Leviticus 25:14-24

14 "'If you sell anything to your neighbor or buy anything from him, neither of you is to exploit the other.

15 Rather, you are to take into account the number of years after the yovel when you buy land from your neighbor, and he is to sell to you according to the number of years crops will be raised.

16 If the number of years remaining is large, you will raise the price; if few years remain, you will lower it; because what he is really selling you is the number of crops to be produced.

17 Thus you are not to take advantage of each other, but you are to fear your God; for I am ADONAI your God.

18 "'Rather, you are to keep my regulations and rulings and act accordingly. If you do, you will live securely in the land.

19 The land will yield its produce, you will eat until you have enough, and you will live there securely.

20 "'If you ask, "If we aren't allowed to sow seed or harvest what our land produces, what are we going to eat the seventh year?"

21 then I will order my blessing on you during the sixth year, so that the land brings forth enough produce for all three years.

22 The eighth year you will sow seed but eat the the old, stored produce until the ninth year; that is, until the produce of the eighth year comes in, you will eat the old, stored food.

23 "'The land is not to be sold in perpetuity, because the land belongs to me -you are only foreigners and temporary residents with me.

24 Therefore, when you sell your property, you must include the right of redemption.

Leviticus 25:14-24 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.