Leviticus 25:39-49

39 "If one of your brothers becomes indigent and has to sell himself to you, don't make him work as a slave.

40 Treat him as a hired hand or a guest among you. He will work for you until the Jubilee,

41 after which he and his children are set free to go back to his clan and his ancestral land.

42 Because the People of Israel are my servants whom I brought out of Egypt, they must never be sold as slaves.

43 Don't tyrannize them; fear your God.

44 "The male and female slaves which you have are to come from the surrounding nations; you are permitted to buy slaves from them.

45 You may also buy the children of foreign workers who are living among you temporarily and from their clans which are living among you and have been born in your land. They become your property.

46 You may will them to your children as property and make them slaves for life. But you must not tyrannize your brother Israelites.

47 "If a foreigner or temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your brothers becomes poor and sells himself to the foreigner who lives among you or to a member of the foreigner's clan,

48 he still has the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his relatives may buy him back.

49 An uncle or cousin or any close relative of his extended family may redeem him. Or, if he gets the money together, he can redeem himself.

Leviticus 25:39-49 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.