Leviticus 27, Vows, and Estimations

A Messianic Jewish Examination of Torah, Vows, and Discipleship

Among sincere talmidim seeking to walk faithfully in the Torah of Y’hovah, questions often arise concerning vows, particularly in light of Vayiqra (Leviticus) 27.

A common question is:
Are believers today required to pay the estimations described in Leviticus 27 when making a vow to Y’hovah—such as during baptism (tevilah)?

To answer correctly, we must examine:
The Torah context of Leviticus 27
The broader Tanakh teaching on vows
The instruction of our Rabbi Y’hoshua
The difference between Mosaic vows and modern Messianic commitments---

Nazir Vow

Another Torah vow that often comes up in this discussion is the Nazir (Nazirite) vow found in Bemidbar (Numbers) 6. Unlike Leviticus 27, which focuses on valuation/estimations tied to sanctuary administration, the Nazir vow focuses on personal separation (consecration) to Y’hovah for a period of time (and in rare cases, for life). We will integrate it below to show how Torah treats different kinds of vows.

Nazir vs Netzari

Nazir (נָזִיר) in Bemidbar (Numbers) 6 refers to a Nazirite vow—a voluntary vow of separation/consecration to Y’hovah.

Whereas Netzari (נֵצֶר / “Netzar,” Branch) in Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 11:1 refers to the Branch prophecy connected to HaMashiach—these are different Hebrew words with different meanings, even though they sound similar in English.

TS2009 – Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 11:1
“And a Rod shall come forth from the stump of Yishai, and a Sprout from his roots shall bear fruit.”

The Context of Leviticus 27 (Vayiqra)

Leviticus 27 concludes the book of Vayiqra and addresses voluntary vows made within the Mosaic Covenant framework.

“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When a man makes a vow, the persons are to be for Y’hovah by your valuation.’”
TS2009 – Vayiqra (Leviticus) 27:2.

Foundational Principle

👉 Vows were never commanded—only regulated.
The Torah does not require vows, and the Mosaic covenant did not institute vows; they were already in existence as a habit of the Hebrew people, and they were only regulated by Moshe. The principle on the subject of vows is that no one was bound to make a vow, but that when a vow was made, it must be observed by the payment of the thing vowed or its recognized commutation.

“If you refrain from vowing, there shall be no guilt in you.”---
Tanakh JPS – Devarim (Deuteronomy) 23:22

Numbers 6 Nazir Vow is Voluntary

The Nazir vow is also voluntary, confirming the same Torah principle: vows are not commanded, but if made, must be honored.

“When either a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to יהוה…”
TS2009 – Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:2

This vow is a special vow of separation, not a valuation vow. It does not ask, “what is this person worth?” like Leviticus 27 estimations; it asks, “what does separation to Y’hovah require?”

Valuations in Leviticus 27 (Summary)

Leviticus 27 establishes monetary estimations so that a vow could be redeemed without burdening the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

Examples (TS2009 – Leviticus 27)
Male 20–60 years: 50 shekels
Female 20–60 years: 30 shekels
Male 5–20 years: 20 shekels
Female 5–20 years: 10 shekels
Elderly and infants assigned lower values

These values:
Do not measure spiritual worth
Do not purchase favor
Do not relate to salvation
They are administrative, covenant-specific regulations.---

Nazir Vow Requirements – Not Estimations

For clarity, the Nazir vow (Numbers 6) is not about paying estimations; it is about living in a state of consecration with defined Torah boundaries:

“He separates himself from wine and strong drink… from anything that is made from the grapevine…”
TS2009 – Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:3–4

“No razor comes upon his head… he lets the locks of the hair of his head grow.”
TS2009 – Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:5

“He does not go near a dead body… for his father or his mother… because the separation to Elohim is on his head.”
TS2009 – Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:6–7

So within Torah, we see two different vow categories:

• Leviticus 27: dedication/valuation/redemption connected to sanctuary administration.
• Numbers 6: personal consecration/separation with lifestyle restrictions.

Tanakh Teaching on Vows

The Tanakh consistently warns against careless vow-making.

