The Value of Persons Dedicated to God
Study note
Sometimes people made special vows to dedicate a person to the Lord's service. Since not everyone could actually serve at the Tabernacle, a monetary value was set for each person based on age and gender. The amounts varied: adult men were valued at fifty shekels of silver, adult women at thirty shekels, children at different amounts. If someone was too poor to pay the set amount, the priest could set a lower value based on what they could afford. This showed that God accepted offerings according to a person's ability.
1 Then the Lord gave Moses these instructions: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Tell the people of Israel. Someone might make a special vow to give a person to the Lord. They fulfill it by paying that person's set value." 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.
3 "For a male aged twenty to sixty, the set value is fifty shekels of silver. Use the official holy standard." 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.
4 "For a female of the same age range, the value is thirty shekels." And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
5 "For a male between five and twenty years old, the value is twenty shekels. For a female in that range, ten 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.
6 "For a male between one month and five years old, the value is five shekels of silver. For a female, three 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.
7 "For a male sixty years or older, the value is fifteen shekels. For a female, ten shekels." 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.
8 "If the person making the vow is too poor to pay the standard amount, they must bring the dedicated person before the priest. The priest will then set a custom value based on what the person can realistically afford." 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.
Animals Dedicated to God
Study note
If someone dedicated an animal to the Lord, that animal became holy and could not be exchanged. If someone tried to substitute a different animal, both the original and the substitute became holy. If an unclean animal that could not be offered as a sacrifice was dedicated, the priest set its value. The owner could buy it back by paying the value plus twenty percent.
9 "The promise might involve an animal that can be given to the Lord. Any such animal given to the Lord becomes holy." 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.
10 "The person must not trade it or switch a good animal for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one. If someone does try to switch, both the first animal and the new one become sacred." 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.
11 "The vow might involve an unclean animal. It does not qualify as a gift to the Lord. The animal must be brought before the priest. The priest will set its value." 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:
12 "The priest will assess its value -- whether high or low. Whatever value the priest sets is final." And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: as thou valuest it, who art the priest, so shall it be.
13 "If the owner later wants to buy the animal back, they must pay the set price plus an extra twenty percent." But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation.
Houses and Land Dedicated to God
Study note
If someone dedicated their house to the Lord, the priest set its value. The owner could buy it back by paying the value plus twenty percent. Land that was part of the family inheritance was valued based on how much seed was needed to plant it and how many years remained until the Jubilee. If the land was not bought back or was sold to someone else, it became permanently the Lord's property at Jubilee, like a field set apart for destruction. Land that was purchased rather than inherited followed different rules and returned to the original owner at Jubilee.
14 "If someone dedicates their house as sacred to the Lord, the priest will assess its value -- whether high or low. Whatever the priest decides, that is the set value." 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.
15 "If the person who dedicated the house wants to buy it back, they must pay the assessed value plus an extra twenty percent. Then it becomes theirs again." 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.
16 "If someone gives a portion of their family land to the Lord, its value will be figured out based on how much seed is needed to plant it. For every five bushels of barley seed needed, the value is fifty shekels of silver." 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.
17 "If the land is set apart during the Jubilee year, the full figured-out value applies." If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy estimation it shall stand.
18 "If the land is given to God sometime after the Jubilee, the priest must figure out the new value. He will base it on how many years are left until the next Jubilee. The price will be lowered to match." But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubilee, and it shall be abated from thy estimation.
19 "If the person who dedicated the field wants to buy it back, they must pay the recalculated value plus an extra twenty percent. Then it becomes theirs again." 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.
20 "But they might choose not to buy the field back. Or it might be sold to someone else. Then the first owner loses the right to reclaim it. It is gone for good." 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.
21 "When the Jubilee comes, that field becomes set apart for the Lord for good. It is like a field given fully to God. It becomes the property of the priests forever." But the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
22 "If someone gives to the Lord a field they bought -- one that is not part of their family land --" And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession;
23 "The priest must figure out the land's value based on how many years are left until the next Jubilee. The person must pay that amount right away as a sacred gift to the Lord." Then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation, even unto the year of the jubilee: and he shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy thing unto the LORD.
24 "When the Jubilee comes, the field goes back to the one who sold it. It returns to the person whose family has always owned the land." In the year of the jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.
25 "Set all money values by the official holy weight standard. One shekel equals twenty gerahs." And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.
Things That Cannot Be Dedicated
Study note
No one could dedicate the firstborn of their animals, because the firstborn already belonged to God. An unclean firstborn animal could be bought back at its value plus twenty percent, or it was sold at the set value. Anything devoted to destruction, whether people, animals, or land, could not be bought back or sold. It was most holy to the Lord. This referred to things placed under a ban, usually connected to God's judgment on enemies.
26 "No one may dedicate the firstborn of their livestock to the Lord, because the firstborn already belongs to the Lord automatically -- whether it is a bull or a sheep. It is already the Lord's." 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.
27 "If the firstborn is from an unclean animal, the owner may buy it back at the priest's assessed value plus an extra twenty percent. If it is not bought back, it must be sold at the assessed value." 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.
28 "Nothing that a person gives completely to the Lord -- whether a person, an animal, or family land -- may be sold or bought back. Everything given over to be destroyed is most holy to the Lord." 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.
29 "No person who has been devoted to total destruction may be ransomed. That person must be put to death." None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.
The Tithe
Study note
The final section covers the tithe, or tenth, of everything the land produced and every tenth animal from the herds and flocks. These belonged to the Lord and were holy. If someone wanted to buy back part of their tithe of grain or fruit, they had to pay its value plus twenty percent. For animals, the tenth one to pass under the counting rod was the Lord's, regardless of whether it was good or bad. It could not be exchanged. The book ends by noting that all these commands came from the Lord through Moses on Mount Sinai.
30 "A tenth of everything the land produces -- whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees -- belongs to the Lord. It is sacred to the Lord." 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.
31 "If someone wants to buy back part of their tithe, they must pay the value plus an additional twenty percent." And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
32 "Every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's counting rod is holy to the Lord. This is true for herds and flocks alike." 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.
33 "The owner must not pick and choose between good and bad animals. No swapping is allowed. If someone does try to swap an animal, both the first one and the replacement become holy. Neither one can be bought back." 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.
34 These are the commands the Lord gave to Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.