27:29 None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; [but] shall surely be {o} put to death.
(o) It shall remain without redemption.
27:29 Devoted of men - Not by men, as some would elude It; but of men, for it is manifest both from this and the foregoing verse s, that men are here not the persons devoting, but devoted to destruction, either by God's sentence, as idolaters, Exo 22:20 Deu 23:15, the Canaanites, Deu 20:17, the Amalekites, Deu 25:19, and 1Sam 15:3,26, Benhaded, 1Kings 20:42, or by men, in pursuance of such a sentence of God, as Num 21:2,3 31:17, or for any crime of an high nature, as Jud 21:5 Jos 17:15. But this is not to be generally understood, as some have taken it, as if a Jew might by virtue of this Text, devote his child or his servant to the Lord, and thereby oblige himself to put them to death. For this is expressly limited to all that a man hath, or which is his, that is, which he hath a power over. But the Jews had no power over the lives of their children or servants, but were directly forbidden to take them away, by that great command, thou shalt do no murder. And seeing he that killed his servant casually by a blow with a rod was surely to be punished, as is said, Exo 21:20, it could not be lawful wilfully to take away his life upon pretence of any such vow as this. But for the Canaanites, Amalekites, and c. God the undoubted Lord of all men's lives, gave to the Israelites a power over their persons and lives, and a command to put them to death. And this verse may have a special respect to them or such as them.
27:26-33 Things or persons devoted, are distinguished from things or persons that were only sanctified. Devoted things were most holy to the Lord, and could neither be taken back nor applied to other purposes. Whatever productions they had the benefit, God must be honoured with the tenth of, if it could be applied. Thus they acknowledge God to be the Owner of their land, the Giver of its fruits, and themselves to be his tenants, and dependants upon him. Thus they gave him thanks for the plenty they enjoyed, and besought his favour in the continuance of it. We are taught to honour the Lord with our substance.