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it… It is better not to vow at all than to vow and not fulfill.”
Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 5:4–5 Tanakh JPS

“If you make a vow to Adonai your God, you are not to delay in fulfilling it… But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin.”---
CJB – Devarim (Deuteronomy) 23:24

Why Nazirite Vows Must Be Considered Carefully

This warning matters deeply with the Nazirite vow because Torah also provides instructions for:
What happens if the Nazir becomes defiled?
How the vow is completed?

“And if anyone dies suddenly beside him, and he has defiled his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shaves it.”
Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:9 TS2009

And the Nazir vow includes a completion procedure connected to the sanctuary / Temple context:

“And this is the Torah of the Nazirite, when the days of his separation have been completed: he is to be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and he shall bring his offering to יהוה: one male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as a peace offering,”
Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:13–14 TS2009

This becomes very important when answering:
“Is this a vow we should do today?”

The Nature of Old-Covenant Mosaic Vows

Under the Mosaic Covenant, vows were often:
Conditional
Made in times of distress
Linked to deliverance or blessing

Scriptural Examples

Ya‘akov’s vow

“And Ya‘aqob vowed a vow, saying: ‘If Elohim be with me, and guard me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and a garment to put on, and I shall return safely to my father’s house, then יהוה shall be my Elohim. And this stone which I have set as a pillar is Elohim’s house, and of all that You give me I shall certainly give a tenth to You.’”
Berĕshith (Genesis) 28:20–22 TS2009

Hannah’s vow

“And she vowed a vow, and said: ‘O יהוה of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant, and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but give to Your maidservant a male child, then I shall give him to יהוה all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.’”
1 Shemu’ĕl (1 Samuel) 1:11 Tanakh JPS 1917

These vows fell directly under Leviticus 27 regulations because they involved sanctuary dedication.---

Samuel + the Nazir Marker

Hannah’s vow includes language strongly associated with Nazir separation:

Tanakh JPS – 1 Shemu’ĕl (Samuel) 1:11 (continuation)
“…and no razor shall touch his head.”

This is one of the clearest Nazir markers in Scripture: no razor. Whether one labels Samuel strictly “Nazirite” or “Nazirite-like,” the point remains: Torah recognizes vows that dedicate a life to Y’hovah’s service, and Hannah’s vow reflects separation.

Rabbi HaGadol Y’hoshua’s Teaching on Vows

Rabbi Y’hoshua addresses vows by raising the standard, not abolishing Torah.

“Again, you have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Do not break your oath,’ and ‘Keep your vows to Adonai.’ But I tell you not to swear at all — not ‘by heaven,’ because it is God’s throne; not ‘by the earth,’ because it is His footstool; and not ‘by Yerushalayim,’ because it is the city of the Great King. And don’t swear by your head, because you can’t make a single hair white or black. Just let your ‘Yes’ be a simple ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ a simple ‘No’; anything more than this has its origin in evil.”
Mattityahu (Matthew) 5:33–37 CJB

Meaning

Y’hoshua condemns:
Manipulative oaths
Religious exaggeration
Speech that lacks integrity

He calls His talmidim to truthful living, not vow-based religion.

Nazir Vow and Messiah’s Standard

The Nazir vow is a Torah vow, but Messiah’s instruction gives a necessary guardrail: the talmid of Y’hoshua should not become a person who constantly relies on vows to prove sincerity. Torah permits vows; Messiah calls us to such integrity that our word stands without dramatic swearing.

This is why when discussing Nazir vows today, we must stress:

• Vows are serious
• Vows are voluntary
• Vows should not become “religious performance.”
• Discipleship is proven by consistent obedience

Are Leviticus 27 Estimations Required Today?

Biblical Answer: No

Why?

• No Temple (Devarim 12:5–7)
• No functioning Levitical priesthood
• No sanctuary economy
• No commanded vow system

“By using the term ‘new,’ He has made the first covenant old; and something being made old and aging is on its way to disappearing.”
Ivrim (Hebrews) 8:13 CJB

Leviticus 27 belongs to the Mosaic administration, not modern discipleship practice.

Nazir Vow Today and the Temple Completion Question

This same issue affects the Nazir vow in Numbers 6 because Torah includes a Temple-based completion for the vow (Numbers 6:13–20). Without a functioning Temple service, one must be cautious about claiming to keep the Nazir vow exactly as written.

