Leviticus 27
DOYLY— shall surely be put to death.] It has been asserted by some, that this law of Moses concerning devoted things to be put to death, authorized human sacrifices: and Jephthah’s sacrificing his daughter, Judges xi. 34, &c.; Samuel’s hewing Agag in pieces before the Lord, 1 Sam. xv. 33; and David’s delivering seven of Saul’s posterity to the Gibeonites to be put to death by them, 2 Sam. xxi. 2, &c; have been represented as instances of human sacrifices, conformably to that law. But, as there are express laws which forbid the sacrificing of their children, Deut. xii. 30, 31; Ps. cvi. 37, 38; Jer. vii. 31; Ezek. xvi. 20, 21; so there not only is no direction to sacrifice any other human creature, nor any rites appointed for such sacrifice; moreover such a sacrifice would have rendered the priest unclean by touching a dead body. Dr. Gerard.
Leviticus 27:20
20.— or if he have sold the field &c.] The meaning is, if the field was sold to any other man except the person who vowed it, he could never redeem it again. The reason of the law was, 1st, that the owners of land might hereby be obliged to redeem their own lands, lest the estate should pass away from tribes and families: 2dly, that God might hereby make a provision for the priests, who would receive more if the owner redeemed it, than if another person. This is to be understood of a field that was promised to God by a simple vow, because, if it was devoted, or consecrated, it could not be redeemed. Biblioth. Bibl.
Leviticus 27:26
26.— no man shall sanctify it;] And yet it is said at Deut. xv. 19, “All the firstling males—thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord.” The reason of the command in this place is, that, as every firstling was of course sacred to the Lord, any other consecration of it was unnecessary. The meaning of the command in Deuteronomy is, that the firstling, already sacred as such, should be put to none but a holy use. The one precept made it unnecessary to sanctify what was antecedently sacred to God; the other made it necessary not to use or treat that as common which was antecedently sacred. Jos. Mede, Biblioth. Bibl.
Leviticus 27:28
28.— no devoted thing, &c.] The Hebrew word cherem, here translated “devoted,” signifies devoted by a peculiar sort of vow, with a curse annexed to it. The meaning is, nothing devoted by this sort of vow shall be sold or redeemed: for it was the peculiar nature of this vow, that the thing should remain unalterably and irreversibly for the use to which it was devoted. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 27:29
29.— which shall be devoted of men,] Persons might be devoted, not only by God, as when He devoted the city and inhabitants of Jericho, Josh. vi. 17, and the Amalekites, Deut. xxv. 19, but by men, as in special
Leviticus 27:30
- And all the tithe of the land, &c.] This is the first mention of tithes in the Law of Moses. As the priests and Levites had no share in the division of the land, except a number of cities, with their suburbs, they were supported by the tithe or tenth part of the produce of all the lands: this tenth was paid to the Levites, who again paid a tenth of all which they received
The tithe may not be changed. Before CHRIST 1491.
Leviticus 27:32
- — passeth under the rod.] The tithing rod, used in numbering the tenth out of the herd; or the shepherd’s crook, under which the flock passed as he numbered them daily. Bp. Patrick.