distinguished from a field of his owne buying; the field which commeth to a man by inheritance, that is called the field of his possession (or tenement,) saith Maimony in Erachin, chap. 4. sect. 1. to the seed therof] that is, the seed which is enough to sow the field. Not according to the worth of (the field) for whether the field were good or bad, the ransome of the holinesse thereof was alike. an Homer] the name of a measure, which contained ten Ephahs or bu∣shels, Ezek. 45. 11. The Greeke and Chaldee, translate it a Cor, and that was one with the Homer, Ezek. 45. 14. Of it there is mention in King. 4. 22. where King Solomons daily bread for his house, was thirtie Cors, of fine flowre, and three score Cors of meale, that is, three hundred Ephahs or bushels of flowre, and sixe hundred of meale. The Hebrewes likewise explaine it thus. The Homer is a Cor: and that is two Letheks [which Lethek is mentioned in Hos. 3. 2.] and the Lethek is fifteene Seahs [or pecks, whereof see Gen. 18. 6.] So the Homer is found to be thirtie Seahs which are ten Ephahs, every three Seahs an Ephah. Maim. in Erachin. ch. 4. sect. 4. By this we may understand that Iudgment threatned in Esay 5. 10. the seed of an Homer, shall yeeld an Ephah; where ten bushels are sowne, one bushell shall bee reaped. at fiftie shekels] that is, shall be esteem∣ed as 50 shekels, for 49. yeeres, to weet, from Iubi∣lee to Iubilee, and so the Hebrewes explaine it, E∣very place which is sit to have an Homer of barley sowne therein, &c. the estimation thereof is fifty shekels, for all the yeeres of the Iubilee; but the Iubilee yeere is none of the number. And whether he sanctifie the best field that is in all Israel, or the worst of all; the estima∣tion is this same. Maimony in Erachin chap. 4. sect. 2. This estimation God set for a field meet to bee sown; of which the Hebrewes say further, that if it were full of trees, though he expressed them not, yet hee, hath sanctified the trees also. If he sanctifie a field which is not fit to be sowne; they redeeme it according to the worth of it: and so if he sanctify the trees onely; they are redeemed by the worth of them: Ibidem, chap. 4. sect. 15. 16.
Vers. 17. to thy estimation] in Greeke and Chal∣dee, [unspec 17] to the estimation thereof, meaning the fiftie she∣kels before mentioned.
Ver. 18. abated] or diminished from thy estimation, [unspec 18] which the Greeke and Chaldee expound, from the estimation (or value) thereof. As, if a man sanctifie the field of his possession, when there remaine eight yeeres to the Iubilee, besides the yeere of Iubilee, which is none of the reckning, who so will redeeme it, must give for the seed of every, Homer of barley, eight shekels, and eight halfe Ge∣rahs (which the Rabbines call Pundions.) And if the owner▪ will redeeme it, they must give ten shekels, and ten halfe Gerahs, for they must adde a fift part, v. 19. Thus the Hebrewes open it, in Era∣chin, ch. 4. l. 5. And Iarchi (on Lev. 27.) saith: A place (to be ••owne with) an Homer of barley, is at 50. she∣kels, so the scripture determineth, when a man com∣meth to redeeme it from the beginning of a Iubilee, (which was every fiftieth yeere:) but if he came to redeeme it in the midst of a Iubilee, he gave according to the reckning, a shekel and an halfe Gerah for a yeere, be∣cause there is no sanctifying, but according to the court of the yeeres of the Iubile, for if it be redeemed, it is wel•• if not, the Treasurer selleth it for this price to another, and it remaineth in the hand of the buyer untill the Iu∣bilee, as all other fields that are sold &c. Of those sales till the Iubilee, see Lev. 25. yeeres that re〈…〉〈…〉 he saith not yeere, but yeeres: whereupon they say, if there remaine but a yeere, he may not give a shekel to redeeme it, it is not redeemed by abating of money, but two yeeres or more before the Iubile. Maimony in Era∣chin, chap. 4. sect. 7.
Vers. 19. that sanctified it] The Hebrewes say, [unspec] if either he himselfe, or his wife, or any of his ••eyres, will redeeme it, they are to adde the fift part thereto: Maimony in Erachin, c. 4. s. 5. The reason why the owners were to pay more then other men, when they redeemed their lād, seemeth to be in mistake of their lightnesse, (as before is noted,) for that they would vow a thing to God, and so soone change their mindes, as to get it againe into their owne hand: for all rashnesse and levitie in vowes, is blamed, Eccles. 5. 2. 4. 5. shall stand unto him that is, be his, and so continue assured: the Greeke translateth, shall bee to him. If hee that sanctified it, hath redeemed it, before the Iubile come, then it retur∣neth to the owner: and the estimation which he hath gi∣ven, falleth to the maintenance of the Sanctuary, as is a∣foresaid. Likewise if the son of him that sanctified it, hath redeemed it, it returneth to his father at the Iubi∣le. But if his daughter, or some other of his kinne, or a stranger hath redeemed it: then if he that sanctified it, redeeme it againe out of their hand, it returneth to him for ever: but if he redeeme it not out of their hand, but the Iubile come, whiles it is under the hand of the daughter, or other of the kinred, or of the stranger; then it goeth out as a sanctified thing, and never retur∣neth to the owner therof, but is a possessiō for the Prie〈…〉〈…〉 v. 21. And the Priests need not give the price of it, be∣cause it is already redeemed, and the estimation is recei∣ved of another; but it returneth to the Priests, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they were the owners. Provided, that it be an Israe〈…〉〈…〉 but if a Priest or Levite sanctified it, hee may rede〈…〉〈…〉 it at any time, though after the Iubile is gone over 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Lev. 25. 32. 34. Maim. in Erachin, c. 4. s. 20. 21.
V. 20. or if he have sold] Hebrew, and if, &c: b••t [unspec] (as Chazkuni here observeth) there is many an A〈…〉〈…〉 instead of Or. The Hebrewes (as Sol. Iarchi on this place) understand this He have sold, to be meane 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the owner (who having sanctified it, could not then sell it,) but of the Treasurer which in the Sanctuary hath the disposing of such sanctified things.
V. 21. when it goeth out] out of the hand of him that [unspec] bought it of the Treasurer; as other fields that goe out of the hands of those that bought them, at the Iubile: saith Sol. Iarchi. holy] Hebrew holinesse; that is, an holy field: so in v. 23. a field devoted] He∣brew, a field of devotion, or of separation, as the Greek translateth it, a separated land; see after on v. 28. the Priests] but, as the Hebrewes write, not with∣out paying for it to the Lord, to whom it was vow∣ed. He that sanctifieth a field of his possession, and th•• Iubilee come, and he hath not redeemed it, but it still re∣maineth sanctified; the Priests doe give the price of it,