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Leviticus 27

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Leviticus 27 Overview

Leviticus 27 closes the book with laws governing special vows and things dedicated to the LORD. Persons, animals, houses, and fields may be valued according to stated rules; some dedicated items may be redeemed with an added fifth, while certain devoted things may not. Firstborn animals already belong to the LORD and cannot simply be treated as voluntary vows. The chapter also states that the tithe of the land and herd is holy unto the LORD and ends by identifying these as commandments given through Moses at Sinai.

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Before you read Leviticus 27

Coming from

Leviticus 26 set covenant blessings, curses, exile warnings, and promised covenant remembrance.

In this chapter

The chapter regulates valuations, redemption, dedicated property, devoted things, firstlings, and tithes.

Leads into

Numbers begins by organizing Israel for travel from Sinai toward the promised land.

Key understanding

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Voluntary vows are taken seriously and regulated rather than left to personal impulse.

Truth 2

Different valuations are specified for persons according to age and sex within this vow-redemption system.

Truth 3

Poverty is explicitly considered, allowing priestly valuation according to the person’s ability.

Truth 4

Things already belonging to the LORD, such as firstborn clean animals, cannot be presented as though they were optional gifts.

Truth 5

Tithes of produce and herd are declared holy unto the LORD within Israel’s covenant.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Numbers 30 later gives additional law concerning vows and the binding force of spoken commitments.

Connection 2

Deuteronomy 23 warns Israel not to delay paying a vow while also stating that refraining from a vow is not sin.

Connection 3

Malachi 3 later rebukes Israel for robbing God in tithes and offerings under the covenant.

Connection 4

2 Corinthians 8–9 presents New Testament church giving as willing and cheerful rather than imposing Leviticus’ vow valuations.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

The monetary valuations do not assign human worth before God; they regulate redemption values for a specific class of vows.

Keep this clear 2

The tithe here belongs to Israel’s covenant economy and should not be confused automatically with New Testament church giving.

Keep this clear 3

Devoted things and firstlings have distinct legal categories; readers should not collapse all dedication language together.

Keep this clear 4

Vows do not purchase salvation, favor, or forgiveness; they are regulated acts of dedication.

Read Leviticus 27 watching for…

The repeated distinction between dedication and redemption.

Valuations by age and circumstance.

The added fifth in certain redemption cases.

Things that already belong to the LORD.

The closing statement locating these commandments at Sinai.

Chapter outline8 sections

1-8Valuations for persons dedicated by a vow 9-13Valuations for animals 14-15Valuation and redemption of a house 16-25Valuation and redemption of fields 26-27Firstborn animals belong to the LORD 28-29Devoted things may not be redeemed 30-33The tithe belongs to the LORD 34The commandments are given at Sinai

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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.

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.

And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: as thou valuest it, who art the priest, so shall it be.

But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation.

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.

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.

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.

If he sanctify his field from the year of jubile, according to thy estimation it shall stand.

But if he sanctify his field after the jubile, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubile, and it shall be abated from thy estimation.

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.

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.

But the field, when it goeth out in the jubile, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.

And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession;

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

In the year of the jubile the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.

And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.

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.

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.

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.

None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.

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.

And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.

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.

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.

These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

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Leviticus 27:26

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