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Leviticus 27 · a question people ask

What does "devoted to destruction" mean in verse 29?

In the text

Verse 28 says, "no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Everything that is permanently devoted is most holy to the LORD" (27:28). Verse 29 says, "No one devoted to destruction, who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death" (27:29). The verse doesn't say who does the devoting, or why. In Hebrew, "shall be devoted" is the form of the verb Exodus used in "He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, shall be utterly destroyed" (Exodus 22:20), for which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives "be put under the ban, devoted (to death)" (tap devoted).

The verses

““‘Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Everything that is permanently devoted is most holy to the LORD. “‘No one devoted to destruction, who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death.”
Leviticus 27:28-29 · World English Bible
““He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, shall be utterly destroyed.”
Exodus 22:20 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Leviticus 27

Leviticus 27: Holy to the LORD

Leviticus ends with what is given to the LORD. A person vowed was valued in silver (27:2-8); an animal, house, field or tithe bought back cost a fifth more (27:13, 27:15, 27:19, 27:31). No one could dedicate a firstborn: "It is the LORD’s" (27:26). A devoted thing couldn't be redeemed (27:28), and the tithe was "holy to the LORD" (27:30).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions