Leviticus 27:3

Lev 27:3 And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

Ver. 3. Fifty shekels of silver.] This was the greatest rate, because people are then in their prime; and yet no very great one, lest they should think much to vow, or perform to the Lord their God.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

27:3-7 This section reflects social rank in ancient Near Eastern cultures. An adult man of working age had the highest rank, followed by an adult woman of working age. A boy ranked higher than a girl, and both ranked higher than toddlers. Senior citizens, who were past prime working age, ranked comparably to boys and girls. • The amount of fifty shekels (see study note on 5:15) would have represented about 20 ounces (570 grams) of silver, a significant amount. Comparisons with other literature of the time indicates that the biblical valuation is quite high and would have been out of reach for most people.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Read the value of the Shekel, Exod. 30:13.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 3. From twenty years old even unto sixty-fifty shekels] A man from twenty to sixty years of age, if consecrated to the Lord by a vow, might be redeemed for fifty shekels, which, at 3s. each, amounted to 7£. 10s. sterling.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) And thy estimation shall be of the male.—Better, Then thy estimation of the male shall be (as follows).

From twenty years old even unto sixty years old.—The estimation not only begins with the male, who is the most important person, but takes special notice of his age. The years here specified represent the prime of his life, and he is to be rated not according to his rank or position, but according to the value of his services.

Fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.—Whether the person who makes this vow makes it with regard to himself, or whether he dedicates by it any other member of the community, he is to pay fifty silver shekels, which in our currency would be £6 9s. 2d., if the man thus consecrated is between twenty and sixty years of age. This sum he is to pay, whether rich or poor. For this sum he was liable, during the second Temple, if he said “My value be upon me,” or “This man’s value be upon me,” or “Such a man’s value be upon me.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. the shekel of the sanctuary] See on Lev_5:15.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And if it be a female,.... That is, of the same age, full twenty years of age, and not more than sixty:

then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels; about three pounds ten shillings of our money, the price of a servant, Exo 21:32; the reason of this difference of estimation between a man and a woman is, because the woman is the weaker vessel, and her labour and service of less importance and worth, such as spinning, washing, &c.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

From twenty years old to sixty years old is the best time for strength and service, and therefore is prized at the highest rate.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Thy estimation shall be — The following is the scale of valuation according to age and sex:

A. 1. A male from one month to five years old, 5 shekels $3.03 2. From 5 years to 20 years, 20 shekels $12.12 3. From 20 to 60 years, 50 shekels $30.28 4. Above 60 years, $8.96 B. 1. Females from one month to 5 years old, 3 shekels $1.82 2. From 5 years to 20 years, 10 shekels $6.06 3. From 20 to 60 years, 30 shekels $18.17 4. Above 60 years $6.06 All souls are of equal value in the sight of the impartial Jehovah, but the capacity of personal service is unequal. Hence these unequal valuations of different ages and sexes. An able-bodied man’s earnings being the highest, he is to be redeemed at the highest price. The service of women, as a class, must ever command less wages than men, from the fact that the average skill of women in any handicraft common to both sexes must always be less than that of men, because of the peculiar child-bearing function breaking up the terms of service. Persons above 60 and under 20 are incompetent to render full service, if unredeemed, or to earn full wages for their own redemption. This gives some hint of the price for which the Hebrew servant sold his labour for the term of six years. “The wages of the servant are often the subject of consideration in the Scriptures, but the price of a man never.” — Cheever.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 3-7. The sum at which a man between twenty and sixty years of age was to be redeemed was fifty shekels, equal to f6 9s. 2d.; a woman, thirty shekels, or f3 17s. 6d.; a youth between five and twenty years of age, twenty shekels, or f2 11s. 8d.; a maiden between the same ages, ten shekels, or f1 5s. 10d.; a boy between one month and five years, five shekels, or 12s. 11d.; a girl between the same ages, three shekels, or 7s. 9d.; a man above sixty years, fifteen shekels, or f1 18s. 9d.; a woman of the same age, ten shekels, or f1 5s. 10d.

Vers. 3-7. The distinctions which remain.

A pious Hebrew might, under a sense of gratitude, or in an hour of spiritual elevation, dedicate something dear to himself unto Jehovah. It might be a person, or an animal, or a field. If the first of these, he or she was to be redeemed, and a table was drawn according to which the redemption was to be made. In this scale, we find the extremes of life, age and infancy, valued at the least sum, youth at more, and prime at the most; we find also woman placed lower in the list than man. These distinctions in the estimated value of human life may remind us

I THAT IN THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST THERE ARE NO DISTINCTIONS IN RESPECT OF AGE, SEX, OR CLASS. Age is not less welcome because it is old, nor youth because it is young, nor poverty because it is poor, nor wealth because it is rich, to the Saviour of souls. Woman stands on the same ground with man, and her love and service count for as much in the Lord"s esteem as his. "In Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female". (Gal_3:28) There is no respect of persons with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

II THAT IN THE VALUE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE SOME DISTINCTIONS MUST REMAIN. The kind of service we render our Lord differs at different periods of our life. Obviously that of the little child is distinct from that of the man in the maturity of his strength. The scale of redemption under the Law, as given in this passage, suggests:

1. That age, though of declining value, has its tribute to bring (verse 7); it can bring its purity, its calmness, its caution, its contentedness, its patient waiting: "planted in the house of the Lord,... we shall still bring forth fruit in old age". (Psa_92:13, Psa_92:14)

2. That prime has the largest offering to lay on the altar of the Lord (verse3). Manhood brings its strength, its maturity, its experience, its learning, its vigour.

3. That youth is of great account in the estimate of God (verse 5); it can bring to the service of Christ its eagerness, its ardour, its faith, its devotedness.

4. That childhood has its figure also in the Divine reckoning (verse 6); it can bring its innocence, its trustfulness, its docility, its winsomeness, its obedience. We are thus reminded that, while there is no stage in our life when we are not heartily welcome to our Saviour, there is at each period some special work we can do, some peculiar service we can render him, and we may add that every offering of every kind is acceptable to him if it be presented in humility and with a willing mind. C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Unto sixty years - Which is the best time for strength and service, and therefore prized at the highest rate.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Your standard value

"The amount to pay" or "You must pay"

twenty ... sixty ... fifty ... thirty

"20 ... 60 ... 50 ... 30" (See: Numbers)

fifty shekels of silver

If it is necessary to use modern weight units, here are two ways of doing it. AT: "fifty pieces of silver, each of which weighs ten grams" or "five hundred grams of silver" (See: Biblical Weight)

after the shekel of the sanctuary

There were shekels of different weights. This is the one that people had to use in the sanctuary of the sacred tent. It weighed about 11 grams. AT: "Use the kind of shekel that is used in the sanctuary" or "When you weigh the silver, use the weight that is used in the sanctuary" (See: Biblical Weight)

thirty shekels

If it is necessary to use modern weight units, here are two ways of doing it. AT: "thirty pieces of silver, each of which weighs ten grams" or "three hundred grams of silver" (See: Biblical Weight)

translationWords

year

sanctuary

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

והיה ערכך THEN THY ערכך SHALL BE etc. — This word ערך used throughout this section has not the meaning of דמים, market-value (which varies according to the condition of the market or the condition of the person offered for sale, whilst ערך is a fixed value), but whether he be of high value or of low value, according to his age is the ערך fixed for him in this section.

ערכך is the same as ערך (i. e. the second כ''ף is not the suffix of the second person masc. sing.). I do not know what grammatical form the doubling of the כ''ף represents.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.