Show Bible Commentary For A Bible Verse

Click here to show/hide instructions.

Selected Verse: Leviticus 27:29 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Le 27:29	Strong Concordance	None devoted [02764], which shall be [03808] devoted [02763] of men [0120], shall be redeemed [06299]; but shall surely [04191] be put to death [04191].
	King James	None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

Open All | Close All Open All | Close All

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
shall surely be put to death--This announcement imported not that the person was to be sacrificed or doomed to a violent death; but only that he should remain till death unalterably in the devoted condition. The preceding regulations were evidently designed to prevent rashness in vowing (Ecc 5:4) and to encourage serious and considerate reflection in all matters between God and the soul (Luk 21:4).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

shall surely be put to death--This announcement imported not that the person was to be sacrificed or doomed to a violent death; but only that he should remain till death unalterably in the devoted condition. The preceding regulations were evidently designed to prevent rashness in vowing (Ecc 5:4) and to encourage serious and considerate reflection in all matters between God and the soul (Luk 21:4).

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Devoted of men - Not by men, as some would elude It; but of men, for it is manifest both from this and the foregoing verses, that men are here not the persons devoting, but devoted to destruction, either by God's sentence, as idolaters, Exo 22:20; Deu 23:15, the Canaanites, Deu 20:17, the Amalekites, Deu 25:19, and Sa1 15:3, Sa1 15:26, Benhaded, Kg1 20:42, or by men, in pursuance of such a sentence of God, as Num 21:2-3, Num 31:17, or for any crime of an high nature, as Jdg 21:5; Jos 17:15. But this is not to be generally understood, as some have taken it, as if a Jew might by virtue of this Text, devote his child or his servant to the Lord, and thereby oblige himself to put them to death. For this is expressly limited to all that a man hath, or which is his, that is, which he hath a power over. But the Jews had no power over the lives of their children or servants, but were directly forbidden to take them away, by that great command, thou shalt do no murder. And seeing he that killed his servant casually by a blow with a rod was surely to be punished, as is said, Exo 21:20, it could not be lawful wilfully to take away his life upon pretence of any such vow as this. But for the Canaanites, Amalekites, &c. God the undoubted Lord of all men's lives, gave to the Israelites a power over their persons and lives, and a command to put them to death. And this verse may have a special respect to them or such as them.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Which shall be devoted of men - Every man who is devoted shall surely be put to death; or, as some understand it, be the Lord's property, or be employed in his service, till death. The law mentioned in these two verses has been appealed to by the enemies of Divine revelation as a proof, that under the Mosaic dispensation human sacrifices were offered to God; but this can never be conceded. Had there been such a law, it certainly would have been more explicitly revealed, and not left in the compass of a few words only, where the meaning is very difficult to be ascertained; and the words themselves differently translated by most interpreters. That there were persons, devoted to destruction under the Mosaic dispensation, is sufficiently evident, for the whole Canaanitish nations were thus devoted by the Supreme Being himself, because the cup of their iniquity was full; but that they were not sacrificed to God, the whole history sufficiently declares. Houbigant understands the passage as speaking of these alone; and says, Non alios licebat anathemate voveri, quam Chananaeos, quos jusserat Deus ad internecionem deleri. "It was not lawful to devote any persons to death but the Canaanites, whom God had commanded to be entirely extirpated." This is perfectly correct; but he might have added that it was because they were the most impure idolaters, and because the cup of their iniquity was full. These God commanded to be put to death; and who can doubt his right to do so, who is the Maker of man, and the Fountain of justice? But what has this to do with human sacrifices? Just nothing. No more than the execution of an ordinary criminal, or a traitor, in the common course of justice, has to do with a sacrifice to God. In the destruction of such idolaters, no religious formality whatever was observed; nor any thing that could give the transaction even the most distant semblance of a sacrifice. In this way Jericho was commanded to be destroyed, Jos 6:17, and the Amalekites, Deu 25:19; Sa1 15:3 : but in all these cases the people commanded to be destroyed were such sinners as God's justice did not think proper to spare longer. And has not every system of law the same power? And do we not concede such power to the civil magistrate, for the welfare of the state? God, who is the sovereign arbiter of life and death, acts here in his juridical and legislative capacity; but these are victims to justice, not religious sacrifices. It may be necessary just farther to note that two kinds of vows are mentioned in this chapter: - 1. The נדר neder, (see on Leviticus 7 (note))., which comprehends all those things which, when once devoted, might be redeemed at a certain price, according to the valuation of the priest. 2. The חרם cherem, those things vowed to God of which there remained no power of redemption; they were most holy, i. e., so absolutely devoted to God that they could neither be changed, alienated, nor redeemed: probably because no mental reservation had been made, as in the above case may be supposed. On this ground the word was afterward applied to the most solemn and awful kind of excommunication, meaning a person so entirely devoted to the stroke of vindictive justice, as never to be capable of receiving pardon; and hence the word may be well applied in this sense to the Canaanites, the cup of whose iniquity was full, and who were consigned, without reprieve, to final extermination.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

Which shall be devoted of men - Every man who is devoted shall surely be put to death; or, as some understand it, be the Lord's property, or be employed in his service, till death. The law mentioned in these two verses has been appealed to by the enemies of Divine revelation as a proof, that under the Mosaic dispensation human sacrifices were offered to God; but this can never be conceded. Had there been such a law, it certainly would have been more explicitly revealed, and not left in the compass of a few words only, where the meaning is very difficult to be ascertained; and the words themselves differently translated by most interpreters. That there were persons, devoted to destruction under the Mosaic dispensation, is sufficiently evident, for the whole Canaanitish nations were thus devoted by the Supreme Being himself, because the cup of their iniquity was full; but that they were not sacrificed to God, the whole history sufficiently declares. Houbigant understands the passage as speaking of these alone; and says, Non alios licebat anathemate voveri, quam Chananaeos, quos jusserat Deus ad internecionem deleri. "It was not lawful to devote any persons to death but the Canaanites, whom God had commanded to be entirely extirpated." This is perfectly correct; but he might have added that it was because they were the most impure idolaters, and because the cup of their iniquity was full. These God commanded to be put to death; and who can doubt his right to do so, who is the Maker of man, and the Fountain of justice? But what has this to do with human sacrifices? Just nothing. No more than the execution of an ordinary criminal, or a traitor, in the common course of justice, has to do with a sacrifice to God. In the destruction of such idolaters, no religious formality whatever was observed; nor any thing that could give the transaction even the most distant semblance of a sacrifice. In this way Jericho was commanded to be destroyed, Jos 6:17, and the Amalekites, Deu 25:19; Sa1 15:3 : but in all these cases the people commanded to be destroyed were such sinners as God's justice did not think proper to spare longer. And has not every system of law the same power? And do we not concede such power to the civil magistrate, for the welfare of the state? God, who is the sovereign arbiter of life and death, acts here in his juridical and legislative capacity; but these are victims to justice, not religious sacrifices. It may be necessary just farther to note that two kinds of vows are mentioned in this chapter: -

1. The נדר neder, (see on Leviticus 7 (note))., which comprehends all those things which, when once devoted, might be redeemed at a certain price, according to the valuation of the priest.

2. The חרם cherem, those things vowed to God of which there remained no power of redemption; they were most holy, i. e., so absolutely devoted to God that they could neither be changed, alienated, nor redeemed: probably because no mental reservation had been made, as in the above case may be supposed. On this ground the word was afterward applied to the most solemn and awful kind of excommunication, meaning a person so entirely devoted to the stroke of vindictive justice, as never to be capable of receiving pardon; and hence the word may be well applied in this sense to the Canaanites, the cup of whose iniquity was full, and who were consigned, without reprieve, to final extermination.

