Leviticus 27:20

If, however, he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold it to another man, it may no longer be redeemed.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — God speaks through Moses to the Israelite community, establishing procedural limits within the priestly regulations for consecrated property. This verse operates as a conditional boundary immediately following the rules for redeeming a dedicated field.

The words — The Hebrew יִגְאַל (yigʿal) means “he will redeem,” negated by לֹא (lōʾ) to form a strict prohibition. The verb מָכַר (māḵar) indicates the completed action “he has sold,” legally finalizing the transfer.

The thread — The irreversible nature of consecrated property recurs in Leviticus 27:28–29 regarding devoted things and contrasts with the Jubilee release mechanism in Leviticus 27:21. The same legal principle governs Numbers 18:14 concerning devoted possessions.

Why it lands — The text states that refusal to redeem or a direct sale permanently closes the door to restitution. A reader must apply this boundary to vowed commitments, recognizing that once consecrated property leaves the original holder, the law treats the matter as irrevocable.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאִם־ve./'im-and/ if לֹ֤אlo'not יִגְאַל֙yig.'Alhe will redeem אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַשָּׂדֶ֔הha./sa.Dehthe/ field וְאִם־ve./'im-and/ if מָכַ֥רma.Kharhe has sold אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַשָּׂדֶ֖הha./sa.Dehthe/ field לְאִ֣ישׁle./'Ishto/ a man אַחֵ֑ר'a.Cheranother לֹ֥אlo'not יִגָּאֵ֖לyi.ga.'Elit will be redeemed עֽוֹד׃odagain

King James Version

And if he will not redeem the field, or if he have sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more.