Leviticus 27:17 - If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand.

Generated Verse: Leviticus 27:17

What does "Leviticus 27:17" mean?


Leviticus 27 deals with vows concerning people, animals, and property dedicated to the Lord. Verse 17 specifically addresses dedicating a field to the Lord, and how its value is determined. Let's break down the verse:

"If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee..." The Year of Jubilee was a special year that occurred every 50 years. In that year, land that had been sold or mortgaged would be returned to its original owner. This verse refers to someone dedicating their field from the Year of Jubilee meaning, starting from that year as the point of reference.

"...according to your valuation it shall stand." "Your valuation" refers to the priest's or temple's valuation. The value of the field, and therefore the amount needed to redeem it, would be based on the remaining years until the next Jubilee.

In essence, the verse outlines the following:

1. Voluntary Dedication: A person has the option to dedicate their field to the Lord.

2. Timing Matters: If the dedication happens right after the Year of Jubilee, the calculation is simple because there are 50 years remaining until the next Jubilee. If it is done in other years, the calculation will adjust.

3. Valuation Method: The priests would determine the value of the field based on the number of years remaining until the next Jubilee. This value would likely be based on the field's potential yield over those remaining years.

4. Redemption Possible: The person who dedicated the field (or their family) had the right to redeem it later by paying the assessed value plus a penalty of one-fifth (20%) of the valuation (Leviticus 27:19). If it was not redeemed, it became property of the priests at the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 27:21).

Practical Implications:

Financial Offering: Dedicating a field was a way of giving a financial offering to the Lord. It provided income for the sanctuary and the priests.

Temporary Dedication: The dedication wasn't necessarily permanent. The owner could redeem the field before the Jubilee.

Social Safety Net: The Jubilee system was meant to prevent families from permanently losing their ancestral land due to poverty or misfortune. This law regarding dedicated fields helped maintain that system by providing a framework for valuation and redemption.

In short, Leviticus 27:17 establishes a system for valuing and handling fields dedicated to the Lord, using the Jubilee cycle as a framework for determining the value based on the time left until the next Jubilee celebration.

What categories does "Leviticus 27:17" have?