They must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if they do substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy. The prohibition on animal substitution after the vow communicates the covenant's protection against the exploitation of the vow system: the person who vows an acceptable animal cannot substitute an inferior one after the fact. The both-become-holy rule for attempted substitution is the covenant's practical deterrent: the attempt to downgrade the vow results in both animals being given to God, not just the better one.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse