Levítico 27
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Levítico 27
NJB (MT versing) Rules Concerning Valuations Redeeming Persons and Property Dedicated to God An Appendix Dealing with Religious Vows Laws Concerning Gifts to God Appendix: Tariffs and Valuations a. Persons 27:1-8 27:1-8 27:1-8 27:1-7 27:1-2 27:3-4 27:5 27:6 27:7 27:8 27:8 b. Animals 27:9-13 27:9-13 27:9-13 27:9-13 27:9-13 c. Houses 27:14-15 27:14-15 27:14-15 27:14-15 27:14-15 d. Fields 27:16-25 27:16-25 27:16-25 27:16-21 27:16 27:17-18 27:19-21 27:22-24 27:22-25 27:25 Particular Rules for Redemption a. of the firstborn 27:26-27 27:26-27 27:26-27 27:26-27 27:26-27 b. of things vowed unconditionally 27:28-33 27:28-33 27:28-29 27:28-29 27:28-29 27:30-33 27:30-33 27:30-31 27:32-33 27:34 27:34 27:34 27:34 27:34 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Brief outline of Leviticus 27 ‒ the monetary evaluation of vows concerning: human beings, Lev. 27:1-8 animals, Lev. 27:9-14 possessions, Lev. 27:14-24 houses fields things that belong to God firstborn of animals, Lev. 27:26-27 tithes, Lev. 27:30-34 special category of vows called the herem (i.e., under the ban, Joshua 6-7), Lev. 27:28-29 This chapter is contextually related to chapter 25, especially the sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee, in how a priest should evaluate the monetary value of a gift. The best outline, of the translations whose paragraphing is compared, is the NJB. There are several items taken into consideration when "evaluating" gifts to the sanctuary. time to the year of Jubilee the age of the persons giving themselves for service the sex of the persons giving themselves for service the social status of the person forced into service In Israel vows were very important and highly regulated (cf. Lev. 7:16; 22:18-23; 23:38; Num. 30:3-16; Deut. 12:6-12; 23:19-24; Pro. 7:14; 20:25; Eccl. 5:1-7). In this chapter Israelites are instructed on how to give these freewill gifts and how the priest should evaluate their worth. Leviticus 27:30-33 are not voluntary.
Levítico 27:1-8
27:2 "When a man makes a difficult vow" This "vow" is not a typical promise to God but the monetary worth of the period of the agreement of service for a particular number of years. The same VERB (BDB 810, KB 927, Hiphil IMPERFECT) is used of a "Nazirite vow" in Num. 6:2. The word translated "difficult" is one connotation of the word for "extraordinary" or "wonderful." See SPECIAL TOPIC: WONDERFUL THINGS (OT). ▣ NASB, NKJV, REB "valuation" NRSV, JPSOA "equivalent" "the official standard" NJB, LXX "value" "price" This NOUN (BDB 789) relates to the estimated price of something. a person for service, Lev. 27:2-8 an animal to sacrifice, Lev. 5:15,18,25 a field to sell priest's portion of sacrifices, Num. 18:1-13 (for "firstborn," Lev. 27:15-20) 27:3 "the male" The evaluation of a male depended on his age (Lev. 27:5,7) the time to the Sabbath Year or Year of Jubilee social status (Lev. 27:8) These values also relate to women (Lev. 27:4) and children (27:6). This evaluation had to do with how much work that person could perform. ▣ "the shekel of the sanctuary" There were many different kinds of weights of metal in the ANE. This particular shekel is defined by its equivalent in Babylonian gerahs (cf. Num. 30:13). See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES.
