Breakdown of Leviticus 27:28

"“But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD." — This verse highlights that a "devoted thing" is utterly unredeemable because it's already "most holy" to the Lord. This isn't just a pledge that can be bought back; it's an irrevocable surrender, set…

Leviticus 27:28 Meaning Explained

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Leviticus 27:28

“But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD.

English Standard Version (ESV)

This verse highlights that a "devoted thing" is utterly unredeemable because it's already "most holy" to the Lord. This isn't just a pledge that can be bought back; it's an irrevocable surrender, setting it apart from things merely consecrated or tithed.

What Leviticus 27:28 means

This passage distinguishes a unique type of vow where something is "devoted" with an absolute, irrevocable commitment to the Lord, unlike previously discussed consecrations. This "devoted thing," whether person, animal, or property, cannot be sold or bought back because it's considered supremely holy. The preceding verses in Leviticus 27 dealt with redeeming consecrated items, but this verse marks a sharp boundary: such devoted things are utterly beyond redemption and belong exclusively to God.

The Weight of the 'Devoted Thing'

Some vows could be bought back, others couldn't. What made a vow so sacred it was beyond price?

Leviticus 27 distinguishes between different types of vows.

Consecrated Items (v. 2-25): These could be redeemed by paying their appraised value plus a penalty.
'Devoted Things' (v. 28-29): These were different. The Hebrew word, cherem, signifies something set apart, often with an added curse if the vow wasn't fulfilled. It was absolutely 'most holy to the LORD.' This meant it could never be sold or bought back. It was irrevocably given to God, often for the priests' use or, in cases involving people, for judgment.

Whose is it Anyway? Ownership and Devotion

Can you give away something that isn't truly yours? And what does this tell us about the limits of human vows?

This verse touches on the concept of ownership and what can legitimately be vowed to the LORD.

What Could Be Devoted: The text specifies 'of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession.' This implies things the person had absolute control over.
Limits on Vows: Scholarly interpretation suggests a person could only devote what they rightfully owned and could dispose of. This likely excluded Hebrew slaves (who were not property in the same way as foreign slaves) and purchased fields (which had specific inheritance regulations). The principle is that you cannot vow to God something that already belongs to Him or is governed by other divine laws.
The LORD's Ultimate Ownership: Ultimately, all things belong to the LORD. Vows, especially the cherem, acknowledged this supreme ownership, setting aside a person's possession for God's exclusive use or judgment.

Understand the original words

Original language

devoted thingחֵרֶם

cherem · Hebrew Noun

A term describing property or persons irrevocably set apart for God's exclusive use or judgment. Unlike other offerings, these cannot be bought back, indicating their complete and final surrender to the divine will.

most holyקֹדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים

qodesh qodashim · Hebrew Noun phrase

A status indicating something is set apart exclusively for God's use and presence. It must be treated with utmost reverence, as it is separated from common use and belongs entirely to the sacred sphere.

Historical context

Written: Likely during the late wilderness wanderings, around 1400 BC.
Author: Traditionally Moses, though modern scholarship suggests multiple priestly sources.
Location: Written from the plains of Moab, overlooking the Jordan River.
Genre: Law code, with a key feature being the detailed regulations for vows and offerings.

Key themes

01Absolute devotion to God
02Irrevocable vows
03Ultimate sanctity of offerings

Cross-references

Joshua 6:17

This passage describes the destruction of Jericho as 'devoted' or 'ban' to the Lord, illustrating the ultimate consequence of such a vow where nothing was to be spared or redeemed.

1 Samuel 15:3

This shows King Saul failing to completely destroy the Amalekites and their possessions, which were 'devoted' to the Lord, highlighting the severity of not fully obeying the command regarding devoted things.

Matthew 10:38

Jesus speaks of taking up one's cross, a concept that resonates with the absolute and irretrievable nature of dedicating oneself or one's possessions to God's will, even at great personal cost.

Acts 5:1-11

The story of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied about dedicating their possessions to God, demonstrates that attempting to hold back what has been fully devoted results in severe consequences, reinforcing the idea that devoted things are 'most holy'.

Scholarly commentary

Leviticus 27:28: "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."

Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the Lord,.... This is a different vow from the former, expressed by "sanctifying"; for though "sanctifying" and "devoting" were both vows, yet the latter had an execration or curse added to…
gill

Leviticus 27:28: "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."

Verses 28, 29. - Whatever is already cherem (a word here first used as a term well understood), that is, devoted to God, whether devoted for the purpose of destruction or of entire surrender to him, may be neither redeemed nor sold. Whether it be of man…
pulpit

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