{"id":21183,"date":"2009-12-02T21:41:00","date_gmt":"2009-12-03T03:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=21183"},"modified":"2023-09-02T14:36:49","modified_gmt":"2023-09-02T19:36:49","slug":"could-you-explain-why-leviticus-2729-says-a-person-set-apart-had-to-be-put-to-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/could-you-explain-why-leviticus-2729-says-a-person-set-apart-had-to-be-put-to-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Could you explain why Leviticus 27:29 says a person set apart had to be put to death?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

Question:<\/h2>\nI am doing a Bible study about Jephthah, and I really liked\u00a0your article<\/a>.\u00a0 I did have one question about the verses in Leviticus which spoke about redeeming or ransoming something devoted to destruction.\u00a0 In Leviticus 27:29, it says, “No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death”\u00a0 I was wondering could this mean\n
    \n
  1. any human devoted to destruction could be put to death,<\/li>\n
  2. this was referring to war when God commanded that everything was devoted to destruction (enemies), or<\/li>\n
  3. a person who tried to ransom or redeem something devoted to destruction was to be put to death?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I don’t really have the access to the original language, so I’m not sure about an exact translation.\u00a0 Any insight you could offer would be great.<\/p>\n\t

    Answer:<\/h2>\n

    Verse marks sometimes come in poor places. Perhaps if we group Leviticus 27:28-29 in this fashion, it will be clearer:<\/p>\n

    “Nevertheless, anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own property, shall not be sold or redeemed.<\/p>\n

    Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD. No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    There are two categories of things being discussed. In the first part of Leviticus 27:28, it is talking about things a person gives to God. These things cannot be sold or bought back after they have been freely given.<\/p>\n

    The second part deals with things God (not man) has devoted to destruction. The Hebrew words are\u00a0cherem\u00a0<\/em>(noun) and\u00a0charam<\/em>\u00a0(verb).<\/em>\u00a0They refer to something devoted to the ban. “Its basic meaning involves taking things or people out of ordinary use and devoting them irrevocably to God. … Whatever was put under the ban was either to be devoted to the Lord’s service permanently or destroyed.” [The Complete Biblical Library<\/em>]. Both “devoted to destruction” and “set apart” are the same Hebrew word, that is why these two statements belong together.<\/p>\n

    The destruction of Jericho done under a ban (Joshua 6:17-19). That is why nothing was to be taken from Jericho, except what was to be used in the Lord’s service. Achan and his family were killed for violating this ban. The Amalekites were destroyed under the ban as well (I Samuel 15:3), which is why Saul was punished for leaving the king and some animals alive.<\/p>\n

    What the law stated in Leviticus 27:28-29 is that any person under the ban could not be bought back (redeemed). He had to be put to death.<\/p>\n

    Jephthah’s daughter, by the way, fell under the first half of Leviticus 27:28. The Hebrew word\u00a0cherem\u00a0<\/em>is not used anywhere in her story. Jephthah had voluntarily devoted his firstborn daughter through his vow. Since she had already been redeemed as the firstborn child, she could not be bought back. Her dedication to God was made permanent, so she would serve the Lord for the rest of her life.<\/p>\n\t

    Response:<\/h2>\n

    Thank you for your quick response. That helped a lot.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Question: I am doing a Bible study about Jephthah, and I really liked\u00a0your article.\u00a0 I did have one question about the verses in Leviticus which spoke about redeeming or ransoming something devoted to destruction.\u00a0 In Leviticus 27:29, it says, “No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed; he shall surely…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[294,1186],"class_list":["post-21183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-leviticus","tag-offerings"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":52182,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/doesnt-leviticus-2729-indicate-that-god-accepted-human-sacrifices\/","url_meta":{"origin":21183,"position":0},"title":"Doesn’t Leviticus 27:29 indicate that God accepted human sacrifices?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, In Leviticus 27:28, you say\u00a0Jephthah's daughter could not be redeemed, but Leviticus 27:29 says, \"No person under the ban, who may become doomed to destruction among men, shall be redeemed,\u00a0but shall surely be put to death.\" Doesn't it mean that Jephthah's daughter should have been put\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25174,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-happens-to-burnt-offerings\/","url_meta":{"origin":21183,"position":1},"title":"What happens to burnt offerings?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 9, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: During the dedication of the temple, offerings were brought. What happens to burnt offerings? Are they consumed by the fire, does the high priest eat a portion, is any eaten, or is it all consumed by fire? Answer: The Mosaical Law contained a variety of offerings (Leviticus 7:37). Sin\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53602,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/burnt-offerings\/","url_meta":{"origin":21183,"position":2},"title":"Burnt Offerings","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 9:24-10:10 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The sacrifices of the Old Testament can be confusing because they are classified in different categories, such as by how they were done (heave, wave, burnt), what they were for (sin, trespass, vow, voluntary, peace), what they were (firstfruits, food, drink), or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":90197,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-these-passages-talk-of-human-sacrifices\/","url_meta":{"origin":21183,"position":3},"title":"Do These Passages Talk of Human Sacrifices?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question about human sacrifice in Scripture, please. I believe in the Bible and I am a Christian, of course. But the following verses do bother me, because they really do sound like human sacrifice: Isaiah 34:5-6 (about Edom): \"The LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62764,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/human-sacrifices\/","url_meta":{"origin":21183,"position":4},"title":"Human Sacrifices?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Judges 11:29-40 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are two stories that cause some concern because they involve the concept of sacrificing a human being to God. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They cause concern because the Bible is very clear about God\u2019s opinion on human sacrifices. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The slaying of humans invokes a death\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9066,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jephthahs-daughter\/","url_meta":{"origin":21183,"position":5},"title":"Jephthah’s Daughter","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 5, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The story of Jephthah recorded in Judges 11:29-40 has caused difficulties for Bible students. Jephthah, by the Lord's leading, is about to wage a major battle against the Ammonites. Before going off to battle, Jephthah makes a vow to God. The first thing that greets him\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21183\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}