Top

⁴ For [1063] all [537] these [3778] have of [1537] their [846] abundance [4052] cast [906] in unto [1519] the offerings [1435] of God [2316]: but [1161] she [3778] [846] of [1537] her [846] penury [5303] hath cast [906] in all [537] the living [979] that [3739] she had [2192].

⁴ When thou vowest [05087] a vow [05088] unto God [0430], defer [0309] not to pay [07999] it; for he hath no pleasure [02656] in fools [03684]: pay [07999] that which thou hast vowed [05087].

²⁰ And if a man [0376] smite [05221] his servant [05650], or his maid [0519], with a rod [07626], and he die [04191] under his hand [03027]; he shall be surely [05358] punished [05358].

¹⁵ And Joshua [03091] answered [0559] them, If thou be a great [07227] people [05971], then get thee up [05927] to the wood [03293] country, and cut down [01254] for thyself there in the land [0776] of the Perizzites [06522] and of the giants [07497], if mount [02022] Ephraim [0669] be too narrow [0213] for thee.

⁵ And the children [01121] of Israel [03478] said [0559], Who is there among all the tribes [07626] of Israel [03478] that [0834] came [05927] not up with the congregation [06951] unto the LORD [03068]? For they had made a great [01419] oath [07621] concerning him that came not up [05927] to the LORD [03068] to Mizpeh [04709], saying [0559], He shall surely [04191] be put to death [04191].

¹⁷ Now therefore kill [02026] every male [02145] among the little ones [02945], and kill [02026] every woman [0802] that hath known [03045] man [0376] by lying [04904] with him [02145].

² And Israel [03478] vowed [05087] a vow [05088] unto the LORD [03068], and said [0559], If thou wilt indeed [05414] deliver [05414] this people [05971] into my hand [03027], then I will utterly destroy [02763] their cities [05892].
³ And the LORD [03068] hearkened [08085] to the voice [06963] of Israel [03478], and delivered up [05414] the Canaanites [03669]; and they utterly destroyed [02763] them and their cities [05892]: and he called [07121] the name [08034] of the place [04725] Hormah [02767].

⁴² And he said [0559] unto him, Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068], Because thou hast let go [07971] out of thy hand [03027] a man [0376] whom I appointed to utter destruction [02764], therefore thy life [05315] shall go for his life [05315], and thy people [05971] for his people [05971].

²⁶ And Samuel [08050] said [0559] unto Saul [07586], I will not return [07725] with thee: for thou hast rejected [03988] the word [01697] of the LORD [03068], and the LORD [03068] hath rejected [03988] thee from being king [04428] over Israel [03478].

³ Now go [03212] and smite [05221] Amalek [06002], and utterly destroy [02763] all that they have, and spare [02550] them not; but slay [04191] both man [0376] and woman [0802], infant [05768] and suckling [03243], ox [07794] and sheep [07716], camel [01581] and ass [02543].

¹⁹ Therefore it shall be, when the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] hath given thee rest [05117] from all thine enemies [0341] round about [05439], in the land [0776] which the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] giveth [05414] thee for an inheritance [05159] to possess [03423] it, that thou shalt blot out [04229] the remembrance [02143] of Amalek [06002] from under heaven [08064]; thou shalt not forget [07911] it.

¹⁷ But thou shalt utterly [02763] destroy [02763] them; namely, the Hittites [02850], and the Amorites [0567], the Canaanites [03669], and the Perizzites [06522], the Hivites [02340], and the Jebusites [02983]; as the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] hath commanded [06680] thee:

¹⁵ Thou shalt not deliver [05462] unto his master [0113] the servant [05650] which is escaped [05337] from his master [0113] unto thee:

²⁰ He that sacrificeth [02076] unto any god [0430], save [01115] unto the LORD [03068] only, he shall be utterly destroyed [02763].

¹⁷ And the city [05892] shall be accursed [02764], even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD [03068]: only Rahab [07343] the harlot [02181] shall live [02421], she and all that are with her in the house [01004], because she hid [02244] the messengers [04397] that we sent [07971].