Leviticus 27:29

_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._ No devoted thing ... shall be sold or redeemed. This relates to vows of the most solemn kind-the devotee accompanying his vow with a solemn imprecation on himself not to fail in accomplishing his declared purpose. SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. This announcement imported, not that the person was to be sacrificed or doomed to a violent death, but only that he should remain until death unalterably in the devoted condition. Since misconceptions exist as to the precise import of this statute, and it has been supposed to authorize human sacrifices, of which Jephthah's daughter and the surrender of seven of Saul's sons to the Gibeonites are represented as instances in...

26-33 Things or persons devoted, are distinguished from things or persons that were only sanctified. Devoted things were most holy to the Lord, and could neither be taken back nor applied to other purposes. Whatever productions they had the benefit, God must be honoured with the tenth of, if it could be applied. Thus they acknowledge God to be the Owner of their land, the Giver of its fruits, and themselves to be his tenants, and dependants upon him. Thus they gave him thanks for the plenty they enjoyed, and besought his favour in the continuance of it. We are taught to honour the Lord with our substance....

Verse Leviticus 27:29. _WHICH SHALL BE DEVOTED OF MEN_] Every man who is devoted shall surely be put to death; or, as some understand it, be the Lord's property, or be employed in his service, till death. The law mentioned in these two verses has been appealed to by the enemies of Divine revelation as a proof, that under the Mosaic dispensation _human sacrifices_ were offered to God; but this can never be conceded. Had there been such a law, it certainly would have been more explicitly revealed, and not left in the compass of a few words only, where the meaning is very difficult to be ascertained; and the words themselves differently translated by most interpreters. That there were _persons_, devoted to destruction under the Mosaic dispensation, is sufficiently evident, for the whole Canaanitish nations were thus devoted by the Supreme Being himself, because the cup...

APPENDIX. EXPOSITION The final chapter, attached to the book after the concluding exhortation, is a short treatise on persons (Leviticus 27:2), animals (Leviticus 27:9-3), houses (Leviticus 27:14, Leviticus 27:15), lauds (Leviticus 27:16-3), vowed to God; and on the commutation of vows. A man might vow to the service of God whatever he had a right over, that is, himself, his wife, his children, his slaves, his beasts, his houses, his fields. In case persons were vowed, the rule was

NONE DEVOTED, WHICH SHALL BE DEVOTED OF MEN, SHALL BE REDEEMED,.... This is said, not of such men as are devoted to the Lord, as in the preceding verse; for it is not said here as there, "none devoted unto the Lord", but of such as are devoted to ruin and destruction, for whom there was no redemption, but they must die; nor is it said, "which is devoted by men, but of men", or from among men; whether they be devoted by God himself, as all idolaters, and particularly the seven nations of the land of Canaan, and especially the Amalekites, who therefore were not to be spared on any account, but to be put to death, Exodus 22:20. So in the Talmud o, this is interpreted of Canaanitish servants and handmaids; or whether devoted by men to destruction, either by the people of Israel, as their avowed enemies they should take in war, whom, and their cities, they vowed to the Lord they would utterly...

VII. CONCERNING VOWS The Claims of Jehovah Realized CHAPTER 27 _ 1. The singular vow (Leviticus 27:1)_ 2. The sacrifice (Leviticus 27:9) 3. Concerning the house (Leviticus 27:14) 4. Concerning the land (Leviticus 27:16) 5. Concerning the firstling (Leviticus 27:26) 6. Devoted things (Leviticus 27:28) 7. All holy to Jehovah ...

_Classes which may not be vowed_ Firstlings are already the Lord's (Exodus 13:2). If the firstling is, that of an animal which is reckoned among the -unclean" (according to the rule laid down, ch. Leviticus 11:3), it is to be valued and redeemed at 1 1/5 of its valuation. Driver, Exodus 13:13 (J), points out that P's law, as given here, is more favourable to the priests. In Exod. the redemption is to be made by a lamb, a less valuable animal....

NOTWITHSTANDING, NO DEVOTED THING, &C.— The word which we render _a vow,_ in the second verse, is נדר _neder,_ by which, (whoever devoted any thing to God,) there remained a power of redemption. Another kind of _vow_ called חרם _cherem,_ is here mentioned; whereby, (whoever devoted any thing to God;) there remained no power of redemption. Things thus devoted were _most holy; i.e._ so solemnly adjudged or separated to religious uses, that they could not be at all alienated. Some have supposed that _cherem_ signifies _a vow,_ with a _curse_ or _imprecation_ upon themselves if the thing was not employed according to that vow. Every thing thus devoted, was never to be separated from the Lord's service: whether of man or beast, it was to continue in that service till death; which is the whole meaning of the phrase in the 29th verse, rendered, certainly, too ambiguously both in ours and many o...

D. EXCLUSIONS FROM THE VOWS 27:26-34 1. FIRSTLINGS AMONG BEASTS 27:26, 27 2. DEVOTED THINGS 27:28, 29 3. THE TITHE 27:30-33 TEXT 27:26-34 26 Only the firstling among beasts, which is made a firstling to Jehovah, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox or sheep, it is Jehovah'S. 27 And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall ransom it according to thine estimation, and shall add unto it the fifth part thereof: 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 Jehovah of all that he hath, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto Jehovah. 29 No one devoted, that shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death. 30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed o...

VOWS AND TITHES AND THEIR REDEMPTION 1-29. Law of vows and their redemption. The making of vows is a very ancient and universal practice connected with prayer. In order to secure his desire the suppliant adds a vow to his prayer. Vows may be either positive or negative. A man may promise either to devote something to God, or to abstain from some comfort or necessary of life. Instances of the latter, vows of abstinence, are to be found in Numbers 6:1; Numbers 30; 1 Samuel 14:24; Psalms 132:2, and of the former in Genesis 28:20;...