1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation.
3 And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
4 And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
5 And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
6 And if it be from a 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.
7 And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
8 But if he be poorer 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.
9 And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy.
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 holy.
11 And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the LORD, then he shall present the beast before the priest:
12 And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: as thou valuest it, who art the priest, so shall it be.
13 But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation.
14 And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the LORD, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand.
15 And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be his.
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 homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.
17 If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy estimation it shall stand.
18 But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubilee, and it shall be abated from thy estimation.
19 And if he that sanctified the field will in any wise redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be assured to him.
20 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.
21 But the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
22 And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession;
23 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.
24 In the year of the jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.
25 And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.
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 LORD's.
27 And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation.
28 Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.
29 None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's: it is holy unto the LORD.
31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
34 These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Bible and is a part of the Pentateuch or the Torah. It is a book of laws and regulations given by God to the Israelites through Moses. These laws were meant to guide them in their daily lives and to maintain their holiness and relationship with God. Chapter 27 is the final chapter of Leviticus and it deals with the laws of vows and dedications. It provides instructions on how to fulfill vows and dedications made to God. This chapter also emphasizes the importance of keeping one's word and the seriousness of making promises to God.
The main theme of Leviticus chapter 27 is vows and dedications. In ancient times, it was common for people to make vows or promises to God in exchange for something they desired or as an act of thanksgiving. These vows could include offerings, sacrifices, or dedicating oneself to service in the tabernacle. The chapter begins by stating that any vow made to the Lord must be fulfilled and kept (Leviticus 27:1-2).
The chapter then goes on to explain the different types of vows that can be made and how they should be fulfilled. One type of vow is the vow of a person, which involves dedicating oneself to the Lord for a specific period of time. This could be a vow of abstinence from certain foods or activities, or a vow to serve in the tabernacle. The value of the person making the vow would be determined by the priest, based on their age and ability to work (Leviticus 27:3-8).
Another type of vow is the vow of an animal, where an individual dedicates an animal to the Lord as a sacrifice. The value of the animal would also be determined by the priest, based on its quality and age (Leviticus 27:9-13).
The chapter also mentions the vow of a house, where a person dedicates their house to the Lord. The value of the house would be determined by the priest, based on its size and quality (Leviticus 27:14-15).
Additionally, the chapter discusses the vow of a piece of land, where a person dedicates a portion of their land to the Lord. The value of the land would be determined by the priest, based on the number of years until the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 27:16-21).
2. RedemptionThe second major theme of Leviticus chapter 27 is redemption. If a person wants to redeem something they have dedicated to the Lord, they must pay the value of that item plus an additional 20%. This emphasizes the seriousness of making a vow to God and the importance of keeping one's word (Leviticus 27:13-15, 19-21).
Redemption is also mentioned in the case of a tithe, where a person may choose to redeem a tenth of their produce instead of giving it to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30-33). This shows that God is not interested in material possessions, but rather in the heart and attitude of the person making the vow.
3. Holiness and ObedienceThe third theme of Leviticus chapter 27 is holiness and obedience. Throughout the chapter, there is an emphasis on the importance of keeping one's word and fulfilling vows made to God. This reflects the overall theme of Leviticus, which is the holiness of God and the need for His people to be pure and obedient in order to maintain a relationship with Him.
By making and fulfilling vows, the Israelites were showing their devotion and commitment to God. This was seen as an act of obedience and a way to maintain their holiness before Him. The chapter also mentions that any item dedicated to the Lord is considered holy and cannot be sold or redeemed (Leviticus 27:28-29). This further emphasizes the importance of keeping one's word and the sacredness of making a vow to God.
4. God's OwnershipAnother theme that can be seen in Leviticus chapter 27 is the ownership of God. The chapter mentions that everything belongs to God and He has the ultimate authority over all things. This is demonstrated through the laws of vows and dedications, where any item dedicated to the Lord becomes His property and cannot be redeemed or sold (Leviticus 27:28-29).
This theme also highlights the idea of stewardship, where God has entrusted His people with material possessions and expects them to use them wisely and in accordance with His will. By dedicating a portion of their belongings to the Lord, the Israelites were acknowledging His ownership and their role as stewards.
Leviticus chapter 27 serves as a reminder of the importance of keeping one's word and fulfilling vows made to God. It also highlights the seriousness of making promises to God and the need for obedience and holiness in maintaining a relationship with Him.
The chapter also emphasizes the idea of stewardship, where God is the ultimate owner of all things and we are mere stewards of His blessings. By dedicating a portion of their possessions to the Lord, the Israelites were acknowledging His ownership and their responsibility to use their resources for His glory.
Furthermore, the concept of redemption in this chapter serves as a reminder that there is a cost to breaking our promises to God. The additional 20% required for redemption shows the seriousness of breaking a vow and the importance of keeping our word to Him.
Overall, Leviticus chapter 27 teaches us the importance of integrity, obedience, and stewardship in our relationship with God. It also reminds us of His ownership over all things and the need for us to honor Him with our words and actions.
In conclusion, Leviticus chapter 27 provides instructions on the laws of vows and dedications to God. The chapter emphasizes the importance of keeping one's word and fulfilling vows made to God, as well as the seriousness of breaking them. It also highlights the concepts of redemption, holiness, obedience, and God's ownership. This chapter serves as a reminder of our responsibility to honor God in all aspects of our lives and to faithfully fulfill our promises to Him.
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