Leviticus 27:5

Lev 27:5 And if [it be] from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

Ver. 5. From five years old.] Childhood and youth is vanity. There is a bundle of folly in a child’s heart. {Pro 22:15} The same Greek word νηπιος, signifieth a fool, and a child. And the Hebrew word used to signify youth, {Ecc 11:10} signifieth blackness or darkness, to note, that youth is a dark and dangerous age. Few Macariuses to be found, who, for his gravity in youth, was surnamed παιδαριογερων, the old young man. {a}

{a} Niceph.

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.

Verse 5. From five years old] The boy that was vowed might be redeemed for twenty shekels, 3£. sterling; the girl, for ten shekels, just one half, 1£. 10s.

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

(5) If it be from five years old, even unto twenty years.—From the fact that a child of five years is here mentioned it is evident that the vows hero spoken of are not simply those which a man makes with regard to his own person, but which he also makes about others, since a vow involving the payment of a considerable sum of money on the part of a child was of no force. The case, therefore, here contemplated is of a father or mother vowing the male child unto the Lord or of any other person taking upon himself to pay the value of such and such a child to the sanctuary, This is still more manifest from the following verse.

The male twenty shekels.—As the services of a boy at the age here specified are of much less value, the parent, or anyone else, who vows him to the sanctuary is to pay £2 11s. 8d.

The female ten shekels.—For the girl, whose value is proportionately less, the vower is to pay £1 5s. 10d.; being the same value put on an old woman. (See Lev_27:7.)

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

And if it be from a month old even unto five years old,.... That is, if a man devotes his child to the Lord within such an age, and says, the estimation of this my son or my daughter be upon me, then he was to pay the value, as next directed; for one under a month old no estimation was to be made: the Jews say,"one less than a mouth old may be vowed, but not estimated (o):"

then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver; somewhat more than ten shillings:

and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver; about seven shillings, which is the least value put on any; and though the lives of male or female at this age are equally uncertain, and the service of either of little worth when near the full time fixed; yet the preference is given to the male, as being of the more perfect kind, and its life generally most desirable.

(o) Misn. Eracin, c. 1. sect. 1.

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

Fifth. The parents might make a vow of their children. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

From five years old, at what age they might be vowed by their parents, as appears from 1Sa 1. though not by themselves; and the children were obliged by their parents’ vow, which is not strange, considering the parents’ power and right to dispose of their children so far as is not contrary to the mind of God.

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

Five years old - At which age they might be vowed by their parents, as appears from 1 Sam. i, 11-28, tho' not by themselves; and the children were obliged by their parents vow, which is not strange considering the parents right to dispose of their children so far as is not contrary to the mind of God.

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

five ... twenty ... ten ... three

"5 ... 20 ... 10 ... 3" (See: Numbers)

your standard value

"the amount to pay" or "you must pay"

twenty shekels

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

for the female ten shekels

The phrases "of that age" and "your standard value must be" are left out, but are meant to be understood. AT: "for the female of that age your standard value must be ten shekels" (See: Ellipsis)

ten shekels

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

five shekels of silver

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

three shekels

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

translationWords

year

month

silver

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

ואם מבן חמש שנים AND IF IT BE FROM FIVE YEARS OLD — Not that the person making the vow is a minor (from five to twenty years old), for there is no validity in the words of a minor, but it is speaking of an adult who said, “The payment of the valuation of this child” — who is five years old — “shall be incumbent upon me”.

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.