Leviticus 27:11
in Leviticus 27But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer an oblation unto Jehovah, then he shall set the beast before the priest;
KJV
And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the Lord, then he shall present the beast before the priest:
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This verse in Leviticus 27
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
whereof men bring an offering
on Leviticus 27:9-13
A clean beast once vowed is holy and stays that animal, and swapping it for another makes both of them holy, so the attempt to trade doubles the gift. An unclean beast is brought to the priest, who sets its worth, and an owner who wants it back pays that worth plus a fifth. The added fifth falls five times in this chapter, at verses 13, 15, 19, 27 and 31, and it is the same surcharge Leviticus 5:16 and 6:5 lay on a man making restitution for a trespass. Taking back what was given to God is priced the way damage is priced.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Concerning Things Sanctified. 14 And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the L ORD , then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand. 15 And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be his.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:93%@v14-15
And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the Lord,....
Things or persons devoted are here distinguished from things or persons that were only sanctified. Devoted things were most holy to the Lord, and could neither revert nor be alienated,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Any unclean beast - See on Lev 27:2 (note).
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם֙ | veim | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּהֵמָ֣ה | behemah | animal | H929 → | 190 times |
| טְמֵאָ֔ה | temeah | unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| אֲ֠שֶׁר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַקְרִ֧יבוּ | yakrivu | people will present | H7126 → | 280 times |
| מִמֶּ֛נָּה | mimenah | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| קָרְבָּ֖ן | korban | a present | H7133 → | 82 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֑ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְהֶֽעֱמִ֥יד | veheemid | and he will station | H5975 → | 521 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה | habehemah | the animal | H929 → | 190 times |
| לִפְנֵ֥י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
וְאִם֙and if
veimH518 →1069 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
בְּהֵמָ֣הanimal
behemahH929 →190 times
טְמֵאָ֔הunclean
temeahH2931 →88 times
אֲ֠שֶׁרwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַקְרִ֧יבוּpeople will present
yakrivuH7126 →280 times
מִמֶּ֛נָּהfrom it
mimenahH4480 →1188 times
קָרְבָּ֖ןa present
korbanH7133 →82 times
לַֽיהוָ֑הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְהֶֽעֱמִ֥ידand he will station
veheemidH5975 →521 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַבְּהֵמָ֖הthe animal
habehemahH929 →190 times
לִפְנֵ֥י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַכֹּהֵֽן׃the priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Malachi 1:14“But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the…
it leads to
- Acts 5:1–10
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
- Ecclesiastes 5:4–5
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
- 2 Corinthians 8:12
For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
- Malachi 1:8
When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased…
- Psalms 76:12
He breaks the spirits of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth.
- Acts 5:1–10
Through
Deuteronomy 23:18You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.
it leads to
- Philippians 3:2
Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!
- Revelation 22:15
But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
- Matthew 7:6
Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
- Philippians 3:2
About Leviticus

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
