Leviticus 27:2

A singular vow. Rather, “a special vow” (RSV). A vow is solemn promise made to God to perform some service for Him, to present a gift, or to make a sacrifice. In the OT vows were often made when men were in distress or peril, or desired a favor from God. They made the vow on condition that God would fulfill their request. Thus Jacob vowed that if God would bless and prosper him and bring him safely back, he would serve God (Gen. 28:20-22). David made an unconditional vow (Ps. 132:2-5).

The ideal vow springs from a heart overflowing with love for God and possessed of a sincere desire to do something for Him, without any thought of reward. This is the spirit that prompted men of old to offer burnt offerings to God. Vows were entirely voluntary. God did not require them. “If thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee;” but if a man did vow, God expected him to keep it (Deut. 23:21-23).

Under the stress of circumstances men sometimes make a vow that upon reflection they know they cannot keep. It is to this the wise man refers when he says, “It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry” (Prov. 20:25). This might be interpreted to mean, “It is foolish for a man to make a vow in haste and to regret it afterward.” He should have reflected on the wisdom of the vow before making it. An example of this kind of vow is that of the Jews banding themselves together “saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul” (Acts 23:12). It seems also that David was somewhat rash in vowing that he would neither enter his house nor sleep until he had found a place for God’s house (Ps. 132:2-5). Jephthah’s vow was rashly made (Judges 11:34-40).

God knew that men would make vows they could not perform. He did not wish to discourage men from making vows, nor did He wish to release them from vows already made. He therefore provided a way by which to commute the obligation. This chapter deals with the redemption of vows.

According to this plan, a vow could be redeemed by a money payment, according to a prescribed scale. If the vow concerned a sacrificial animal, it would not be commuted into money but must be offered on the altar. But all other vows could be “redeemed.”

A man might vow himself or any person or thing over which he had jurisdiction — wife, children, purchased servants, beasts, houses, fields. If the sanctuary could not receive the gift — as would be the case in many instances — the man could still fulfill his vow by paying the redemption price.