Leviticus 27:28, commentary and pictures

What is devoted to the Lord, whether man or beast or field of possession, is set apart as an anathema and becomes wholly His and most holy unto Him, separated irrevocably from common use. It cannot be sold or redeemed or taken back for another use, for its worth is sacred and beyond ordinary market value because the altar sanctifies the gift. A devoted person, animal, or city is given over to be destroyed and not redeemed, and one worthy of death is put to death as promised, though no man may on his own devote another to death apart from God's plan, as in His merciful judgment upon the wicked peoples of Canaan and Amalek. What is promised to God by vow or set apart as tithe and offering from seed, fruit, herds, flocks, and property is sacred and must be fulfilled and given as duty and not merely from what is spared, for to take it for private use robs God. So Jericho as first-fruits of Canaan belonged to the Lord's treasury and not to Israel as spoil, making Achan's taking sacrilegious theft, and likewise a place offered for worship and money set apart as Sabbath offering is made holy by His presence and is to be treated with reverence.

Meaning of Devoted Status

A devoted thing is an anathema, that is a curse or a ban, properly something set apart, separated, and devoted irrevocably. It means absolute, irrevocable, and entire separation of a person from the communion of the faithful, from the number of the living, or from the privileges of society. A devoted person, animal, city, or thing is not redeemed but is given over to be extirpated, destroyed, consumed, and annihilated.

Whatever a man devotes to the Lord of all that he has, whether man or beast or field of his possession, becomes wholly given to Him and most holy unto Him. In ancient Israel anything thus devoted was called most holy, and the laws concerning redemption establish that what is devoted is not to be sold or redeemed. What is devoted cannot be sold, redeemed, withdrawn, taken back for another use, or taken back with no equivalent given. Its sacred worth lies beyond ordinary market value because the altar sanctifies the gift.

A devoted person or animal worthy of death had to be put to death, the vowed thing being taken as promised or killed. No individual could on his own decide to devote someone to death; this had to accord with God's plan. The command concerning the peoples of Palestine and the Amalekites was an act of judgment, merciful because of their wickedness.

Vows Tithes and Offerings

What is promised or consecrated to God by vow becomes sacred and must not be taken for another use, for to do so is to rob God. Where the vow concerned land or a house that the one who vowed wished to retain, the priest assessed its value and the person added a fifth part over it, and by this the vow was made good while the sacredness of what had been dedicated was impressed upon him. A person included in a singular vow could be redeemed according to the priest's valuation, and Jephthah's daughter was not offered as a burnt offering but remained devoted to the Lord's service in perpetual virginity because he did not redeem her, his vow meaning that she would belong to the Lord's service or that he would offer a burnt offering if the vowed object was one the law permitted to be sacrificed. A righteous vow dedicating a person or property to the Lord could not be escaped after promising to give flocks or other possessions, and to fail to fulfill it was sin, for what was vowed was most holy and could not be sold or redeemed but was taken as promised or killed.

The verse is grouped with the passages calling for a tithe of seed, fruit, herds, and flocks, and rightly understood it does not contradict the duty to tithe these increases. The tithe is holy to the Lord and therefore belongs among devoted things, for anything devoted to the Lord is most holy and cannot be sold or redeemed. Things set apart for God's service and support stand under this same rule, so that taking what belongs to the Lord for private use violates His claim, and those who profess to keep God's law are in danger of stealing them. Jericho illustrates the principle, in that the city was devoted to the Lord as the firstfruits of the campaign, and its people were to trust Him for victory and recognize His first claim on what they gained.

Giving to the Lord what is specially devoted from a person's property is a duty, not merely something done when a person has extra to spare, for anything so devoted is most holy and cannot be sold or redeemed.

History and Reverent Practice

Jericho was devoted to God as the first-fruits of Canaan and as the first-fruits of the campaign, so the city with its people and its wealth was wholly given to Him and was most holy and could not be sold or redeemed. Its people and wealth were not Israel's spoil, and Israel was to trust Him for victory and to recognize His first claim on what was gained. The city could have yielded to God and been used for His glory, but its people chose rebellion and perished with their sin, so Jericho had to be destroyed.

The gold and silver of Jericho were devoted to the Lord's treasury for the sacred work of the sanctuary service, so taking them for private use was sacrilegious theft. What a person devotes to the Lord becomes most holy and cannot be sold, redeemed, withdrawn, or taken for another use, and its sacred worth is beyond ordinary market value because the altar sanctifies the gift. What God Himself sets apart for a specific purpose is still more sacred than what a person devotes.

A place chosen and offered for worship is devoted to God, whether it is a church building or a rented room, and His presence sanctifies it and makes it a holy place. What is dedicated to God is sacred and is most holy to Him, and therefore must be treated with reverence. Money set apart and given to God as a Sabbath offering is likewise made holy by God, so taking money in hand to give Sabbath-school and missionary offerings on the Sabbath does not violate the Sabbath.