What is the significance of age in Leviticus 27:6 regarding valuation? Text Of Leviticus 27:6 “If the person is from one month to five years old, the valuation of a male shall be five shekels of silver, and that of a female three shekels of silver.” Immediate Literary Context—Vows And Redemption Money Leviticus 27 closes the book by regulating voluntary vows in which Israelites dedicate persons, animals, or property to the LORD. Instead of transferring the vowed person into temple service (which was impractical for most families), God provides a commuted “valuation” (ʼerk) payable to the sanctuary. Verses 3-7 list fixed prices scaled by sex and age so that the vow remains meaningful yet not crushing. Age Brackets In The Valuation Table • 20–60 yrs: male 50 shekels; female 30 (v. 3-4) • 5–20 yrs: male 20 shekels; female 10 (v. 5) • 1 mo–5 yrs: male 5 shekels; female 3 (v. 6) ← our focus • ≥60 yrs: male 15 shekels; female 10 (v. 7) Notice how every bracket corresponds with decreasing physical productivity and economic potential (a principle attested in agrarian economies and in Near-Eastern law collections such as Hammurabi §117-122) while still affirming each person’s sanctity. Economic Prudence And Covenant Compassion 1. Practicality. Infants and toddlers could not contribute labor, so the LORD caps their valuation at one-tenth the prime-age male rate. This prevents parents’ zeal from becoming financial bondage, consistent with Leviticus 27:8, which lets the priest lower the price for the poor. 2. Protection of Families. By linking the price for a child to the “five-shekel” redemption of firstborn sons (Numbers 18:16), the law reinforces continuity with earlier ordinances while keeping the ransom affordable. A shekel (~11 g silver) equaled roughly a month’s wages for a shepherd; thus five shekels represented about half a year’s pay—serious yet reachable. Sanctity Of Life—Why Not 0 Shekels For Infants? Placing monetary value on babies might seem callous, but Scripture’s intent is the opposite. God forbids child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21); by assigning even the youngest a sanctuary price, He affirms their belonging to Him while preventing horrific pagan practices. The valuation serves worship, not commerce. Other Age-Sensitive Laws Confirm The Pattern • Numbers 1:3 counts only males ≥20 for military duty—age of civic responsibility. • Numbers 3:15 takes Levite census “from a month old and upward,” matching the earliest valuation bracket. • Exodus 13:13; Luke 2:22-24 record redemption of firstborn at 1 month. The overlap shows internal coherence across Torah and into the New Testament. Archaeological Corroboration Of The Shekel Calibrated stone weights marked “šql” discovered in Jerusalem’s City of David strata (8th–7th cent. BC) average 11.3 g, aligning with Leviticus’ sanctuary shekel and confirming transmission accuracy. Theological Telescoping To Christ 1 Peter 1:18-19 teaches believers were “redeemed… not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.” The fixed silver of Leviticus anticipates the infinite worth of Messiah’s blood. Christ blessed infants (Mark 10:13-16), showing God’s unchanged regard for the youngest. The resurrection verifies that the ultimate valuation of every age rests in the risen Redeemer’s finished work. Practical Equity And Devotional Implications For Israel • Tiered pricing meant wealthier vow-makers paid more when vowing adults, while parents dedicating little children contributed proportionately less, ensuring broad participation in tabernacle support. • Age-aware valuations also curtailed exploitation; e.g., a father could not vow his infant for the adults’ full fifty-shekel price to appear super-pious, then negotiate poverty relief. Foreshadowing Eschatological Restoration Isaiah 65:20 foresees a day when “the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a child,” hinting that age-based disparity will vanish in God’s consummated kingdom. The seed of that hope is planted in Leviticus: every life, regardless of stage, belongs to Yahweh. Summary Age in Leviticus 27:6 carries practical, pastoral, and prophetic weight. Practically, it calibrates vow-payments to economic reality, preventing hardship. Pastorally, it protects infants by underscoring their sanctity and integrating them into covenant worship. Prophetically, it typologically points to Christ, whose resurrection supersedes silver valuations with boundless grace for every age group. |
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