30 And all the tithe H4643 of the land, H776 whether of the seed H2233 of the land, H776 or of the fruit H6529 of the tree, H6086 is the LORD'S: H3068 it is holy H6944 unto the LORD. H3068
And as soon as the commandment H1697 came abroad, H6555 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 brought H935 in abundance H7235 the firstfruits H7225 of corn, H1715 wine, H8492 and oil, H3323 and honey, H1706 and of all the increase H8393 of the field; H7704 and the tithe H4643 of all things brought H935 they in abundantly. H7230 And concerning the children H1121 of Israel H3478 and Judah, H3063 that dwelt H3427 in the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 they also brought in H935 the tithe H4643 of oxen H1241 and sheep, H6629 and the tithe H4643 of holy things H6944 which were consecrated H6942 unto the LORD H3068 their God, H430 and laid H5414 them by heaps. H6194 H6194
And, behold, I have given H5414 the children H1121 of Levi H3878 all the tenth H4643 in Israel H3478 for an inheritance, H5159 for H2500 their service H5656 which they serve, H5647 even the service H5656 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 Neither must the children H1121 of Israel H3478 henceforth H5750 come nigh H7126 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 lest they bear H5375 sin, H2399 and die. H4191 But the Levites H3881 shall do H5647 the service H5656 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 and they shall bear H5375 their iniquity: H5771 it shall be a statute H2708 for ever H5769 throughout your generations, H1755 that among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 they have H5157 no inheritance. H5159 But the tithes H4643 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 which they offer H7311 as an heave offering H8641 unto the LORD, H3068 I have given H5414 to the Levites H3881 to inherit: H5159 therefore I have said H559 unto them, Among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 they shall have H5157 no inheritance. H5159
But unto the place H4725 which the LORD H3068 your God H430 shall choose H977 out of all your tribes H7626 to put H7760 his name H8034 there, even unto his habitation H7933 shall ye seek, H1875 and thither thou shalt come: H935 And thither ye shall bring H935 your burnt offerings, H5930 and your sacrifices, H2077 and your tithes, H4643 and heave offerings H8641 of your hand, H3027 and your vows, H5088 and your freewill offerings, H5071 and the firstlings H1062 of your herds H1241 and of your flocks: H6629
Thou shalt truly H6237 tithe H6237 all the increase H8393 of thy seed, H2233 that the field H7704 bringeth forth H3318 year H8141 by year. H8141 And thou shalt eat H398 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 in the place H4725 which he shall choose H977 to place H7931 his name H8034 there, the tithe H4643 of thy corn, H1715 of thy wine, H8492 and of thine oil, H3323 and the firstlings H1062 of thy herds H1241 and of thy flocks; H6629 that thou mayest learn H3925 to fear H3372 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 always. H3117
And that we should bring H935 the firstfruits H7225 of our dough, H6182 and our offerings, H8641 and the fruit H6529 of all manner of trees, H6086 of wine H8492 and of oil, H3323 unto the priests, H3548 to the chambers H3957 of the house H1004 of our God; H430 and the tithes H4643 of our ground H127 unto the Levites, H3881 that the same Levites H3881 might have the tithes H6237 in all the cities H5892 of our tillage. H5656 And the priest H3548 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 shall be with the Levites, H3881 when the Levites H3881 take tithes: H6237 and the Levites H3881 shall bring up H5927 the tithe H4643 of the tithes H4643 unto the house H1004 of our God, H430 to the chambers, H3957 into the treasure H214 house. H1004
Will a man H120 rob H6906 God? H430 Yet ye have robbed H6906 me. But ye say, H559 Wherein have we robbed H6906 thee? In tithes H4643 and offerings. H8641 Ye are cursed H779 with a curse: H3994 for ye have robbed H6906 me, even this whole nation. H1471 Bring H935 ye all the tithes H4643 into the storehouse, H214 that there may be meat H2964 in mine house, H1004 and prove H974 me now herewith, H2063 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 if I will not open H6605 you the windows H699 of heaven, H8064 and pour you out H7324 a blessing, H1293 that there shall not be room enough H1767 to receive it.
