Leviticus 27 23

Leviticus 27:23 kjv

Then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation, even unto the year of the jubilee: and he shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy thing unto the LORD.

Leviticus 27:23 nkjv

then 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 offering to the LORD.

Leviticus 27:23 niv

the priest will determine its value up to the Year of Jubilee, and the owner must pay its value on that day as something holy to the LORD.

Leviticus 27:23 esv

then the priest shall calculate the amount of the valuation for it up to the year of jubilee, and the man shall give the valuation on that day as a holy gift to the LORD.

Leviticus 27:23 nlt

the priest will assess its value based on the number of years left until the next Year of Jubilee. On that day he must give the assessed value of the land as a sacred donation to the LORD.

Leviticus 27 verses

Leviticus 27 23 Meaning

Leviticus 27:23 concerns the specific case of a field that an individual has purchased (not inherited from their ancestral patrimony) and then dedicated to the Lord. When such a field is dedicated, the priest is to accurately calculate its monetary value based on the remaining years until the next Year of Jubilee. The person who dedicated the field (or who is redeeming it) must pay this calculated amount to the sanctuary immediately. Upon payment, the field itself, or its equivalent value, is confirmed as irrevocably sacred to the Lord, effectively becoming property of the priests and not subject to redemption by the dedicant, nor will it revert to him at the Jubilee.

Leviticus 27 23 Context

Leviticus chapter 27 serves as an appendix to the laws and instructions given earlier in the book, providing regulations for specific vows and consecrated items. It shifts from general purity laws and sacrifices to practical guidelines for dedicated gifts and their valuation. The chapter addresses vows involving persons, animals, houses, and fields. Verses 16-25 specifically deal with the dedication of fields.

Verse 23, in particular, distinguishes itself from earlier verses about ancestral fields (Lev 27:16-19). While an ancestral field dedicated to the Lord could potentially be redeemed by its owner or would revert to the owner at the Jubilee, the rule changes for a field that was bought (acquired, not inherited) and then dedicated. Such a dedicated purchased field cannot be redeemed by the dedicant and permanently becomes consecrated for the sanctuary's use, typically managed by the priests. The Jubilee does not cause it to revert to the person who dedicated it or to the original selling family. This stipulation ensures the finality of dedicated gifts and prevents misuse or manipulation of the Jubilee land laws through temporary dedication of purchased land.

Leviticus 27 23 Word analysis

• then the priest: In Hebrew, ha-kohen (הַכֹּהֵן). The priest acts as God's official representative, divinely appointed to arbitrate and execute God's laws regarding holiness and offerings. His involvement ensures that valuations are fair, impartial, and conducted according to divine standards, not human whim. He mediates the sacred transaction.
• shall reckon to him: Hebrew, w'khishev lo (וְחִשַּׁב לוֹ), meaning to calculate, account, or assess carefully. This emphasizes a precise and methodical determination of value, not an arbitrary estimate. It reflects God's orderly nature even in financial matters pertaining to vows.
• the amount of the valuation: Hebrew, ’erech haneh’eshshemav (עֵרֶךְ הַנֶּאֱשָּׁם). Refers to the determined monetary worth. This valuation method, detailed in preceding verses, takes into account the inherent value of the land and, crucially, the remaining years until the Year of Jubilee, implying a proportional depreciation.
• up to the Year of Jubilee: Hebrew, 'ad shenath haYovel (עַד שְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל). This is the ultimate "reset" point for land ownership in ancient Israel. All land was to return to its original ancestral families. This clause limits the period for which the valuation applies and dictates the remaining years for its calculation, as land consecrated in a vow only had value until this reset. In this specific case, the Jubilee means it will transfer to priestly use.
• and it shall be given him: Hebrew, v'natan ’erekha (וְנָתַן אֶת־עֶרְכָּהּ), implying "he shall pay its estimated value." This indicates the active duty of the person making the dedication (or redeeming) to fulfill the payment promptly.
• on that day: Hebrew, bayyom hahu (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא). Emphasizes immediacy and finality of the transaction. There should be no delay in fulfilling a vow once the valuation is determined. This highlights commitment and prevents procrastination in matters related to God.
• as a dedicated thing to the Lord: Hebrew, kodesh la-Yahweh (קֹדֶשׁ לַיהוָה). Literally "holy to the LORD." This signifies a permanent and irrevocable consecration. For a purchased field dedicated in this way, it means it can no longer be redeemed by the person who dedicated it, nor will it revert to anyone at Jubilee. It becomes the perpetual possession of the sanctuary, akin to "devoted things" (ḥērem), which could not be bought back (Lev 27:28-29).

Words-Group Analysis

• "then the priest shall reckon to him the amount of the valuation": This phrase highlights the authoritative and precise nature of the transaction. The priest's role is not merely advisory but involves an official calculation binding on the one who made the vow. It signifies God's expectation of integrity and exactness in consecrated offerings.
• "up to the Year of Jubilee": This condition sets the time frame for the valuation. The closer the Jubilee, the lower the value. This ensures fairness and ties the temporal dedication to the divine land management system. However, in this unique case (purchased field), the Jubilee does not revert it to the dedicant; it simply sets the calculation window before it becomes perpetually consecrated.
• "and it shall be given him on that day as a dedicated thing to the Lord": This group of words emphasizes the immediacy and ultimate destination of the consecrated value. The payment must be prompt, and the underlying intention is that the field's value, or the field itself, permanently belongs to God, removing it from personal claims and consecrating it irrevocably for holy use.

Leviticus 27 23 Bonus section

• The term "dedicated thing" here can be understood in parallel to ḥērem (חֵרֶם), which often implies an item utterly devoted to God, becoming inaccessible for common use or private redemption, and sometimes associated with divine judgment. While the text doesn't explicitly use ḥērem, the legal outcome of the dedicated purchased field being irretrievably God's (via the priests) mirrors the unredeemable nature of ḥērem (cf. Lev 27:28-29).
• This law, along with other land regulations, prevented permanent stratification of wealth through land accumulation, reinforcing the idea that ultimately, the land belongs to God (Lev 25:23). Even when dedicated, the process was regulated to ensure fairness and uphold God's ownership and order.
• The meticulous rules in Leviticus demonstrate God's expectation of seriousness and faithfulness in vows. It's not about making vague promises but specific, calculable, and immediate commitments. This principle finds resonance in the New Testament teaching on truthfulness and the keeping of one's word before God (Matt 5:33-37).

Leviticus 27 23 Commentary

Leviticus 27:23 serves as a critical distinction within the laws of dedicating fields to the Lord, specifically addressing purchased, rather than ancestral, land. It demonstrates God's meticulously ordered system for vows and offerings. The involvement of the priest and the careful calculation underscore divine justice and integrity, ensuring fairness in all transactions made to God. This rule prevents individuals from gaining an advantage by dedicating a bought field and later reacquiring it or claiming its reversion at Jubilee, thus bypassing the intention of the law concerning ancestral inheritances. Instead, the dedicated value or the field itself, once paid for, became a permanent fixture of the sanctuary, highlighting that some things dedicated to God become irrevocably His. This level of precision illustrates that offerings were not arbitrary but were regulated by divine law, reflecting the profound seriousness of dedicating something to the Almighty.

Example: If an Israelite acquired a plot of land that was not part of their tribal inheritance and then felt led to dedicate it to the Lord, Lev 27:23 would apply. The priest would calculate its current market value based on how many years were left until the Jubilee. Once the man paid this amount, that land (or its equivalent value) became permanently holy, akin to temple property. This ensured that no individual could treat dedication as a temporary act for purchased land, making the commitment to the Lord truly enduring.