None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.
To be devoted of men is to be set apart under a ban as accursed for destruction, most holy and irrevocable so that it cannot be sold, taken back, redeemed or ransomed with an equivalent but shall surely be put to death. It means absolute and entire separation from the communion of the faithful, from the number of the living and from the privileges of society, unto extirpation and annihilation, as with Jericho and Achan and with the Amalekites and their livestock. This gave no individual authority to decide whom to kill, but destruction had to accord with God's plan toward peoples grown so wicked that their removal was mercy. Jericho was devoted wholly to God as the first-fruits of Canaan, belonging to Him to be used for His glory if its inhabitants had yielded, and destroyed only because they chose sin and resisted the life offered. The chapter therefore distinguishes a singular vow concerning a member of a household, who could be redeemed according to the priest's valuation, from a person wholly devoted who could not, so that Jephthah's daughter was dedicated to the Lord's service in perpetual virginity and not devoted to be sacrificed.
Meaning of Devoted
The word devoted means accursed, under a ban, properly something set apart, separated and devoted for destruction. A person wholly devoted cannot be redeemed but shall surely be put to death, and every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord, irrevocable, not to be sold or taken back or redeemed with an equivalent. The chapter distinguishes a singular vow concerning a member of a household, who could be redeemed according to the priest's valuation, from a person wholly devoted, who could not be redeemed.
The verse 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, and the devoting of any man, animal, city or thing to be extirpated, destroyed, consumed and as it were annihilated, as with Jericho and Achan and with the Amalekites and their livestock. This did not give individuals authority to decide whom to kill, but destruction had to accord with God's plan, and the peoples of Palestine had become so wicked that removing them was a mercy. Jericho was devoted wholly to God as the first-fruits of Canaan, so its people and possessions belonged to Him. Had its inhabitants yielded He could have used them for His glory, but because they chose sin and resisted Him they were destroyed, as the consequence of refusing the life offered rather than an unavoidable fate imposed without warning.
Applied to Jephthah's vow, the distinction supports the conclusion that his daughter was dedicated to the Lord's service and perpetual virginity, not devoted to be sacrificed.
Tithing and Sacred Property
The chapter calls for a tithe of all the seed, fruit, herd and flock, and this stands in full agreement with the command to tithe the increase or produce of seed and does not contradict it. What is devoted to the Lord cannot be redeemed but must be put to death, and this requirement belongs among those passages calling for such tithing. The tithing system continued during the Levitical order of priesthood, as shown in Leviticus 27:28-33.
Together with tithing before that order and after it, this proves the tithing system is contemporaneous with the Melchizedek priesthood and contemporaneous with the gospel. It is founded upon moral principles, coexistent with the gospel and inseparable from it, and ever remains binding as long as the present order of Melchizedek priesthood exists. Things specially devoted to God are set apart for His service, including holy things intended to support His servants and service. What is devoted to the Lord belongs to Him, and every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord and cannot be sold or redeemed or taken back with an equivalent given.
Applied to a man's substance, this means property once sanctified to God's service is irrevocable. Taking such devoted holy things is sacrilege, or theft of what belongs to God. Because the tithe is the Lord's, civil government has no right to claim it.
Applied to a solemn vow, the rule that a person or thing devoted to the Lord could not be redeemed but had to be put to death means once a righteous vow was made there was no release from it. Failure to fulfill it was sin, and what had been vowed was to be given as promised or put to death.
To be devoted of men is to be set apart under a ban as accursed for destruction, most holy and irrevocable so that it cannot be sold, taken back, redeemed or ransomed with an equivalent but shall surely be put to death. It means absolute and entire separation from the communion of the faithful, from the number of the living and from the privileges of society, unto extirpation and annihilation, as with Jericho and Achan and with the Amalekites and their livestock. This gave no individual authority to decide whom to kill, but destruction had to accord with God's plan toward peoples grown so wicked that their removal was mercy. Jericho was devoted wholly to God as the first-fruits of Canaan, belonging to Him to be used for His glory if its inhabitants had yielded, and destroyed only because they chose sin and resisted the life offered. The chapter therefore distinguishes a singular vow concerning a member of a household, who could be redeemed according to the priest's valuation, from a person wholly devoted who could not, so that Jephthah's daughter was dedicated to the Lord's service in perpetual virginity and not devoted to be sacrificed.
Meaning of Devoted
The word devoted means accursed, under a ban, properly something set apart, separated and devoted for destruction. A person wholly devoted cannot be redeemed but shall surely be put to death, and every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord, irrevocable, not to be sold or taken back or redeemed with an equivalent. The chapter distinguishes a singular vow concerning a member of a household, who could be redeemed according to the priest's valuation, from a person wholly devoted, who could not be redeemed.
The verse 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, and the devoting of any man, animal, city or thing to be extirpated, destroyed, consumed and as it were annihilated, as with Jericho and Achan and with the Amalekites and their livestock. This did not give individuals authority to decide whom to kill, but destruction had to accord with God's plan, and the peoples of Palestine had become so wicked that removing them was a mercy. Jericho was devoted wholly to God as the first-fruits of Canaan, so its people and possessions belonged to Him. Had its inhabitants yielded He could have used them for His glory, but because they chose sin and resisted Him they were destroyed, as the consequence of refusing the life offered rather than an unavoidable fate imposed without warning.
Applied to Jephthah's vow, the distinction supports the conclusion that his daughter was dedicated to the Lord's service and perpetual virginity, not devoted to be sacrificed.
Tithing and Sacred Property
The chapter calls for a tithe of all the seed, fruit, herd and flock, and this stands in full agreement with the command to tithe the increase or produce of seed and does not contradict it. What is devoted to the Lord cannot be redeemed but must be put to death, and this requirement belongs among those passages calling for such tithing. The tithing system continued during the Levitical order of priesthood, as shown in Leviticus 27:28-33.
Together with tithing before that order and after it, this proves the tithing system is contemporaneous with the Melchizedek priesthood and contemporaneous with the gospel. It is founded upon moral principles, coexistent with the gospel and inseparable from it, and ever remains binding as long as the present order of Melchizedek priesthood exists. Things specially devoted to God are set apart for His service, including holy things intended to support His servants and service. What is devoted to the Lord belongs to Him, and every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord and cannot be sold or redeemed or taken back with an equivalent given.
Applied to a man's substance, this means property once sanctified to God's service is irrevocable. Taking such devoted holy things is sacrilege, or theft of what belongs to God. Because the tithe is the Lord's, civil government has no right to claim it.
Applied to a solemn vow, the rule that a person or thing devoted to the Lord could not be redeemed but had to be put to death means once a righteous vow was made there was no release from it. Failure to fulfill it was sin, and what had been vowed was to be given as promised or put to death.