Leviticus 27:1-8 · Bible study
Leviticus 27:1-8 Commentary: Vows and Valuations
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the divine regulations for personal vows in Leviticus 27:1-8, a surprising appendix to the law with deep significance for worship and commitment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Laws for redeeming persons vowed to the Lord, with valuations based on age and gender.
- Key words: (H6187) 'erekh (valuation), (H5088) neder (vow), (H6381) pala' (make special/singular).
- Main debate: Whether valuations reflect inherent worth or practical service capacity; Barnes and Clarke argue the latter.
- Theological theme: God permits the redemption of vows, showing grace alongside the seriousness of commitment.
- Best use: Teaching on the nature of voluntary dedication and God's accommodation to human need.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When a man consecrates a person to Yahweh in a vow, according to your valuation,
3your valuation of a male from twenty years old to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
4If she is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.
5If the person is from five years old to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
6If the person is from a month old to five years old, then your valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver.
7If the person is from sixty years old and upward; if he is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
8But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall assign a value to him. The priest shall assign a value according to his ability to pay.
KJV King James Version 1769
1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the Lord by thy estimation.
3And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
4And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
5And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
6And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver.
7And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
8But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to his ability that vowed shall the priest value him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall accomplish a vow, the persons shall be for Jehovah by thy estimation.
3And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
4And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
5And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
6And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver.
7And if it be from sixty years old and upward; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
8But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the ability of him that vowed shall the priest value him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
2`Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When a man maketh a wonderful vow, by thy valuation the persons are Jehovah's.
3When thy valuation hath been of the male from a son of twenty years even unto a son of sixty years, then hath been thy valuation fifty shekels of silver by the shekel of the sanctuary.
4And if it is a female--then hath thy valuation been thirty shekels;
5and if from a son of five years even unto a son of twenty years--then hath thy valuation been of the male twenty shekels, and for the female, ten shekels;
6and if from a son of a month even unto a son of five years--then hath thy valuation been of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy valuation is three shekels of silver;
7and if from a son of sixty years and above--if a male, then hath thy valuation been fifteen shekels, and for a female, ten shekels.
8`And if he is poorer than thy valuation, then he hath presented himself before the priest, and the priest hath valued him; according to that which the hand of him who is vowing doth reach doth the priest value him.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When any one devoteth [anything] by a vow, the persons shall be for Jehovah according to thy valuation.
3And thy valuation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old: thy valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary;
4and if it be of a female, thy valuation shall be thirty shekels.
5And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, thy valuation of the male shall be twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
6And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, thy valuation of the male shall be five shekels of silver; and for the female thy valuation shall be three shekels of silver.
7And if it be from sixty years old and above, if it be a male, thy valuation shall be fifteen shekels; and for the female ten shekels.
8And if he be poorer than thy valuation, he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him: according to his means that vowed shall the priest value him.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The man that shall have made a vow, and promised his soul to God, shall give the price according to estimation.
3If it be a man from twenty years old unto sixty years old, he shall give fifty sicles of silver, after the weight of the sanctuary:
4If a woman, thirty.
5But from the fifth year until the twentieth, a man shall give twenty sicles: a woman ten.
6From one month until the fifth year, for a male shall be given five sicles: for a female three.
7A man that is sixty years old or upward, shall give fifteen sicles: a woman ten.
