2
“Speakדַּבֵּרto the sonsאֶל בְּנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלand sayוְאָמַרְתָּto them:אֲלֵהֶםWhenכִּיa manאִישׁmakes a specialיַפְלִאvowנֶדֶרto YHWHלַיהוָהaccording to the valuationבְּעֶרְכְּךָof persons,נְפָשֹׁת
Leviticus 27:2
Study it in the app““Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: When a man makes a special vow to YHWH according to the valuation of persons,”
With the Hebrew beneath
Leviticus 27:2, word by word
- “Speakדַּבֵּרdaber
speak
To speak, say something; above all God to his people.
Where else “daber” appears- to the sonsבְּנֵיbene
descendant
A descendant or member of a people: "sons of Israel".
Where else “bene” appears- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael
Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
Where else “yisrael” appears- and sayאָמַרְתָּamarta
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “amarta” appears- a manאִישׁish
man
An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.
Where else “ish” appears- makes a specialיַפְלִאyafli
special vow
To promise YHWH something out of the ordinary: a special vow.
Where else “yafli” appears- vowנֶדֶרneder
vow
Vow: a solemn promise made to God; also the thing promised.
Where else “neder” appears- to YHWHיהוָהyhva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yhva” appears- according to the valuationעֶרְכְּerk
valuation
The price fixed for something or someone, according to the law.
Where else “erk” appears- of personsנְפָשֹׁתnefashot
person
Someone as a whole; "my soul" can simply mean me.
Where else “nefashot” appears
Translation note
The text sets a valuation in shekels according to sex and age (27:3-7) and allows it to be reduced for the poor (27:8). It can be understood that whoever promised God a person paid this value instead of handing the person over, and that the prices correspond to the person’s work, not to what the person is worth.
The context
1And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
2 · This verse (above)
3the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be a valuation of fifty shekels of silver, by the shekel of the sanctuary.