Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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to him, for that was his already by the law, Le 27:26. Though the matter of a general vow be that which we were before obliged to, as of our sacramental covenant, yet a singular vow should be of that which we were not, in such circumstances and proportions, antecedently bound to. The law concerning the firstlings of unclean beasts (Le 27:27) is the same with that before, Le 27:11,12.
27 And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according
to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation.
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.
Things or persons devoted are here distinguished from things or persons that were only sanctified.
1. Devoted things were most holy to the Lord, and could neither revert nor be alienated, Le 27:28. They were of the same nature with those sacrifices which were called most holy, which none might touch but only the priests themselves. The difference between these and other sanctified things arose from the different expression of the vow. If a man dedicated any thing to God, binding himself with a solemn curse never to alienate it to any other purpose, then it was a thing devoted.
2. Devoted persons were to be put to death, Le 27:29. Not that it was in the power of any parent or master thus to devote a child or a servant to death; but it must be meant of the public enemies of Israel, who, either by the appointment of God or by the sentence of the congregation, were devoted, as the seven nations with which they must make no league. The city of Jericho in particular was thus devoted, Jos 6:17. The inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were put to death for violating the curse pronounced upon those who came not up to Mizpeh, Jdg 21:9,10. Some think it was for want of being