Leviticus 27:5
If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This passage reveals that children as young as five could be dedicated to the Lord by their parents, meaning a parent could vow to pay their value to the sanctuary on behalf of their child. Even at this young age, the valuation differed significantly between boys and girls, with males valued higher than females.
This section of Leviticus deals with the valuation of persons vowed to the Lord, laying out specific monetary amounts for different age groups and genders. It clarifies that these vows are typically made by parents or guardians for children, as young as five years old, since children themselves cannot make binding vows. These established values were essentially redemption prices, allowing individuals to be freed from their vowed service to the sanctuary.
Ever felt responsible for someone else's promise? This passage touches on that unique dynamic, revealing that vows weren't just personal.
Parental Authority and Vows
Leviticus 27:5 speaks about valuations for ages five to twenty. The key insight here is that these vows weren't made by the children themselves. A child at five, or even up to twenty, couldn't legally or spiritually make such a commitment.
Instead, the passage implies parents or guardians were the ones dedicating or vowing their children to the Lord's service. This reflects the ancient understanding of parental authority, where parents had a significant right and responsibility over their children's lives, including dedicating them to God, as seen later in the New Testament.
This doesn't mean children were simply possessions, but that their lives were deeply intertwined with their family's covenantal relationship with God. The parents' vow created an obligation that the child would later inherit or be accounted for.
What is a human life worth? This verse gives us a glimpse into God's perspective, not in terms of market value, but covenantal commitment.
Beyond Monetary Worth
Leviticus 27:5 assigns specific monetary values – twenty shekels for a male and ten for a female between five and twenty years old. It's crucial to understand this isn't God saying one life is worth twice another, or that these are absolute prices.
These valuations were for the purpose of redemption. If a parent vowed their child to lifelong service in the sanctuary, but later wanted to redeem them (buy them back from that service), this was the set price. It was a way to financially quantify the cost of dedicating someone to God's work and then reclaiming them for other life paths.
The difference in valuation between males and females, and between different age groups, likely reflects practical considerations of labor and perceived contribution within the ancient Israelite society. However, the underlying principle is God establishing a system for covenantal commitments and their release, showing He cared even about the practicalities of dedicating His people.
This passage shows a parent making a vow concerning their child, directly illustrating the context of Leviticus where parents could dedicate or place a valuation on their children.
Luke 2:22-24This shows the practice of redemption of a firstborn son, which, though a different regulation, reflects the Old Testament concept of valuing and redeeming individuals dedicated to God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20This New Testament passage speaks to believers being bought with a price, highlighting the profound value God places on human life and our belonging to Him, which underpins the Old Testament's valuation system.
Matthew 10:29-31Jesus' teaching on the value of sparrows emphasizes God's meticulous care for even the smallest details of creation, which resonates with the specific valuations given for human lives in Leviticus.
ellicottLeviticus 27:5: "And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels."
(5) If it be from five years old, even unto twenty years. —From the fact that a child of five years is here mentioned it is evident that the vows hero spoken of are not simply those which a man makes with regard to his own person, but which he also makes about others, since a vow involving the payment of a considerable sum of mon…
pooleLeviticus 27:5: "And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels."
From five years old, at what age they might be vowed by their parents, as appears from 1Sa 1 . though not by themselves; and the children were obliged by their parents’ vow, which is not strange, considering the parents’ power and right to dispose of their children so far as is not contrary to the mind of God.
This passage reveals that children as young as five could be dedicated to the Lord by their parents, meaning a parent could vow to pay their value to the sanctuary on behalf of their child. Even at this young age, the valuation differed significantly between boys and girls, with males valued higher than females.
This section of Leviticus deals with the valuation of persons vowed to the Lord, laying out specific monetary amounts for different age groups and genders. It clarifies that these vows are typically made by parents or guardians for children, as young as five years old, since children themselves cannot make binding vows. These established values were essentially redemption prices, allowing individuals to be freed from their vowed service to the sanctuary.
This section of Leviticus deals with the valuation of persons vowed to the Lord, laying out specific monetary amounts for different age groups and genders. It clarifies that these vows are typically made parents or guardians for children, as young as five years old, since children themselves cannot make binding vows. These established values were essentially redemption prices, allowing individuals to be freed from their vowed service to the sanctuary.
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"If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels." — This passage reveals that children as young as five could be dedicated to the Lord by their parents, meaning a parent could vow to pay their value to the sanctuary on behalf of their child. Even at t…