8If he be poor, and not able to pay the estimation, he shall stand before the priest: and as much as he shall value him at, and see him able to pay, so much shall he give.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 27:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this chapter, appearing after the formal conclusion at Leviticus 26:46, is a deliberate supplement to the Sinaitic law, not an afterthought. Barnes calls it “of a supplementary character” while affirming its Mosaic origin. The chapter addresses voluntary vows, not mandatory duties: when an Israelite “makes a special vow” (Hiphil of pala', “to make extraordinary”), that person becomes the Lord's property and must be redeemed with a monetary payment according to a standard valuation. Calvin distinguishes this from the more severe cherem (anathema) dedication; here redemption is permitted. The valuations are pegged to age and gender, which Clarke and Barnes interpret as reflecting the person's probable capacity for work in the sanctuary service. The sliding scale for the poor in verse 8 shows that the system had a pastoral heart: the priest could lower the amount to match what the vow-maker could actually afford.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The passage provides a system of monetary valuations for persons vowed to the Lord, permitting redemption, and it closes with a special provision for the poor.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of valuations | The monetary amounts are not arbitrary but follow a consistent logic tied to age and gender. | Clarke and Barnes see them as reflecting expected service capacity; others, like some medieval Jewish commentators, view them more as symbolic or legal fixed payments without economic rationale. |
| Role of the priest in valuation (v.8) | The priest oversees the reduction for the poor, ensuring fairness. | Whether 'thy estimation' in verses 2-7 refers to Moses (as representative of the law) or to the priest (who actually applies it) is debated. Poole takes it as addressed to the vow-maker himself, while Keil-Delitzsch prefer Moses. |
| Applicability of the gender distinction | The different rates for men and women are clearly stated and were applied historically. | Some interpret this as a culturally conditioned reflection of ancient economic roles; others see it as an enduring principle of male headship or inherent difference. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This passage sits after the blessings and curses of Leviticus 26, which conclude the main body of the covenant code. Vows were a common ancient Near Eastern practice: a person facing a crisis or seeking a blessing would promise a gift to a deity in exchange for deliverance. In Israel, this was regulated but not discouraged. The “special vow” (neder yapfli) is distinguished from ordinary offerings by its extraordinary, unusual character, a person might dedicate themselves, a child (as Hannah later did with Samuel), or another dependent to the service of the sanctuary. The sanctuary shekel, mentioned three times in this unit, was the standard weight used in all sacred transactions (Exodus 30:13).
Because such vows could become impractical or burdensome, the law provided a mechanism for redemption: the vow-maker could pay a fixed sum instead of delivering the person for actual service. The valuation followed a rough economic logic: a person in their prime (twenty to sixty) could perform more manual labor than a child or an elder, so their redemption cost was higher. Clarke notes that the gender difference (fifty shekels for a man, thirty for a woman) reflects the “serviceableness” expected in a male-dominated temple context, not intrinsic worth. The provision for the poor in verse 8 is remarkable: it brings the priest into the assessment, allowing mercy to temper the fixed scale.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this passage. The formulaic repetition of age brackets and shekel amounts is consistent across all major manuscripts, and the key terms ('erekh, neder, pala') are stable.
Reception History
In early Jewish tradition, the Mishnah (Arakhin) develops these valuations into a detailed tractate, expanding the categories and applying them to real-life cases. The Church Fathers often read the chapter allegorically: the varying ages and prices represented stages of spiritual maturity, and the poor man's redemption pointed to Christ's work for sinners. Medieval Christian exegetes, following the Glossa Ordinaria, saw the fifty shekels for a prime-age male as a type of the full atonement made by Christ. Reformers like Calvin stressed the voluntary nature of vows and the merciful provision for the poor, using the passage to argue against compulsory monastic vows. In modern evangelical study, the passage is often used to illustrate the seriousness of promises and God's sensitivity to human limitations.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The voluntary character of vows. These are not commands but freewill offerings of devotion. Yet once spoken, they become binding. This challenges impulsive promises while honoring heartfelt dedication.
- Valuation based on capacity, not worth. The sliding scale by age and gender shows that God takes our practical ability into account. What matters is not the size of the gift but the sincerity behind it.
- Grace for the poor. The priest may reduce the amount for those who cannot afford the standard rate. God does not demand from us what we do not have; He meets us at our level of ability.
Five-point outline
- The Occasion: Vows arise from gratitude, fear, or petition, they are responses to God's goodness or cries for help.
- The Regulation: God channels this natural impulse so that it does not become reckless. The law protects both the sanctuary and the vow-maker.
- The Valuation: Objective benchmarks prevent exploitation and inconsistency. Every category has a set price.
- The Redemption: The person dedicated can be bought back. This anticipates the New Testament theme of Christ as our redemption.
- The Accommodation: The priest's discretion for the poor shows that God's standards are not rigid; mercy triumphs over strict calculation.
Illustration hooks
- A parent promises to volunteer at their child's school if the child recovers from illness. When the time comes, work commitments make it impossible. The school allows a financial contribution instead, a modern parallel to redemption.
