In Leviticus 27, the Lord sets redemption prices for people dedicated to the Lord. However, men’s prices are higher than women’s in each age range. For example:
Set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.
Leviticus 27:3 (NIV)
Why are the redemption prices different? Does the Lord favor men over women?
The prices for each person were based on the person’s ability to work in an agricultural society. Therefore, men between the ages of 20-60 would do the brunt of the work. Thus, the redemption prices for them were higher than for women of the same age. Indeed, the children were given the lowest values because they could do the least amount of work.
In addition, consider the curse on Adam in Genesis 3:17.
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life (emphasis added).
Genesis 3:17 (NIV)
Therefore, men were to work the ground through painful toil.
The redemption price had nothing to do with whether or not God valued men more than women. It was a practical decision based on their ability to work in an agricultural society.
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