What Does Leviticus 27:29 Mean in the King James?
None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The hidden edge of “devoted” is that חֵרֶם (ḥērem, an irrevocable ban) places a person beyond ransom, with death as the stated consequence.
THE MEANING
A human being placed under this devotion cannot be ransomed; the sentence of death is absolute. Here, dedication does not preserve the person, the stated outcome is death.
THE ROOT
חֵרֶם
ḥērem
GROWS FROM
חרם
ḥ-r-m (ḥāram): to place under a ban or devote irrevocably; here, the stated consequence for a human under that ban is death.
English “devoted” can carry the sense of willing dedication; חֵרֶם (ḥērem, an irrevocable ban) points to something placed beyond ordinary use or recovery. In this verse, that status is applied to a human, and the stated outcome is death.
ALSO GROWS
ḥāram: To place under a ban; to devote to destruction.
חָרַם
The verbal form shows that “devoted” names a status placed upon someone, not only an inward feeling.
ḥērem: A person or thing placed under the ban; an irrevocably devoted thing.
חֵרֶם
This noun names the status the verse says cannot be redeemed.
יִפָּדֶה
yippādeh
GROWS FROM
פדה
p-d-h (pādāh): to ransom or redeem, releasing someone or something through payment.
“redeemed” in this verse is yippādeh. The verse names ransom as a path of release and explicitly closes it here. פָּדָה (pādāh, to ransom) stands against חֵרֶם (ḥērem, an irrevocable ban): purchase-based release cannot undo this claim.
ALSO GROWS
pādāh: To ransom or redeem.
פָּדָה
This verb names the act the verse expressly says cannot happen.
pidyon: Ransom or redemption price.
פִּדְיוֹן
The related noun makes the refused release concrete: the price that could secure redemption.
THE PATTERN
A חֵרֶם (ḥērem, irrevocable ban) removes what is placed under it from ordinary exchange and can carry a command of destruction.
Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.THE THREAD
Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.This verse uses the same root, חֵרֶם (ḥērem, a thing placed under an irrevocable ban): what is devoted cannot be sold or redeemed and is called most holy unto the LORD. Verse 29 then states the human case in its starkest form, the person under that ban is sentenced to death.
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