And G2532 verily G3303 they that are of G1537 the sons G5207 of Levi, G3017 who G3588 receive G2983 the office of the priesthood, G2405 have G2192 a commandment G1785 to take tithes G586 of the people G2992 according to G2596 the law, G3551 that is, G5123 of their G846 brethren, G80 though G2539 they come G1831 out of G1537 the loins G3751 of Abraham: G11 But G1161 he whose descent is G1075 not G3361 counted G1075 from G1537 them G846 received tithes G1183 of Abraham, G11 and G2532 blessed G2127 him that had G2192 the promises. G1860 And G1161 without G5565 all G3956 contradiction G485 the less G1640 is blessed G2127 of G5259 the better. G2909 And G2532 here G5602 G3303 men G444 that die G599 receive G2983 tithes; G1181 but G1161 there G1563 he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed G3140 that G3754 he liveth. G2198 And G2532 as G5613 I may so say, G2031 G2036 Levi G3017 also, G2532 who G3588 receiveth G2983 tithes, G1181 payed tithes G1183 in G1223 Abraham. G11
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 27
Commentary on Leviticus 27 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 27
Le 27:1-18. Concerning Vows.
2-8. When a man shall make a singular vow, &c.—Persons have, at all times and in all places, been accustomed to present votive offerings, either from gratitude for benefits received, or in the event of deliverance from apprehended evil. And Moses was empowered, by divine authority, to prescribe the conditions of this voluntary duty.
the persons shall be for the Lord, &c.—better rendered thus:—"According to thy estimation, the persons shall be for the Lord." Persons might consecrate themselves or their children to the divine service, in some inferior or servile kind of work about the sanctuary (1Sa 3:1). In the event of any change, the persons so devoted had the privilege in their power of redeeming themselves; and this chapter specifies the amount of the redemption money, which the priest had the discretionary power of reducing, as circumstances might seem to require. Those of mature age, between twenty and sixty, being capable of the greatest service, were rated highest; young people, from five till twenty, less, because not so serviceable; infants, though devotable by their parents before birth (1Sa 1:11), could not be offered nor redeemed till a month after birth; old people were valued below the young, but above children; and the poor—in no case freed from payment, in order to prevent the rash formation of vows—were rated according to their means.
9-13. if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the Lord—a clean beast. After it had been vowed, it could neither be employed in common purposes nor exchanged for an equivalent—it must be sacrificed—or if, through some discovered blemish, it was unsuitable for the altar, it might be sold, and the money applied for the sacred service. If an unclean beast—such as an ass or camel, for instance, had been vowed, it was to be appropriated to the use of the priest at the estimated value, or it might be redeemed by the person vowing on payment of that value, and the additional fine of a fifth more.
14, 15. when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the Lord, &c.—In this case, the house having been valued by the priest and sold, the proceeds of the sale were to be dedicated to the sanctuary. But if the owner wished, on second thought, to redeem it, he might have it by adding a fifth part to the price.
16-24. if a man shall sanctify unto the Lord some aprt of a field of his possession, &c.—In the case of acquired property in land, if not redeemed, it returned to the donor at the Jubilee; whereas the part of a hereditary estate, which had been vowed, did not revert to the owner, but remained attached in perpetuity to the sanctuary. The reason for this remarkable difference was to lay every man under an obligation to redeem the property, or stimulate his nearest kinsman to do it, in order to prevent a patrimonial inheritance going out from any family in Israel.
26, 27. Only the firstling of the beasts—These, in the case of clean beasts, being consecrated to God by a universal and standing law (Ex 13:12; 34:19), could not be devoted; and in that of unclean beasts, were subject to the rule mentioned (Le 27:11, 12).
28, 29. no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath, … shall be sold or redeemed—This relates to vows of the most solemn kind—the devotee accompanying his vow with a solemn imprecation on himself not to fail in accomplishing his declared purpose.
29. shall surely be put to death—This announcement imported not that the person was to be sacrificed or doomed to a violent death; but only that he should remain till death unalterably in the devoted condition. The preceding regulations were evidently designed to prevent rashness in vowing (Ec 5:4) and to encourage serious and considerate reflection in all matters between God and the soul (Lu 21:4).
30-33. all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land—This law gave the sanction of divine authority to an ancient usage (Ge 14:20; 28:22). The whole produce of the land was subjected to the tithe tribute—it was a yearly rent which the Israelites, as tenants, paid to God, the owner of the land, and a thank offering they rendered to Him for the bounties of His providence. (See Pr 3:9; 1Co 9:11; Ga 6:6).
32. whatsoever passeth under the rod, &c.—This alludes to the mode of taking the tithe of cattle, which were made to pass singly through a narrow gateway, where a person with a rod, dipped in ochre, stood, and counting them, marked the back of every tenth beast, whether male or female, sound or unsound.
34. These are the commandments, &c.—The laws contained in this book, for the most part ceremonial, had an important spiritual bearing, the study of which is highly instructive (Ro 10:4; Heb 4:2; 12:18). They imposed a burdensome yoke (Ac 15:10), but yet in the infantine age of the Church formed the necessary discipline of "a schoolmaster to Christ" [Ga 3:24].