Leviticus 25:9

9 On the Day of Cleansing, you must blow the horn of a male sheep; this will be on the tenth day of the seventh month. You must blow the horn through the whole country.

Leviticus 25:9 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 25:9

Then shall thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound
At the end of forty nine years, or at the beginning of the fiftieth; or "the trumpet of a loud sound"; for here the word "jubilee" is not, which, according to some, was so called from the peculiar sound of the trumpet on this day, different from all others; though others, as Ben Melech, think, and the Jews commonly, that it had its name from the trumpet itself, which they suppose was made of a ram's horn, "jobel", in the Arabic language, signifying a ram; but the former reason is best; though perhaps it is best of all to derive it from (lybwh) , "to bring back, restore, return", because at this time men were returned to their liberty, estates, and families, as hereafter expressed: on the tenth [day] of the seventh month;
the month Tisri or September, the first day of which was the beginning of the year for "jubilees" {s}; for the computation of the jubilee year was made from the first day of the month, though the trumpet was not blown, and the rights of the year did not begin till the tenth, as Maimonides ^F20 observes: in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all
your land;
which day of atonement was on the tenth day of the said month, and a very proper time it was to sound the trumpet, that after they had been afflicting themselves, then to have joy and comfort; and when atonement was made for all their sins, then to hear the joyful sound; and when it might be presumed they were in a good disposition to release their servants, and restore the poor to their possessions, when they themselves were favoured with the forgiveness of all their sins. This sounding was made throughout all the land of Israel; throughout all the highways, as Aben Ezra, that all might know the year of jubilee was come; and this was done by the order of the sanhedrim, as Maimonides ^F21 says, and who, also observes, that from the beginning of the year, to the day of atonement, servants were not released to their own houses, but did not serve their masters, nor were fields returned to their owners; but servants ate, and drank, and rejoiced, and wore garlands on their heads; and when the day of atonement came, the sanhedrim blew the trumpet, and the servants were dismissed to their houses, and fields returned to their owners.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Misn. Roshhashanah, c. 1. sect. 1.
F20 In Misn. ib.
F21 Hilchot Shemitah Vejobel, c. 10. sect. 10, 14.

Leviticus 25:9 In-Context

7 It will also be food for your cattle and the wild animals of your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

8 "'Count off seven groups of seven years, or forty-nine years. During that time there will be seven years of rest for the land.

9 On the Day of Cleansing, you must blow the horn of a male sheep; this will be on the tenth day of the seventh month. You must blow the horn through the whole country.

10 Make the fiftieth year a special year, and announce freedom for all the people living in your country. This time will be called Jubilee. You will each go back to your own property, each to your own family and family group.

11 The fiftieth year will be a special time for you to celebrate. Don't plant seeds, or harvest the crops that grow by themselves, or gather grapes from the vines that are not trimmed.