Leviticus 25:36-46

36 Take no interest from him, in money or in goods, but have the fear of your God before you, and let your brother make a living among you.

37 Do not take interest on the money which you let him have or on the food which you give him.

38 I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, that I might be your God.

39 And if your brother becomes poor and gives himself to you for money, do not make use of him like a servant who is your property;

40 But let him be with you as a servant working for payment, till the year of Jubilee;

41 Then he will go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his family and to the property of his fathers.

42 For they are my servants whom I took out from the land of Egypt; they may not become the property of another.

43 Do not be a hard master to him, but have the fear of God before you.

44 But you may get servants as property from among the nations round about; from them you may take men-servants and women-servants.

45 And in addition, you may get, for money, servants from among the children of other nations who are living with you, and from their families which have come to birth in your land; and these will be your property.

46 And they will be your children's heritage after you, to keep as their property; they will be your servants for ever; but you may not be hard masters to your countrymen, the children of Israel.

Leviticus 25:36-46 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 25

In this chapter the Israelites are directed, when come into the land of Canaan, to observe every seventh year as a sabbatical year, in which there was to be no tillage of the land, and yet there would be a sufficiency for man and beast, Le 25:1-7; and every fiftieth year as a year of jubilee, in which also there was to be no tillage of the land, and every man was to return to his possession or estate, which had been sold to another any time before this, Le 25:8-17; and a promise of safety and plenty in the seventh year is made to encourage the observance of it, Le 25:18-22; and several laws and rules are delivered out concerning the sale of lands, the redemption of them, and their return to their original owner in the year of jubilee, Le 25:23-28; and the sale of houses, and the redemption of them, and the difference between those in walled cities and those in villages, with respect thereunto, Le 25:29-31; and also concerning the houses of the cities of the Levites, and the fields of the suburbs of them, Le 25:32-34; to which are added some instructions about relieving decayed, persons, and lending and giving to them, without taking usury of them, Le 25:34-38; and other laws concerning the release of such Israelites as had sold themselves for servants to the Israelites, in the year of jubilee, since none but Heathens were to be bondmen and bondmaids for ever, Le 25:39-46; and of such who were sold to proselytes, Le 25:47-55.