Leviticus 27 Commentary

“But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation.”

That offereth it. This addition of the Vulgate shews, that if any other purchased the animal, he would not have to give a fifth part more than the value. That only concerned the person who had made the vow, to punish him for his inconstancy, and that he might not have a desire to get possession again of what he had once consecrated to the Lord. If the beast was valued at 40 sicles, he would therefore have to pay 50. (Calmet)

“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.”

House. The Rabbins say this fifth part went towards repairing the temple. We may suppose it was laid on to indemnify the priests, for the loss which they sustained by selling a house, or a field, (ver. 16,) to the former owner; since if any other had purchased them, the priests would have been able to sell them again at the return of every jubilee. At that period, even the former proprietor would not obtain a title to possess them for ever; (ver. 21,) and therefore he would not need to pay any more than the stated value. (Tostat) (Calmet)

“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. an: or, the land of an homer, etc”

Possession, or inheritance. If he had only purchased the field, he could not, by his vow, transfer the property of it to the priests beyond the year of jubilee, ver. 22. — Seed, not of the produce, which is uncertain. The goodness of the soil must also be considered. — Silver: which rent must be paid every year, except on those of rest, when the earth was not cultivated. (Calmet)

“But the field, when it goeth out in the jubile, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.”

Consecrated. Hebrew, “a field of anathema,” devoted and separated from common uses for ever to the Lord. (Haydock) — Priests. They were bound to sell it from one jubilee to another to some of the same tribe, to which the person, who vowed it, had belonged. (Menochius) — In the new law, religious people often consecrate themselves and their effects to the service of God; and it would be a sacrilege to alienate them from such pious uses to any thing profane. They are anathéma, a deposit of offering to the Lord; while those who violate them, are anathema, accursed. (Haydock) (Tirinus)

“And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.”

Obols. Hebrew, “gerah.” which were worth 1d.-2687; so that a sicle amounts to 2s. 3d.-375. (Arbuthnot.)

“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. firstling of: Heb. firstborn, etc”

First-born. Septuagint add “of beasts.” Men, though belonging to the Lord on that title already, (Exodus xiii. 2,) might still be more particularly consecrated to him by vow, as Samuel was. (Calmet) — A vow must be concerning some greater good to which we are not otherwise bound. Such vows are agreeable to God, and can never be broken without sin. See Genesis xxxi. 13 and 1 Timothy v. 12. (Worthington)

“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.”

Unclean, either on account of some blemish, or because it is of those species which cannot be sacrificed; such as the horse, camel, &c., which might nevertheless be vowed to the Lord, and sold for the benefit of his priests. — By thee. Moses and the succeeding priests. Many manuscripts read, with the Septuagint and Chaldean, “by him,” leaving the matter to the person’s conscience; but the printed Hebrew and Vulgate agree. (Calmet)

“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.”

Devoted. Hebrew, “anathema,” different from the other vows. In this case all that had life was slain, (or consecrated to God; Haydock) houses were demolished, the land belonged to the priests for ever, so that they could only let it out to laymen for a certain rent. Moses thus devoted the Amalecites to destruction; (Exodus xvii. 14) and Saul had orders to put in execution what he had denounced, 1 Kings xv. It is doubtful whether people could thus devote their children and slaves. Most authors suppose, that it was necessary that God or the nation at large should pronounce such a sentence, as was done with respect to Achan, Josue viii. See Numbers xxi. 2 and Judges xi. 31. (Calmet)

“None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.”

Die. Grotius says, only public enemies and deserters could be thus devoted. Other men and women were only consecrated for ever to the divine service. (Du Hamel)

“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.”

Tithes. Abraham and Jacob paid tithes, out of devotion, Genesis xiv. and xxviii. 22. Moses first made a law on this subject, which began to be in force when the Hebrews had obtained quiet possession of Chanaan. The people paid them more exactly when they were determined to keep God’s law, and had pious princes at their head, 2 Paralipomenon xxxi. 5. At other times they were very negligent, Malachias iii. 10. This forced Esdras to appoint inspectors, Namnim, to collect them. The Pharisees affected a degree of exactitude in this respect, (Luke xi. 42 and Matthew xxiii. 23,) paying what some Jews do not suppose to be necessary, though our Saviour says it was. Since the destruction of the temple the Jews pay none. The first-fruits and tithes of wheat, barley, figs, raisins, olives, pomegranates, and dates, were required, though it be not certain what quantity of the first-fruits was given; some say between the 40th and the 60th part of the produce. Wine and wool were also to be offered. The tithes were taken after the first-fruits and the heaved oblations (thorume) were paid. They belonged to the Levites, and these gave a tithe to the priests, Numbers xviii. 28. See chap. xix. 24. The Eastern kings required a tithe of their subjects, for the support of their families, 1 Kings viii. 15. God does the like, Malachias iii. 10. The Persians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, and even the Arabs and Scythians, religiously paid their tithes in honour of their false gods. See Cyrop. iv. and Q. Curtius iv. 2.; Herodotus ii. 135.; Pliny, [Natural History?] xii. 14.; Mela. ii. 5, &c. The Romans often consecrate the tithes of their spoils to Hercules, as the Carthaginians did also. The Scythians sent them to Apollo. (Solin 27, &c.) (Calmet) — Scaliger and Amama dispose the tithes, and the oblations of the Hebrews, in the following order. Supposing a person’s annual produce amount to 6000 bushels, an oblation (thorume) of at least 100 was to be made to the priests: out of the remaining 5900, a first tithe of 590 belonged to the Levites, out of which they paid 59 to the priests. The residue, of 5310 bushels, paid a second tithe of 531, to be consumed in feasts in the temple, (a custom which the ancient Christians imitated in their love-feasts, called agape; Calmet) The original produce was thus reduced to 4779 bushels; and both the tithes amounted to 1121 and the oblation to 100. The thorume consisted of flour dressed, and of oil, wine (Amama) and wool, (Calmet) to be given to the priests on the feast of Pentecost, chap. xxiii. 15. It could not be less than the 60th part of the produce, (Ezechiel xlv. 13.) and it was necessary to pay it before any could be used in the family. Hence these oblations are often called first-fruits, and have been confounded with those sheaves which were to be offered at the beginning of harvest. (Amama)

“And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.”

Of them. When the distance from Jerusalem was great, so that a person judged it more convenient to sell his tithes, and with the money purchase more for a feast in Jerusalem, (which the Rabbins call Zudui, Charisterion, grace or thanksgiving) he had to pay something additional, 12, for example, instead of 10. (Scaliger)

“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.”

Rod; on which was some red colouring, to mark the tenth animal as it passed through a narrow gate. If it was proper for sacrifice, its blood was poured out around the altar, and its flesh was returned to the giver. If it could not be offered in sacrifice, it was slain. The priest received none of the victim, no more than the paschal lamb. (Outram, sac. i. 11.) But a feast was made of flesh for the person’s friends, and he gave a portion to the poor and to the Levites. — The Lord, as a sacrifice of thanksgiving, in which the greatest part of the victim is consumed by the person who offers it. The priests have but a small share, chap. iii. (Calmet)

“These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.”

Sinai. The laws specified in the ten first chapters of the following book, were given here also. (Haydock)