Leviticus 27:2
Context27:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When a man makes a special votive offering 1 based on the conversion value of persons to the Lord, 2
Leviticus 27:8
Context27:8 If he is too poor to pay the conversion value, he must stand the person before the priest and the priest will establish his conversion value; 3 according to what the man who made the vow can afford, 4 the priest will establish his conversion value.
1 tn Cf. the note on Lev 22:21. Some take this as an expression for fulfilling a vow, “to fulfill a vow” (e.g., HALOT 927-28 s.v. פלא piel and NASB; cf. NRSV “in fulfillment of a vow”) or, alternatively, “to make a vow” or “for making a vow” (HALOT 928 s.v. פלא piel [II פלא]). Perhaps it refers to the making a special vow, from the verb פָלָא (pala’, “to be wonderful; to be remarkable”), cf. Milgrom, Numbers [JPSTC], 44. B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 151 and 193, suggests that this is a special term for “setting aside a votive offering” (related to פָלָה, palah, “to set aside”). In general, the point of the expression seems to be that this sacrifice is a special gift to God that arose out of special circumstances in the life of the worshiper.
2 tn Heb “in your valuation, persons to the
3 tn Heb “and the priest shall cause him to be valued.”
4 tn Heb “on the mouth which the hand of the one who vowed reaches.”