Leviticus 27
Dedicating people to God
The Existing One told Moses,
“Tell the Israelites that whenever someone wants to dedicate another person [like a slave, or child] to the Existing One, then an amount of money can be given according to these appraisals:
Males ages 20–60 are worth 1.2 lbs of silver (measured with the sanctuary shekel)
Female are worth .72 lbs of silver
Males ages 5–20 are worth .48 lbs of silver
Females ages 5–20 are worth .24 lbs of silver
Males aging from 1 month old to 5 years old are worth .12 lbs of silver
Females aging from 1 month old to 5 years old are worth .006 lbs of silver
Males 60 years and older are worth .36 lbs of silver
Females 60 years and older are worth .24 lbs of silver
If the owner can’t afford to pay the appraised price, then the priest should appraise that person according to the amount that the dedicator can afford.
Dedicating animals to God
If someone wants to dedicate an animal that’s acceptable for sacrifices, then it will be considered sacred if given to the Existing One. You shouldn’t substitute it with another animal, and if you try, then both the original and the substitute will be considered set apart. But if the animal is unclean (and unacceptable for normal sacrifices) then it needs to be presented to the priest. The priest will deem it as either acceptable or unacceptable, and whatever the priest decides will be final. And if the dedicator ever wants to buy it back, then he’ll need to pay an additional 20% on top of its its appraised value.
Dedicating houses to God
If someone wants to set apart his house to the Existing One, then the priest needs to deem it as either acceptable or unacceptable, and however the priest appraises it will be final. If the person dedicating the house ever wants to buy it back, he’ll need to pay an additional 20% of its appraised value in order to buy it back.
Dedicating land to God
If someone wants to dedicate some of his land to the Existing One, then it needs to be appraised for a value proportionate to the amount of seed that can be planted on it. He should pay 1.2 lbs of silver for every 220 liters of barley that could be planted on the land being dedicated. If the land is dedicated on the Trumpet Year, then it’s appraised value will be unaffected, but if the land is dedicated after the Trumpet Year, then the priest will need to factor in a price reduction according to the number of years left until the next Trumpet Year. If the person dedicating the land ever wants to buy it back, then he’ll need to pay 20% more than its appraised value. If he doesn’t want to buy it back or sells it to someone else, then he can’t buy it back any more. When the field is released on the Trumpet Year, it will then become a gift set apart for the Existing One (like any other field being dedicated to him). At that point it will then belong to the priest. If someone buys a field after the Trumpet Year and wants to dedicate it to the Existing One, then the priest will need to appraise it (factoring in the next Trumpet Year) and the dedicator should give that amount to the Existing One as a sacred gift, then on the Trumpet Year that field will return to its original owner. Every appraisal needs to be calculated according to the sanctuary’s shekel: 12 grams = 1 shekel.
Firstborn animals can’t be dedicated because they already belong to God
Animals that are the firstborn can’t be dedicated (even if they are sheep or oxen), because they already belong to the Existing One. If the animal is unclean, then the dedicator can only buy it back for its appraised value plus an additional 20%, and if it isn’t bought back, then it can be sold for its appraised value.
Once something’s devoted to God, it shouldn’t become un-devoted
If someone dedicates a person, animal, or land to the Existing One, then it shouldn’t be sold or bought back. Anything that’s devoted to the Existing One is extremely sacred, and anything that’s devoted for destruction, shouldn’t be saved, but should be destroyed.
The first 10% belongs to God
The first 10% that the land produces belongs to the Existing One and is set apart for him. If someone wants to buy back some of his first 10%, then he should pay 20% extra for it. The first 10% of every animal under a farmer’s care should be set apart to the Existing One. You shouldn’t hold back the good ones or the bad ones, and you shouldn’t make substitutes for the first ones. If you even try to make a substitution, then both the original and the substitute should be set apart—it shouldn’t be bought back.”
These are the orders that the Existing One gave to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai.