Leviticus 27:9-13

B. VOWS OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS 27:9-13
TEXT 27:9-13

9

And if it be a beast, whereof men offer an oblation unto Jehovah, all that any man giveth of such unto Jehovah 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 both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy.

11

And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer an oblation unto Jehovah, then he shall set the beast before the priest;

12

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

13

But if he will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part thereof unto thy estimation.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 27:9-13

677.

What is the difference in offering an animal for a vow and offering an animal for a sacrifice?

678.

Once an animal is given for a vow, i.e. to confirm a vow, it cannot be changed. Why?

679.

Even an unclean beast could be used in a vow. How?

680.

Why would anyone want to redeem an animal in a vow?

PARAPHRASE 27:9-13

But if it is an animal that is vowed to be given to the Lord as a sacrifice, it must be given. The vow may not be changed; the donor may neither change his mind about giving it to the Lord, nor substitute good for bad or bad for good; if he does, both the first and the second shall belong to the Lord! But if the animal given to the Lord is not a kind that is permitted as a sacrifice, the owner shall bring it to the priest to value it, and he shall be told how much to pay instead. If the animal is a kind that may be offered as a sacrifice, but the man wants to redeem it, then he shall pay twenty per cent more than the value set by the priest.

COMMENT 27:9-13

Leviticus 27:9-13 This next section concerns the vowing to the Lord of domestic animals (Leviticus 27:9-13). If the animal thus dedicated to the Lord were such as could be used in sacrifice, then the animal itself was taken for the sanctuary service, and the vow was unalterable and irrevocable. If, however, the animal vowed was any unclean beast, then the priest (Leviticus 27:12) was to set a price upon it, according to its value: for which, we may infer, it was to be sold and the proceeds devoted to the sanctuary. In this case, the person who had vowed the animal was allowed to redeem it to himself again (Leviticus 27:13) by payment of this estimated price and one-fifth additional, a provision which was evidently intended to be of the nature of a fine, and to be a check upon the making of rash vows. (Ibid)

FACT QUESTIONS 27:9-13

674.

A vow seems to indicate a desire on the part of the worshipper to do something he hasn-'t done or to cease from something he has been doing. How would an animal be used in this purpose?

675.

Just how was an unclean animal used?