Leviticus 27:1-13
Vows and Valuations
Read the passage
1Then the LORD said to Moses,
2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When someone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the value of persons,
3if the valuation concerns a male from twenty to sixty years of age, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.
4Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.
5And if the person is from five to twenty years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
6Now if the person is from one month to five years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be five shekels of silver, and for the female three shekels of silver.
7And if the person is sixty years of age or older, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels for the male and ten shekels for the female.
8But if the one making the vow is too poor to pay the valuation, he is to present the person before the priest, who shall set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.
9If he vows an animal that may be brought as an offering to the LORD, any such animal given to the LORD shall be holy.
10He must not replace it or exchange it, either good for bad or bad for good. But if he does substitute one animal for another, both that animal and its substitute will be holy.
11But if the vow involves any of the unclean animals that may not be brought as an offering to the LORD, the animal must be presented before the priest.
12The priest shall set its value, whether high or low; as the priest values it, the price will be set.
13If, however, the owner decides to redeem the animal, he must add a fifth to its value.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The LORD tells Moses how to value a person who has been dedicated by a vow. The valuation differs by age and sex, with the highest amounts set for those from twenty to sixty years old. If the person making the vow cannot afford the valuation, the priest sets the amount according to what that person can pay.
The law is not assigning a person's worth before God. It gives a scale for a vowed dedication within the sanctuary's system, and it explicitly prevents poverty from making a vow impossible to fulfill.
An animal suitable for sacrifice that is vowed to the LORD becomes holy. It cannot be exchanged for another animal, whether good or bad. If someone substitutes one for another, both become holy.
An unclean animal that cannot be offered in sacrifice is presented to the priest for valuation. If the owner wants to redeem it, a fifth must be added to that value. The different rules keep a promise from becoming something its maker can quietly redefine.
How We Know
Ecclesiastes 5:4–6 also warns against making a vow to God and then failing to fulfill it. It says that not vowing is better than promising and not paying. Leviticus supplies particular rules for Israel's dedications; Ecclesiastes makes the responsibility behind such promises explicit.
Questions
1 What did the priest determine for someone unable to pay?
AnswerThe priest determined a valuation according to what the person making the vow could afford.
2 Could a vowed sacrificial animal be exchanged?
AnswerNo. If someone substituted another animal, both became holy. Changing the animal did not release the original gift.
3 How could an owner redeem an unclean animal?
AnswerThe priest set its value, and the owner paid that amount plus one-fifth. An animal unsuitable for sacrifice had a different rule from a sacrificial animal.
4 What did the valuation measure?
AnswerIt measured the practical value of a vowed dedication, not the person's dignity before God.
What This Means for Us
Vows should not be made carelessly, and they should not create a spiritual system where the poor are automatically excluded. The priest's adjustment keeps commitment serious without pretending every person has identical resources.
Speak carefully before making promises in God's name. If a commitment has been made, seek wise counsel about fulfilling it without using financial pressure to measure someone's faith.
Prayer
Lord, make our promises truthful and our worship free from manipulation. Give us wisdom before we vow, generosity toward those with limited means, and integrity in carrying out what we have promised. Amen.