“‘No one devoted, who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
Parallel translations
- KJV None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.
- BSB No person set apart for destruction may be ransomed; he must surely be put to death.
- NKJV No person under the ban, who may become doomed to destruction among men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death.
- NASB No one who may have been set apart among mankind shall be ransomed; he must be put to death.
- NLT No person specially set apart for destruction may be bought back. Such a person must be put to death.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A person under the ban of devotion could not be ransomed but was to be put to death. This refers to those justly condemned under God's judgment, not to ordinary vows.
Overview
This sober verse concerns persons placed under the irrevocable ban (herem), such as those devoted to destruction under God's righteous judgment on grievous sin. Faithful interpreters understand it as applying to such judicial cases rather than sanctioning human sacrifice, which Scripture firmly condemns. It reveals the gravity of God's holiness and judgment, from which only the redemption secured by Christ can deliver.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 1 Sam 15:18–23and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
- Num 21:2–3Israel vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 27:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.