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The LORD spoke to Moses:
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“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When a man makes a special vow to the LORD concerning a person, according to the valuation that applies,
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then the valuation for a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.
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But if it is a female, then the valuation shall be thirty shekels.
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If it is one from five years old up to twenty years old, then the valuation for a male shall be twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
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If it is one from one month old up to five years old, then the valuation for a male shall be five shekels of silver, and for a female three shekels of silver.
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If it is one sixty years old or more, if it is a male, then the valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
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But if the one making the vow is too poor to pay the valuation, then he shall present the person vowed to the priest, and the priest shall set his value; according to the means of the one who made the vow, the priest shall determine his value.
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If it is an animal that may be offered as an offering to the LORD, whatever of that animal a person gives to the LORD shall be holy.
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He shall not exchange it or substitute it, good for bad or bad for good. But if he does exchange one animal for another, both it and its substitute shall be holy.
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If it is any unclean animal, one that may not be offered as an offering to the LORD, then he shall present the animal before the priest,
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and the priest shall set its value according to whether it is good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall be.
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But if he wishes to redeem it, he must add one-fifth to its value.
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When a man consecrates his house as a holy offering to the LORD, the priest shall set its value according to whether it is good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand.
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But if the one who consecrated it wishes to redeem his house, he must add one-fifth to the money of its valuation, and the house shall be his again.
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If a man consecrates part of the field of his possession to the LORD, then its value shall be according to its sowing: a homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.
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If he consecrates his field from the year of Jubilee, then its value shall stand.
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But if he consecrates his field after the year of Jubilee, then the priest shall reckon the price for him according to the years that remain until the year of Jubilee, and the price shall be deducted from its value.
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And if the one who consecrated it truly wishes to redeem the field, then he shall add a fifth to the money of its value, and the field shall remain his.
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But if he does not redeem the field, and the field has in fact been sold to another man, it shall no longer be redeemable.
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But when it is released in the year of Jubilee, the field shall be holy to the LORD, like a field devoted to the LORD. It shall belong to the priest.
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And if he consecrates to the LORD a field that he has bought, which is not part of his ancestral property,
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then the priest shall reckon for him the value of it up to the year of Jubilee, and that man shall present the value on that same day as a holy offering to the LORD.
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In the year of Jubilee the field shall be returned to the one who sold it to him, that is, to the one who first owned the land.
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And every valuation shall be according to the holy shekel; the shekel shall be twenty gerahs in weight.
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However, the firstborn, who as firstborn belongs to the LORD among the animals, may not be consecrated by anyone, whether ox or sheep or goat; it belongs to the LORD.
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But if it is among unclean animals, then he shall redeem it according to its valuation, adding a fifth to it; and if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold according to its valuation.
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But anything that a man has devoted to the LORD from all that he owns, whether man or animal, or his ancestral field, may not be sold and may not be redeemed, for everything devoted is most holy to the LORD.
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No person devoted to destruction among men may be redeemed; he shall surely be put to death.
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Likewise all the tithe of the land, whether from the seed of the land or from the fruit of the trees, is the LORD’s; it is holy to the LORD.
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But if a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it.
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And concerning all the tithe of the herd or the flock, whatever passes under the shepherd’s rod as it is counted, every tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.
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Do not choose between what is good and what is bad, and do not exchange it; but if anyone does exchange it, then both the animal and its substitute shall be holy and may not be redeemed.”
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These are the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai to speak to the people of Israel.
💎📜🤝 Summary of Leviticus 27 – Vows, Redemption, and All That Belongs to God
Leviticus 27 is the closing chapter of Leviticus, dealing with regulations about vows (special promises to God) and the redemption of things vowed.
This shows that:
➡️ Everything belongs to God, and if someone dedicates something to Him, then it must be honored or redeemed according to the appointed rule.
📌 1. Vows Concerning Persons (verses 1–8)
- A person could vow to dedicate himself or another person to the LORD, usually as an act of devotion or thanksgiving.
- Redemption was made by a set assessed value based on age and sex.
Example: adult male = 50 shekels of silver, adult female = 30 shekels.
- If a person was too poor → the priest would assess according to his means.
🎯 God does not want His people to make careless vows, but neither does He burden them unfairly.
📌 2. Vows Concerning Animals (verses 9–13)
- An animal fit for sacrifice that was vowed → could not be exchanged; if it was exchanged, both became holy.
- An animal not fit for sacrifice → could be redeemed according to its assessed value + 20% (one-fifth).
📌 3. Vows Concerning Houses and Land (verses 14–25)
- A house that was vowed → the priest assessed its value → it could be redeemed + 20%.
- Inherited land → the price is determined according to the time remaining until the Year of Jubilee.
- Land not inherited → if it is not redeemed, it becomes the LORD’s permanent possession in the Year of Jubilee.
📖 This affirms that land is not absolute private property, but belongs to God (see also Leviticus 25:23).
📌 4. Holy Things and Things Forbidden to Redeem (verses 26–33)
- The firstborn of animals (which already belong to God) must not be vowed again.
- Unclean animals may be redeemed.
- Everything devoted to the LORD (set apart permanently, called “cherem”) → may not be redeemed and must become the LORD’s wholly.
- The tithe (10% of the harvest and livestock) belongs to the LORD, and may be redeemed with an added 20%.
📌 5. Closing (verse 34)
“These are the commands that the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.”
➡️ An official closing to the whole Book of Leviticus, which contains the way of holy living as God’s people.
📖 Main Teaching
- God values the commitments and vows of His people—do not make them lightly.
- Whatever is offered to God becomes holy.
- Everything we have (land, possessions, even life) truly belongs to God.
- The tithe is part of worship, not a worldly obligation.
- God makes room for justice—the valuation is adjusted to the ability of the poor.
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
- Jesus is the perfect offering and the fulfillment of every vow (Hebrews 10:5–10).
- We are called to offer our whole lives as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
- A vow now is not only about possessions, but a life wholly surrendered to God.
- We are no longer limited by an estimated price, but called to be willing to give our whole selves for Christ.
