This verse highlights the precise and gracious nature of God’s financial and redemptive system.
“But if he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, the priest shall calculate the price for him proportionate to the years that are left until the year of jubilee; and it shall be deducted from your valuation.” (Leviticus 27:18)
In this verse, Moses (the great lawgiver of Israel, living around the 15th to 14th century BC) lays down instructions for what happens if a person vows or consecrates a piece of farmland to the LORD during the time between the jubilee years. The jubilee itself, as described in other parts of Leviticus, was a special time every fifty years when property was restored and slaves were freed, symbolizing God’s provision and the release from earthly bondage. Here, if the field is consecrated to the LORD after a jubilee has already passed, the priest must adjust the field’s value based on how many years remain before the next jubilee.
According to the command, the valuation is not a flat price, but a calculation tied to remaining years of potential harvest. This ensures fairness for both the owner and the sacred purpose, since fewer years until the next jubilee naturally reduce the field’s productive use and therefore lower its value. Embedded in this calculation is the reminder that God’s provisions are just and equitable, marking everything—down to harvest cycles—as part of His overarching design.
On a spiritual level, this verse continues to show that God wants His people to honor Him in tangible ways without overburdening themselves or violating justice. The principle of proportionate valuation also foreshadows how redemption and release operate in the New Testament, where Jesus fulfills the role of deliverer, ensuring the proper redemption price is always perfectly paid (Romans 5:18-19).
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Leviticus 27:18 meaning
“But if he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, the priest shall calculate the price for him proportionate to the years that are left until the year of jubilee; and it shall be deducted from your valuation.” (Leviticus 27:18)
In this verse, Moses (the great lawgiver of Israel, living around the 15th to 14th century BC) lays down instructions for what happens if a person vows or consecrates a piece of farmland to the LORD during the time between the jubilee years. The jubilee itself, as described in other parts of Leviticus, was a special time every fifty years when property was restored and slaves were freed, symbolizing God’s provision and the release from earthly bondage. Here, if the field is consecrated to the LORD after a jubilee has already passed, the priest must adjust the field’s value based on how many years remain before the next jubilee.
According to the command, the valuation is not a flat price, but a calculation tied to remaining years of potential harvest. This ensures fairness for both the owner and the sacred purpose, since fewer years until the next jubilee naturally reduce the field’s productive use and therefore lower its value. Embedded in this calculation is the reminder that God’s provisions are just and equitable, marking everything—down to harvest cycles—as part of His overarching design.
On a spiritual level, this verse continues to show that God wants His people to honor Him in tangible ways without overburdening themselves or violating justice. The principle of proportionate valuation also foreshadows how redemption and release operate in the New Testament, where Jesus fulfills the role of deliverer, ensuring the proper redemption price is always perfectly paid (Romans 5:18-19).