Leviticus 27:28
in Leviticus 27Nothing that a man sets apart to the LORD from all he owns—whether a man, an animal, or his inherited land—can be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Notwithstanding, no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto Jehovah of all that he hath, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto Jehovah.
KJV
Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.
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This verse in Leviticus 27
Commentary
7 notes on this verseNo devoted thing - shall be sold or redeemed - This is the חרם cherem, which always meant an absolute unredeemable grant to God.
This site's exposition
no one may consecrate a firstborn of the livestock
on Leviticus 27:26-29
Verse 28 puts the devoted thing, the Hebrew cherem, beyond sale or redemption. Verse 29 condemns any person set apart for destruction and explains nothing.
This site's exposition
everything so devoted is most holy
John Wesley, from the Hebrew word, reads the devoted thing as given with a curse on the giver or others if the vow went unkept. Matthew Henry ranks such things with the sacrifices called most holy, which only the priests might touch. The form of the vow made the difference.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
No devoted thing - That is, 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.
They were of the same nature with those sacrifices which were called most holy, which none might touch but only the priests themselves. The difference between these and other sanctified things arose from the different expression of the vow.
Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Devoted thing - The primary meaning of the Heb. word חרם chērem is something cut off, or shut up. Its specific meaning in the Law is, that which is cut off from common use and given up in some sense to Yahweh, without the right of recal or commutation. It is applied to a field wholly appropriated to the sanctuary Lev 27:21, and to whatever was doomed to destruction 1Sa 15:21; 1Ki 20:42. Our translators have often rendered the word by “cursed,” or “a curse,” which in some places may convey the right sense, but it should be remembered that the terms are not identical in their compass of meaning (Deu 7:26; Jos 6:17-18; Jos 7:1; Isa 34:5; Isa 43:28, etc. Compare Gal 3:13). Of man and beast - This passage does not permit human sacrifices. Man is elsewhere clearly recognized as one of the creatures which were not to be offered in sacrifice Exo 13:13; Exo 34:20; Num 18:15. Therefore the application of the word חרם chērem to man is made exclusively in reference to one rightly doomed to death and, in that sense alone, given up to Yahweh. The man who, in a right spirit, either carries out a sentence of just doom on an offender, or who, with a single eye to duty, slays an enemy in battle, must regard himself as God’s servant rendering up a life to the claim of the divine justice (compare Rom 13:4). It was in this way that Israel was required to destroy the Canaanites at Hormah (Num 21:2-3; compare Deu 13:12-18), and that Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord 1Sa 15:33. In all such instances, a moral obligation rests upon him whose office it is to take the life: he has to look upon the object of his stroke as under a ban to the Lord (compare Deu 20:4; Gal 3:13). […]
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַךְ־ | ʾakh- | nevertheless | H389 → | 161 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֵ֡רֶם | cherem | devoted thing | H2764 → | 38 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַחֲרִם֩ | yacharim | he will dedicate to destruction | H2763 → | 52 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֜ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִכָּל־ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| ל֗וֹ | lo | [belongs] to <the> him | ||
| מֵאָדָ֤ם | meadam | from humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| וּבְהֵמָה֙ | uvehemah | and livestock | H929 → | 190 times |
| וּמִשְּׂדֵ֣ה | umisedeh | and from [the] field of | H7704 → | 334 times |
| אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ | ʾachuzato | possession his | H272 → | 66 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִמָּכֵ֖ר | yimakher | it will be sold | H4376 → | 80 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִגָּאֵ֑ל | yigael | it will be redeemed | H1350 → | 104 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֵ֕רֶם | cherem | devoted thing | H2764 → | 38 times |
| קֹֽדֶשׁ־ | kodesh- | [is] a holy thing of | H6944 → | 469 times |
| קָֽדָשִׁ֥ים | kadashim | holy things | H6944 → | 469 times |
| ה֖וּא | hu' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לַיהוָֽה׃ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
אַךְ־nevertheless
ʾakh-H389 →161 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חֵ֡רֶםdevoted thing
cheremH2764 →38 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַחֲרִם֩he will dedicate to destruction
yacharimH2763 →52 times
אִ֨ישׁanyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לַֽיהוָ֜הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִכָּל־from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
ל֗וֹ[belongs] to <the> him
lo
מֵאָדָ֤םfrom humankind
meadamH120 →551 times
וּבְהֵמָה֙and livestock
uvehemahH929 →190 times
וּמִשְּׂדֵ֣הand from [the] field of
umisedehH7704 →334 times
אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹpossession his
ʾachuzatoH272 →66 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִמָּכֵ֖רit will be sold
yimakherH4376 →80 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִגָּאֵ֑לit will be redeemed
yigaelH1350 →104 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חֵ֕רֶםdevoted thing
cheremH2764 →38 times
קֹֽדֶשׁ־[is] a holy thing of
kodesh-H6944 →469 times
קָֽדָשִׁ֥יםholy things
kadashimH6944 →469 times
ה֖וּאit
hu'H1931 →1879 times
לַיהוָֽה׃to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 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
Exodus 22:20If anyone sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone, he must be set apart for destruction.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 17:2–5
If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His…
- Numbers 25:7–8
On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,
- Deuteronomy 18:20
But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put…
- Deuteronomy 13:1–15
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
- Numbers 25:2–4
who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods.
- Deuteronomy 17:2–5
Through
Leviticus 27:21When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the LORD; it becomes the property of the priests.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 44:29
They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them.
- Numbers 18:14
Every devoted thing in Israel belongs to you.
- Ezekiel 44:29
Through
Deuteronomy 25:19When the LORD your God gives you rest from the enemies around you in the land that He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you are to blot out the memory of…
it leads to
- Exodus 17:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
- Exodus 17:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.