Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 27:10
He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
Verse 10. He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, c.] Whatever was consecrated to God by a vow, or purpose of heart, was considered from that moment as the Lord’s property to change which was impiety; to withhold it, sacrilege. Reader, hast thou ever dedicated thyself, or any part of thy property, to the service of thy Maker? If so, hast thou paid thy vows? Or hast thou altered thy purpose, or changed thy offering? Has he received from thy hands a bad for a good? Wast thou not vowed and consecrated to God in thy baptism? Are his vows still upon thee? Hast thou “renounced the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh?” Dost thou feel thyself bound “to keep God’s holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of thy life?” Was not this thy baptismal covenant? And hast thou renounced IT? Take heed! God is not mocked: that which thou sowest, thou shalt also reap. If thou rob God of thy heart, he will deprive thee of his heaven.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He shall not alter it, nor change it; two words expressing the same thing more emphatically: q.d. He shall in no wise change it, neither for one of the same, nor of another kind.
A good for a bad, or a bad for a good; partly because God would preserve the sanctity and reverence of consecrated things, and therefore would not have them alienated; and partly to prevent abuses of them who on this pretence might exchange it for the worse, as reserving the judgment to himself.
The exchange thereof, i.e. both the thing first vowed, and thing offered or given in exchange. This was inflicted upon him as a just penalty for his rashness and levity in such weighty matters.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
He shall not alter it nor change it,…. Some think these two words signify the same, but Abarbinel s makes them different; according to him, to “alter” is for one of another kind, as one of the herd for one of the flock, or the contrary; and to “change” for one of the same kind:
a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; or, as the Targum of Jonathan,
“that which is perfect for that which has a blemish in it, or what has a blemish in it for that which is perfect;”
a change might not be made neither for the better nor for the worse, but the creature devoted was to be taken as it was; if not fit for sacrifice it was to be sold, and its price put to other uses; for, as Abarbinel t observes, whatsoever was devoted to sacred use was never to be put to any profane one; and this was also to teach men not to be hasty and fickle in such things, but to consider well what they did, and abide by it; for if such alterations and changes could be admitted of, a man after he had vowed might through covetousness repent, and bring a bad one instead of a good one, or, under pretence of bringing a good one instead of a bad one, might bring a bad one and say it was good, as Bechai u observes; even one worse than he had brought, thinking to impose upon the ignorance of the priest; and indeed if he was sincere in it, and had a mind to bring a better than what he had vowed, it was not allowed of; if he made any change, though it was for the better, he was to be beaten, as Maimonides w affirms:
and if he shall at all change beast for beast; whether of the same or of a different kind, or whether for better or worse:
then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy: both of them were to be the Lord’s, and appropriated to sacred use, of one sort or another, either for sacrifice or for the priests family, or the price of it for the repairs of the sanctuary.
s Apud Muis. in loc. t Ibid. u Apud Muis. ib. w Hilchot Temurah, c. 1. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(10) He shall not alter it, nor change it.The identical animal vowed is to be delivered; no change whatever, even if it is in the substitution of a better for an inferior animal, is permitted. The stress laid upon this part of the enactment is indicated by the employment here of two verbs of the same import. If he who vows does change the one he dedicated to the Lord, both the animals, the one he originally vowed and the one he substituted for it, are alike holy, and must be delivered to the sanctuary.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. He shall not alter He shall not modify the terms of his vow by substituting any thing else than the animal vowed.
Nor change Another animal of the same species will not be accepted. “Whatever was consecrated to God by a vow or purpose of heart was considered from that moment as the Lord’s property; to change which was impiety; to withdraw, sacrilege.” Bush. God will permit no dictation respecting the disposal of his own.
It and the exchange As a penalty for his attempted usurpation of a divine prerogative, both animals shall be holy, and tradition adds that the intermeddler was scourged besides. The tendency of this law was to discourage rash vows, and to impress both Jews and Christians with the inviolable sacredness of the object consecrated, no part of which can ever be safely recalled.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 27:10 He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
Ver. 10. Then it and the exchange thereof. ] For a punishment of his instability and lightness.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
alter. Hebrew. malaph, to change for the better. Compare Psa 55:19.
change. Hebrew. mur, to change for the worse: note the Introversion. g | alter (bad for good). h | change (good for bad). h | good for bad. g | bad for good.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Lev 27:15-33, Jam 1:8
Reciprocal: Lev 27:13 – General Lev 27:33 – General Pro 20:25 – after Ecc 5:6 – it was Eze 48:14 – they shall
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 27:10. He shall not alter it, nor change it Two words expressing the same thing more emphatically; that is, he shall in no wise change it, neither for one of the same nor of another kind: partly because God would preserve the sanctity and reverence of consecrated things, and therefore would not have them alienated; and partly to prevent abuses of them by those who on this pretence might exchange what had been vowed for the worse. It and the exchange That is, both the thing first vowed, and the thing offered and given in exchange. This was inflicted upon him as a just penalty for his levity in such weighty matters.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
27:10 He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be {g} holy.
(g) That is, consecrate to the Lord.