Levítico 27:9-13
27:10, 33 "He shall not replace it or exchange it" One supposed reason for the writing of this chapter is to show that that which is consecrated to God should not be taken back. However, if it is taken back, a fifth part had to be added to it (cf. Lev. 27:13, 19, 27, 31). Some things could not be exchanged at all (cf. Lev. 27:10, 33). Also, that which was not treated properly became the full property of the priests at the year of jubilee (cf. Lev. 27:20-21). 27:10 The word translated "exchange" by NASB (BDB 558, KB 560) is used six times in this chapter (vv. 10, 33). the IMPERFECT the IMPERFECT with the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE of the same root Some offerings could not be substituted or redeemed (cf. Leviticus 27:13,19; see SPECIAL TOPIC: RANSOM/REDEEM). 27:11 "any unclean animal" See Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. 27:12 The priest's evaluation of the monetary worth of a person, animal, field, or house was final (cf. Lev. 27:12, 14, 17, 27d). YHWH knew humans would argue over the value of people, animals, and property. 27:13 If a person wants to exchange or substitute one animal for another he must add one-fifth more of value (cf. Lev. 27:13, 15, 19, 31).
Levítico 27:14-15
27:14-15 This was a special gift to YHWH (cf. Lev. 27:21, "set apart," BDB 356 I). joy at answered vow (cf. Numbers 30; Deut. 23:21-23; Pro. 20:25; Eccl. 5:5) sense of YHWH's goodness beneficial circumstances of life This kind of gift is what Jesus accused the Pharisees of exploiting (cf. Matt. 23:14) the Israelites of exploiting (Matt. 15:5-6; Mark 7:11-13)
Levítico 27:16-25
27:16 Land was evaluated by the amount of seed it took to sow it yielded, which fits v. 30's use of seed better (NIC, OT, Gordon Wenham, Leviticus, p. 340, #8; and Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, p. 168) A specific price is given to a homer of barley. 27:17 "the year of jubilee" In Leviticus 25, "the year of jubilee" (every 50 years) is defined as that year in which the land reverts to its original owner (Lev. 27:24) and all slaves go free. From the history of the Old Testament, we do not have one account of either the Day of Atonement or the Year of Jubilee being observed. 27:20-21 "Yet if he will not redeem the field" An Israelite was expected to redeem his vowed field before the year of jubilee. It he did not do this, the land at jubilee reverted to the priests as a full and permanent possession (Lev. 27:21). 27:25 "shekel. . .gerahs" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES.
Levítico 27:26-27
27:26 "a firstborn among animals" This verse deals with that which already belongs to God (cf. Exod. 13:2; 22:28-29; 34:19-20), therefore, it could not be dedicated to God, unless it was an unclean animal. 27:27 "the unclean animals" Although unclean animals could not be offered on the altar, they could still be given to God (cf. Exod. 34:20).
Levítico 27:28-33
27:28-29 This deals with a very special kind of ban called the herem (cf. Lev. 27:21; usually things or animals or persons taken in battle, cf. Deut. 7:2; 20:17; 1 Sam. 15:3). It was something that was dedicated to God and became "holy" to such a degree that it could not be used by human beings ever again (i.e., Jericho of Joshua 6). Notice that someone who tried to ransom this or use it was worthy of the death penalty (cf. Lev. 27:29, cf. Joshua 7:19-21,25). 27:30 "all the tithe of the land" All the tithes belonged to the Lord but this seems to deal with the special case possibly delineated in Deut. 14:22-27. There are either two or three tithes in Israel (see footnote in NASB Study Bible, p. 172). The two tithes would be: one every year for the Levites (cf. Num. 18:21-29; Deut. 12:6-7; 14:22-27) and one every three years for the local poor (cf. Deut. 14:28-29). Some divide this into three categories making Numbers a separate tithe from Deuteronomy 14. See SPECIAL TOPIC: TITHING and SPECIAL TOPIC: TITHING IN THE MOSAIC LEGISLATION. 27:32-33 Flocks were counted when they were let out of the pen. The shepherds counted them as they passed under his outstretched staff (cf. Jer. 33:13). The point of this paragraph is that every tenth one belonged to YHWH, whether it was a very good animal or a weak one. The shepherd could not exchange animals (see negative example in Mal. 1:13-14).
Levítico 27:34
27:34 Leviticus was given to Moses by YHWH on Mt. Sinai (cf. Lev. 1:1; 7:38; 26:46; 27:34). ▣ "Mount Sinai" See SPECIAL TOPIC: LOCATION OF MT. SINAI.