And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession;
A field bought by a person, as distinct from the fields of his inherited possession, could be sanctified to the Lord by vow. If consecrated land or a house was to be retained, its value was assessed by the priest and a fifth was added to the valuation, and this redemption payment made good the vow and underscored the sacredness of what had been dedicated to God. A devoted thing in the chapter is something set apart, separated, or devoted, with the sense of irrevocable devotion to destruction.
The verse stands within laws concerning redemption, whose final section explains how the law of tithing was carried out in Israel. That law of tithing was already known to Abraham and Jacob. The tithe is the Lord's and bears His image and superscription as worship does. Civil government therefore has no right to exact it, lay any claim upon it, modify it, or direct it.
A field bought by a person, as distinct from the fields of his inherited possession, could be sanctified to the Lord by vow. If consecrated land or a house was to be retained, its value was assessed by the priest and a fifth was added to the valuation, and this redemption payment made good the vow and underscored the sacredness of what had been dedicated to God. A devoted thing in the chapter is something set apart, separated, or devoted, with the sense of irrevocable devotion to destruction.
The verse stands within laws concerning redemption, whose final section explains how the law of tithing was carried out in Israel. That law of tithing was already known to Abraham and Jacob. The tithe is the Lord's and bears His image and superscription as worship does. Civil government therefore has no right to exact it, lay any claim upon it, modify it, or direct it.