Leviticus 25:13-23

13 In the year of the release the jubilee of it, shall one return to his possession.

14 And if thou shouldest sell a possession to thy neighbour, or if thou shouldest buy of thy neighbour, let not a man oppress his neighbour.

15 According to the number of years after the jubilee shalt thou buy of thy neighbour, according to the number of years of the fruits shall he sell to thee.

16 According as a greater number of years he shall increase his possession, and according as a less number of years he shall lessen his possession; for according to the number of his crops, so shall he sell to thee.

17 Let not a man oppress his neighbour, and thou shalt fear the Lord thy God: I am the Lord thy God.

18 And ye shall keep all my ordinances, and all my judgments; and do ye observe them, and ye shall keep them, and dwell securely in the land.

19 And the land shall yield her increase, and ye shall eat to fullness, and shall dwell securely in it.

20 And if ye should say, What shall we eat in this seventh year, if we do not sow nor gather in our fruits?

21 Then will I send my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and the land shall produce its fruits for three years.

22 And ye shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old fruits till the ninth year: until its fruit come, ye shall eat old fruits of the old.

23 And the land shall not be sold for a permanence; for the land is mine, because ye are strangers and sojourners before me.

Leviticus 25:13-23 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.