselves or their kinsman), then that field becomes permanently alienated from its original owner and their family lineage. It can no longer be redeemed by them, making its consecration to the Lord final and irreversible concerning its original ownership rights.

Leviticus 27 20 Context

Leviticus chapter 27 concludes the detailed legal framework given at Mount Sinai, providing an appendix on vows and dedications to the Lord. While the previous chapters largely concerned sacrificial laws, priestly duties, and moral purity, chapter 27 focuses on specific situations where individuals dedicated persons, animals, houses, or portions of their inherited land to the Lord. The purpose was to provide clear guidelines for the redemption of these dedicated items, establishing their monetary value and the conditions under which they could be reclaimed. This was crucial in Israel, where inherited land (a key marker of identity and lineage) was ideally to remain within the family. Leviticus 27:20, specifically dealing with a field that has been consecrated, introduces a critical exception to the usual redemption laws. It specifies that if redemption is not performed or if the field is sold to a third party after dedication, its original family completely loses the right to ever reclaim it. This underscores the permanent nature of some acts of dedication to the Almighty and highlights His supreme ownership over all land. Historically, this protected the sanctity of dedicated property and clarified its status, especially in light of the Jubilee year laws, which normally ensured land returned to its ancestral owners.

Leviticus 27 20 Word analysis

• And if he will not redeem:
  • And if: (wə’im - וְאִם). Introduces a conditional clause, outlining an alternative outcome.
  • he will not: (lō - לֹא). A strong negative, indicating a definitive refusal or failure to perform the action.
  • redeem: (yig’al - יִגְאָל). From the verb ga'al (גָאַל). This is the key term. It refers to the act of buying back, reclaiming, or ransoming property, often with the specific implication of a "kinsman redeemer" (go'el) restoring something to its rightful lineage. In this context, it signifies the legal act of compensating God (via the priest) to release the consecrated field from its dedicated status back to its original family. Failing to do so meant forfeiting the right to the land permanently.
• the field: (haśśāḏeh - הַשָּׂדֶה). Refers to the agricultural land that had been consecrated to the Lord by vow. The article "the" indicates a specific, already identified field.
• or if he have sold:
  • or if: (’ōw-’im - אוֹ-אִם). Introduces a second alternative condition, an action taken rather than a failure to act.
  • he have sold: (māḵar - מָכַר). This verb means "to sell." It refers to the deliberate act by the dedicator (or a representative) of transferring ownership of the consecrated field to someone other than a redemption transaction to reclaim it for the original owner/family. This act bypasses the divinely established redemption process.
• the field to another man: (haśśāḏeh lə’îš ’aḥêr - הַשָּׂדֶה לְאִישׁ אַחֵר).
  • to another man: (lə’îš ’aḥêr). Specifies that the transaction is to an external party, someone outside the direct original ownership line or designated for redemption by God's law. This transfer cements the permanent change of status.
• it shall not be redeemed any more:
  • it shall not be redeemed: (lō’ yiggā’êl - לֹא יִגָּאֵל). Here yiggā’êl is in the Niph'al stem, indicating a passive voice, meaning "it cannot be redeemed" or "it is not allowed to be redeemed." It conveys an absolute prohibition. The field, once it falls into this category, loses its redeemable status for its original family.
  • any more: (‘ôḏ - עוֹד). This adverb emphasizes the finality and perpetuity of the condition. It means "no longer," "henceforth," or "further." This word locks in the irreversible consequence, meaning the opportunity to reclaim the field has been completely extinguished for the original party.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And if he will not redeem the field": This clause sets the first condition for irrevocability – the failure of the initial owner or their representative to exercise their right and fulfill their responsibility to buy back the consecrated land. This implies either an inability or an intentional choice to forego redemption, signaling a passive forfeiture of rights.
• "or if he have sold the field to another man": This second condition is an active step. Selling a consecrated field to a third party, instead of redeeming it, is seen as an irreversible act. It bypasses the sacred system of redemption, placing the field into a perpetual state of consecration to the Lord, effectively making it part of the Tabernacle's or Temple's enduring property, handled by the priests. This action is definitive and has long-term implications.
• "it shall not be redeemed any more": This concluding phrase states the absolute consequence for either of the preceding actions or inactions. The phrase employs the passive voice with a strong negative and the adverb of finality, underscoring that the original owner's right of redemption is eternally forfeited for this specific field. This status transcends even the Jubilee year return to the ancestral lands, demonstrating a superior form of divine ownership through irreversible dedication.

Leviticus 27 20 Bonus section

This verse subtly reveals the higher level of holiness for certain consecrated items that transcend normal redemption laws, foreshadowing the absolute ownership of the Most High. The default in Israel was the return of land to its original family in the Jubilee year, ensuring hereditary rights. However, consecrated land, when not redeemed or when improperly sold, bypasses this fundamental Jubilee law. This indicates a status of perpetual sacred ownership by the Lord, illustrating His supreme dominion over all land and all vows. This principle resonates with items designated as "cherem" (devoted things, often for destruction or exclusive priestly use), which are absolutely irrevocable and unredeemable from the outset (Lev 27:28). While the consecrated field in Leviticus 27 isn't "cherem" initially, the failure to redeem or the act of selling it effectively pushes it into a state of permanent non-return to the original family, thereby falling under a form of perpetual priestly possession (as indicated in verse 21). This distinction highlights a tiered system of sanctity within the divine economy – redeemable sacred things versus permanently consecrated things.

Leviticus 27 20 Commentary

Leviticus 27:20 is a pivotal verse within the laws of dedication, establishing the irreversibility of a consecrated field under specific circumstances. The usual course of action for consecrated property was its redemption by the dedicator or his family, allowing them to reclaim their property by paying the assessed value plus a fifth. However, this verse outlines two scenarios where such a field becomes permanently out of reach for the original owners: failure to redeem it, or actively selling it to someone else (presumably an outside party, distinct from the designated redemption process). In these cases, the field's consecrated status is elevated from being temporarily set apart (redeemable) to being permanently removed from common ownership and claim. This land, then, effectively becomes perpetually the Lord's property, managed by the priesthood, ultimately for the benefit of the sanctuary as indicated in Lev 27:21. The stern finality "it shall not be redeemed any more" underscores God's seriousness concerning vows and dedicated things. It reinforces that consecrated items, especially land, hold a sacred status and, under certain conditions, can pass permanently into God's domain, even bypassing the usual Year of Jubilee return. It serves as a reminder of the precision and permanence required in dealings with divine property, emphasizing the integrity and weight of a vow to the Lord.