Leviticus 25

1 And the Lord spake to Moses in the hill of Sinai, and said (And the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, and said,)
2 Speak thou to the sons of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, When ye have entered into the land which I shall give to you, the earth keep the sabbath of the Lord (the land shall keep sabbaths to the Lord);
3 six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt cut thy vineyard, and thou shalt gather the fruits thereof;
4 forsooth in the seventh year shall be the sabbath of the earth, of [the] resting of the Lord (but the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest for the land, yea, a sabbath to the Lord); thou shalt not sow the field, and thou shalt not cut the vineyard,
5 thou shalt not reap those things which the earth bringeth forth freely, and thou shalt not gather the grapes of thy first fruits, as vintage; for it is the year of resting of the land; (thou shalt not harvest those things which the land bringeth forth freely, and thou shalt not gather the grapes of thy first fruits, as vintage; for it is a year of rest for the land;)
6 but those fruits shall be to you into meat, to thee, and to thy servant, and to thine handmaid, and to thine hired man, and to the comeling that is a pilgrim with thee; (but those fruits shall be food for you, yea, for thee, and for thy slave, and for thy slave-girl, and for thy hired man, and for the newcomer who is a foreigner, or a stranger, among thee;)
7 all things that come forth, shall give meat to thy work beasts, and [thy] small beasts. (all things that come forth, shall be food for thy work beasts, and thy small beasts.)
8 Also thou shalt number to thee seven weeks of years (And thou shalt count seven sabbaths of years to thee), that is, seven times seven, which (al)together make nine and forty years;
9 and thou shalt sound with a clarion in the seventh month, in the tenth day of the month, in the time of propitiation, that is, (in the time of) mercy, in all your land. (and thou shalt sound with a trumpet in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, that is, on the Day of Cleansing, or the Day of Atonement, in all your land.)
10 And thou shalt hallow the fiftieth year, and thou shalt call it remission, or forgiveness, to all the dwellers of thy land; for that year is [the] jubilee, that is, the joyful year; a man shall turn again to his possession, and each man shall go again to his first family, (And thou shalt hallow the fiftieth year, and thou shalt proclaim remission, or forgiveness, for all the inhabitants of thy land; for that is the Jubilee Year, that is, the Year of Restoration; a man shall return to his possession, and each man shall go back to his first family,)
11 for it is the jubilee, and the fiftieth year (for the fiftieth year is the Jubilee Year). Ye shall not sow, neither ye shall reap those things, that come forth freely in the field, and ye shall not gather (in) the first fruits of [the] vintage,
12 for (it is) the hallowing of [the] jubilee; but anon ye shall eat things taken away; (for it is the Jubilee, and it shall be holy to you; ye shall only eat things taken from off the land;)
13 in the year of jubilee, all men go again to their possessions. (and in the Jubilee Year, everyone shall return to their possessions.)
14 When thou shalt sell anything to thy citizen(ry), either shalt buy of him, make thou not sorry, (or heavy,) thy brother, (When thou shalt sell anything to a fellow citizen, or thou shalt buy anything from him, do not thou oppress one another,)
15 but by the number of the years of [the] jubilee thou shalt buy of him (but by the number of the years since the Jubilee, thou shalt buy from him), and by the reckoning of fruits, (or by the annual harvests,) he shall sell to thee.
16 (That is,) By as much as more years dwell after the jubilee, by so much also the price shall increase, and by as much as thou numberest less of time, by so much and the buying shall cost less (by so much the buying, or the purchasing, shall cost less); for he shall sell to thee the time of (the) fruits.
17 Do not ye torment men of your lineages, but each man dread his God; for I am your Lord God. (Do not ye torment anyone in your tribes, but each person fear his God; for I am the Lord your God.)
18 Do ye my behests, and keep ye my dooms, and fulfill ye those, that ye may dwell in (t)his land without any dread, (Do ye my commands, and obey ye my judgements, and fulfill ye them, so that ye shall live in this land without any fear,)
19 and that the earth bring forth his fruits to you (and so that the land shall bring forth its harvest for you), which ye shall eat till to fullness, and dread not the assailing of any man.
20 That if ye say (And if ye say to me), What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we sow not, neither gather (in) our fruits?
21 (For an answer,) I shall give my blessing to you in the sixth year, and it shall make [the] fruits of three years;
22 and ye shall sow in the eighth year, and ye shall eat eld fruits till to the ninth year; (yea,) till new things come forth, ye shall eat the eld things.
23 Also the land shall not be sold into without end, for it is mine, and ye be my comelings, and [my] tenants;
24 wherefore all the country of your possession shall be sold under the condition of again-buying. (and so all the land of your possession shall be sold under the condition of being able to buy it back.)
