Leviticus 27:1 - Meaning and Application

This is part of the law about special vows, vows beyond the usual ones. God did not command such vows in a direct way, but he was pleased when they agreed with his general commands. We should therefore ask not only, “What must we do?” but also, “What may we do to honor God?” As generous people think up generous deeds (Isaiah 32:8), so sincere believers think up sincere acts of devotion. When we receive a special mercy, or even hope for one, it is good to honor God with a special vow.

The first case is vows made by a person, or for a person, to the service of the tabernacle, as in Leviticus 27:2. A man might consecrate himself, or a child, for some lowly work there, such as sweeping, carrying ashes, or running errands. In that case, the person was counted as being for the Lord, meaning God accepted the willing heart. “You did well that it was in your heart” (2 Chronicles 6:8). But since the tabernacle already had the Levites, the tribe set apart for its service, these people were to be redeemed instead. The money paid for their redemption was used to repair the sanctuary or for other sacred needs, as in 2 Kings 12:14.

So a set scale of values was given for the priests to use. Adults from twenty to sixty were valued highest, because they were most useful. A male was valued at fifty shekels, and a female at thirty, in Leviticus 27:3-4. Women were valued lower then, though not so in Christ, for in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female (Galatians 3:28). Those in their best years should remember that more is expected from them in God’s service than from children, who are not yet fully able to serve, or from the elderly, who have passed that stage.

Those between five and twenty were valued less, because they were less able to work, as in Leviticus 27:5. Infants under five could be vowed to God by their parents, even before birth, as Samuel was, but they were not to be presented and redeemed until they were a month old. In that way, one sabbath passed before their circumcision, and one new moon before their valuation. Their worth was small, as in Leviticus 27:6. Samuel, who had been vowed to God, was not redeemed, because he was a Levite and was specially used in the tabernacle from childhood.

Old people were valued less than the young, but more than small children, as in Leviticus 27:7. The Jews observed that an old woman was valued at two-thirds of an old man’s rate, so that in old age the woman came closest to the man in value. That led them to say, as Bishop Patrick notes, “An old woman in a house is a treasure in a house.” Paul also showed great respect for older women when he said they should teach what is good (Titus 2:3).

The poor were to be valued according to what they could afford, as in Leviticus 27:8. They had to pay something, so they would not be careless in making vows to God, for he has no pleasure in fools (Ecclesiastes 5:4). But they were not to pay beyond their means, only according to their resources, so they would not ruin themselves or their families through religious zeal. God expects people to give according to what they have, not according to what they do not have (Luke 21:4).

The next case is beasts vowed to God. If the beast was clean, meaning one fit for sacrifice, it could not be redeemed or replaced by something else. It was holy, as in Leviticus 27:9-10. Once it was vowed, it could not be used for common purposes or changed later on. It had to be offered on the altar, or, if it had a defect and was not fit for sacrifice, it was not to be reclaimed by the one who vowed it. Instead, the priests were to keep it for their own use, since they served as God’s receivers, or it was to be sold for the needs of the sanctuary. This teaches care in making vows and steady faithfulness in keeping them. It is a trap for a person to treat holy things lightly and then reconsider after the vow is made (Proverbs 20:25). It also fits with the rule, “Each one should give what he has decided in his heart” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

If the beast was unclean, it was to be assigned a value for the priest’s use. But if the one who vowed it wanted it back, he could redeem it by paying that value in money, plus a fifth more, as in Leviticus 27:11-13. People should feel the cost of being unstable. God has made his will about his service known, and he is not pleased when we do not make up our own minds clearly. He expects those who deal with him to be settled and to decide in advance what they will stand by.