Lev. 27 Laws touching the redeeming of men devoted to God, Lev. 27:1–8, or of beasts, Lev. 27:9–13; of bosses, Lev. 27:14–15; of fields or grounds, Lev. 27:16–25. What things might not be vowed; and being so, what redeemable, and what not, Lev. 27:26–29.

A singular vow, or, an eminent or hard or wonderful vow; not concerning things, which was not strange, but customary; but concerning persons, as it here follows, which he vowed, or by vow devoted unto the Lord, which indeed was unusual and difficult: yet there want not instances of such vows, and…

From twenty years old to sixty years old is the best time for strength and service, and therefore is prized at the highest rate.

Less than the man’s price, because she is inferior to him both in strength and serviceableness.

From five years old, at what age they might be vowed by their parents, as appears from 1 Sam. 1:0. though not by themselves; and the children were obliged by their parents’ vow, which is not strange, considering the parents’ power and right to dispose of their children so far as is not contrary to…

If he be poorer than thy estimation; if after his vow he be decayed and impoverished, and not able to pay the price which thou, according to the rules here given, requirest of him. According to his ability; which God also considered in other cases, as Lev. 12:8, 2 Cor. 8:12.

Whereof men bring, to wit, usually and according to God’s appointment. Giveth, i.e. voweth to give. Shall be holy, i.e. consecrated to God, either to be sacrificed, or to be given to the priest according to the manner of the vow, and the intention of him that voweth.

He shall not alter it, nor change it; two words expressing the same thing more emphatically: q.d. He shall in no wise change it, neither for one of the same, nor of another kind.

If it be unclean, either for the kind, or for the quality of it, if it were such a one as might not be offered. The dog only may seem to be excepted, for his price might not be offered. See Deut. 23:18.

Sanctify his house, to wit, by a vow, for of that way and manner of sanctification he speaks in this whole chapter. Holy uno the Lord; in which case the benefit of it redounded either to the priests, for their maintenance, Num. 18:4, or to the sanctuary, for its reparations or expenses.

He shall add the fifth part, which he might the better do, because the priests did usually put a moderate rate upon it.

A field of his possession, i.e. which is his by inheritance, because particular direction is given about purchased lands, Lev. 27:22. And he saith part of it, because it was unlawful to vow away all his possessions, because thereby he had disenabled himself from the performance of divers duties by…

From the year of jubilee, i.e. immediately after the year of jubilee is past. According to thy estimation, now mentioned, to wit, of fifty shekels for an homer of barley seed. It shall stand, i.e. that price shall be paid without diminution.

After the jubilee, i.e. some considerable time after the jubilee, as appears from the following words. Unto the year of the jubilee; the defalcation from the full price of fifty shekels being to be more or less, as the years are more or fewer. See Lev. 25:15–17.

If he will not redeem the field, to wit, when the priest shall set a price upon it, and offer it to him in the first place to redeem it. If he have sold; he, who? Either, 1.

When it goeth out, i. e. of the possession of the other man to whom the priest sold it. The priests’, for their maintenance. Nor is this repugnant to that law, that the priests should have no inheritance in the land, Num.

The worth of thy estimation, i.e. the price or sum at which thou, O priest, shalt reckon it. So it is only a change of the person, which is frequent; or, the price which thou, O Moses, by my direction hast set in such cases. Unto the year of the jubilee, i.e.

By original right, which no other person by vow or otherwise could give away from him.

No man shall sanctify it, to wit, by vow; because it is not his own, but the Lord’s already, and therefore to vow such a thing to God is a tacit derogation from and a usurpation of the Lord’s right, and a mocking of God by pretending to give him what we cannot withhold from him.

If it be of an unclean beast, i.e. if it be the first-born of an unclean beast, as appears from Lev. 27:26, which could not be vowed, because it was a first-born, nor offered, because it was unclean, and therefore is here commanded to be redeemed or sold.

No devoted thing, i.e. nothing which is absolutely devoted to God, with a curse upon themselves or others if they disposed not of it according to their vow; as the Hebrew word implies. Of all that he hath, to wit, in his power or possession. Is most holy unto the Lord, i.e.

Of men, not by men, as some would elude it; but of men, for it is manifest both from this and the foregoing verses, that men here are not the persons devoting, but devoted. Quest.

There are divers sorts of tithes, but this seems to be understood only of the ordinary and yearly tithes belonging to the Levites, &c., as the very expression intimates, and the addition of the fifth part in case of redemption thereof implies.

Under the rod; either, 1. The tither’s rod, it being the manner of the Jews in tithing to cause all their cattle to pass through some gate or narrow passage, where the tenth was marked by a person appointed for that purpose, and reserved for the priest. Or, 2.