- A small congregation pledges a large sum for a building project but later realizes they cannot afford it. The church board adjusts the target to match real giving. This mirrors the priest's role in verse 8.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I make a promise to God in a moment of desperation, am I obligated to keep it once the crisis passes?
- Does this passage mean God values men more than women? How do we explain the different rates?
- How does this Old Testament system of vows relate to New Testament teachings about giving cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7)?
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to consider the weight of our words when we speak to God. Vows were taken seriously in ancient Israel, but the law also provided a way out for those who over-committed. In our small group, we will explore how this tension between sincerity and realism applies to our own promises.
Discussion questions
- What different categories of people does this passage list? Why do you think the ages and genders are separated?
- How does the Hebrew verb pala (to make special/extraordinary) shape your understanding of what kind of vow is in view?
- Why might the valuations drop so sharply for the elderly and the very young? What does this suggest about the basis of the system?
- The priest could reduce the amount for the poor. What does this reveal about God's character?
- Compare this passage with Deuteronomy 23:21-23. How do the two texts together form a balanced view of vows?
- Have you ever made a promise to God that later felt beyond your ability? How did you handle that tension?
- How does the New Testament teaching about Christ's once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12) change the way we think about making vows today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 28:20 | Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, |
| Genesis 28:22 | then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.” |
| Leviticus 7:16 | “‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a free will offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice. On the next day what remains of it shall be eaten, |
| Numbers 6:2 | “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh, |
| Numbers 21:2 | Israel vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” |
| Numbers 30:3 | “Also, when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh and binds herself by a pledge, being in her father’s house, in her youth, |
| Deuteronomy 23:21 | When you vow a vow to Yahweh your God, you shall not be slack to pay it, for Yahweh your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you. |
| Deuteronomy 23:23 | You shall observe and do that which has gone out of your lips. Whatever you have vowed to Yahweh your God as a free will offering, which you have promised with your mouth, you must do. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that a singular vow consecrates a living creature to the Lord, and if the person wants to redeem it, the priest sets the value based on the creature's age, qualities, and the vow-maker's circumstances. The redemption money then goes to the sanctuary.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the valuation system for personal vows is based on a person's likely future work output. The different amounts assigned by age and sex reflect an economic estimate of what each person could contribute, not a spiritual or arbitrary standard.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that God permitted vows to be redeemed at a set price precisely because people often grow reluctant to fulfill them. This system ensured that offerings remained truly voluntary rather than grudging payments extracted from unwilling hearts.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools notes that the redemption value of a person vowed to God was based on a practical assessment of their labor capacity. The estimate depended on strength and work capability expected at different ages and between sexes, essentially reflecting their market value.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains the detailed scale God gave for valuing people vowed to the sanctuary, with rates based strictly on age and sex. He notes that if a person was too poor to pay the set amount, the priest was to assess a lower price according to that person's actual ability to give.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains the system of valuations for persons consecrated to God through vows, noting the sliding scale based on age and capability for sanctuary service. A distinctive emphasis is that the poor were never freed from payment entirely, precisely to discourage rash vows. The priest could reduce the amount according to each person's means.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasise that vows were never commanded but were a voluntary expression of piety that the law simply regulated. For persons, the valuation served only one purpose: redemption. Anyone who vowed a person had to pay the fixed price to the sanctuary; actual service at the sanctuary was not intended.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats this chapter not as an afterthought on vows but as a law for keeping the covenant in everyday life. He stresses that its core concern is the manliness of individual piety, honesty before God, and the sacred duty of every pledged word, from confirmation vows to marriage vows.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that these detailed regulations show how seriously God takes a voluntary vow: once a person or animal is given to the Lord, it becomes holy and cannot be swapped or taken back. The provision allowing the poor to be valued according to their means reveals God's gracious consideration of each person's circumstances.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees the giving of the law as a covenant that maintains communion between God and Israel, drawing them with gentle cords rather than bare authority. He distinguishes the "singular vow," an unusual pledge dedicating persons to the Lord, with valuation adjusted by age and sex, and provision for redemption to prevent burdening the sanctuary.