So, for Netzari Mashiach Judaism today, the question becomes:

• Are we talking about a Torah-defined Nazir vow in full (including its completion procedures), or
• Are we talking about a Nazir-like season of separation (devotion/consecration) without claiming to fulfill every Temple-dependent detail?

This matters because the Tanakh warns against making vows we cannot fulfill (Ecclesiastes 5:4–5, Tanakh JPS).

Is Baptism (Tevilah) a Vow?

No — Baptism Is a Covenant Response

“Kefa answered them, ‘Turn from sin, return to God, and each of you be immersed on the authority of Yeshua the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh! For the promise is for you, for your children, and for those far away — as many as Adonai our God may call!’”
Ma‘asei (Acts) 2:38–39 CJB

“We were buried with Him through immersion into death, so that as Messiah was raised from the dead by the esteem of the Father, so we too should walk in newness of life.”
Romiyim (Romans) 6:4 TS2009

Baptism:

• Is not conditional
• Does not involve payment
• Does not invoke Leviticus 27

It is a public declaration of allegiance and emunah, not a Mosaic vow.

Nazir Vow vs Tevilah

Tevilah is a covenantal act of repentance and identification with Messiah. The Nazir vow is a voluntary vow of separation with lifestyle restrictions. They are not the same, and tevilah does not require paying Leviticus 27 estimations nor does it automatically place someone under Numbers 6 Nazir restrictions.

Modern Messianic Commitments

(Not Mosaic Vows)

Examples:

Tevilah טבילה confession - The baptismal vow – a public commitment to walk in Torah and Messiah.
Nissuin נישואין covenant - The marriage vow – a Torah-based marital covenant.
Semikhah סמיכה commitments - The ordination vow – ordination into teaching and service.

“Above all, brothers, stop swearing oaths — whether by heaven, by earth, or by any other oath. On the contrary, let your ‘Yes’ be simply ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be simply ‘No,’ so that you won’t fall under condemnation.”
Ya‘aqov (James) 5:12 CJB

These are relational commitments, not Torah-regulated vows.

Nazir Examples – Samson, Samuel, Apostle Paul

Samson (Shimshon)

Tanakh JPS – Shoftim (Judges) 13:5
“…for the boy shall be a nazir to God from the womb…”

Samson is an example of a Nazir calling connected to Y’hovah’s purposes. His life also warns us that separation can be dishonored if a person lives carelessly with holiness.

Tanakh JPS – Shoftim (Judges) 16:20
“…but he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.”

Samuel (Shemu’ĕl)

Tanakh JPS – 1 Shemu’ĕl (Samuel) 1:11
“…and no razor shall touch his head.”

Samuel reflects dedication and separation unto Y’hovah from youth, and his life shows the beauty of a consecrated servant.

Apostle Paul (Sha’ul)

CJB – Ma‘asei (Acts) 18:18
“…At Cenchrea he had his hair cut off, because he had made a vow.”

CJB – Ma‘asei (Acts) 21:23–24
“We have four men who have taken a vow… pay their expenses… so that they can shave their heads…”

These passages show vows were still recognized among believers, especially in the context of Jewish life and (at that time) the Temple era. This is relevant when discussing Nazir-like practices, because Numbers 6 includes Temple completion.

How This Affects Netzari Mashiach Judaism Today

• Torah does not command everyone to take a Nazirite vow
• The Tanakh warns against vows that cannot be fulfilled
• Numbers 6 includes Temple-based completion procedures
• Therefore, claiming a full Nazirite vow today requires extreme caution

What can be pursued today is the heart of separation:

• self-control
• holiness
• consecration
• disciplined discipleship

Without binding oneself to an unfulfillable vow.

Today, Y’hovah seeks faithful obedience — not payments.

Human being, you have already been told what is good, what ADONAI demands of you— no more than to act justly, love grace and walk in purity with your God.
CJB – Micah 6:8.

By Rabbi Francisco Arbas
📧 franciscoarbas.yisrael@gmail.com
Following His ‘WAY’ — Netzari Mashiach Judaism