25 If thy brother is made poor, and selleth his little possession, and his nigh kinsmen will, he may again-buy that that he sold (he can buy back what he hath sold);
26 soothly if he hath no nigh kinsman, and he may find [the] price to again-buy, (and if he hath no one near of kin, but he findeth the money to buy it back,)
27 the fruits shall be reckoned from that time in which he sold it, and he shall yield that that is left to the buyer, and he shall receive so his possession again (and so he shall receive his possession back again).
28 That if his hand findeth not, that he yield the price, the buyer shall have that that he bought, till to the year of jubilee; for in that year each selling shall go again to the lord, and to the first wielder. (But if his hand findeth not, so that he can pay the price, the buyer shall have what he bought, until the Jubilee Year; then in that year each parcel of land which hath been purchased, shall return to its original owner.)
29 He that selleth his house, within the walls of a city, shall have license to again-buy (it), till one year be [full-]filled; (He who selleth his house, within the walls of a city, shall have license to buy it back, until one year is fulfilled;)
30 if he again-buyeth (it) not, and the circle of the year is passed, the buyer shall wield it, and his heirs into without end, and it shall not be able to be again-bought, yea, in the jubilee. (but if he buyeth it not back, and the circle of the year is passed, the buyer, and his heirs, shall own it forever, and it shall not be able to be bought back, yea, even in the Jubilee Year.)
31 Forsooth if the house is in a town that hath not walls, it shall be sold by the law of [the] fields; soothly if it is not again-bought in the jubilee, it shall turn again to the lord thereof (and even if it is not bought back, in the Jubilee Year it shall return to its original owner).
32 The houses of [the] deacons, that be in [the] cities, may ever[more] be again-bought; (But the houses of the Levites, that be in the cities, can be bought back forevermore;)
33 if those be not again-bought, those shall turn again in the jubilee to the lords (thereof); for the houses of the cities of deacons be for (their) possessions (forevermore) among the sons of Israel; (and even if they be not bought back, they shall still return to their original owners in the Jubilee Year; for the houses in the Levite cities shall be their possessions among the Israelites forevermore;)
34 forsooth the suburbs of them shall not be sold, for it is (their) everlasting possession.
35 If thy brother is made poor, and feeble in power, and thou receivest him as a comeling, and a pilgrim (and thou receivest him like a newcomer, or like a foreigner), and he liveth with thee,
36 take thou not usuries of him, neither more than thou hast given; dread thou thy God, that thy brother may live with thee. (receive thou not usury, or interest, from him, nor any more than thou hast given to him; fear thou thy God, and let thy brother live with thee.)
37 Thou shalt not give to him thy money (in)to usury (Thou shalt not charge him interest for thy money), and thou shalt not ask over that that thou lendest, (for) increases of (thy) fruits;
38 I am your Lord God, that led you out of the land of Egypt, that I should give to you the land of Canaan, and that I should be your God. (I am the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt, so that I could give you the land of Canaan, and so that I would become your God.)
39 If thy brother compelled by poverty selleth himself to thee, thou shalt not oppress him by servage of servants (thou shalt not make him thy slave),
40 but he shall be as an hired man and (as) a tenant; till to the year of jubilee he shall work with thee (he shall work for thee until the Jubilee Year),
41 and afterward he shall go out with his free children, and he shall turn again to his kindred, and to the possession of his fathers. (and then he shall go out free with his children, and he shall return to his family, and to his inheritance from his fathers.)
42 For they be my servants, and I led them out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold by the condition of servants; (For they be my slaves, and I led them out of Egypt; and they shall not be sold into human slavery;)
43 torment thou not them by thy power, but dread thou thy Lord. (so do not thou torment him with thy power, but rather, fear thou thy God.)
44 A servant and (a) handmaid be to you of [the] nations that be in your compass, and of [the] comelings the which be pilgrims with you, (For your slaves and your slave-girls, buy thou them from the nations that be all around you, and from the newcomers who be foreigners, or strangers, among you,)
45 either they that be born of comelings in your land; ye shall have these (as) servants, and by right of heritage ye shall leave them to your after-comers, and ye shall wield them without end; (or they who be born to newcomers in your land; ye shall have them as your slaves, and by right of inheritance ye shall leave them to your after-comers, and so ye shall own them forever;)
46 soothly oppress ye not by power your brethren, the sons of Israel. (but with your power, do not ye oppress your own brothers, the Israelites.)
47 If the hand of a comeling or of a pilgrim waxeth strong at you, and thy brother is made poor, and selleth himself to that comeling, either to any of his kin, (And if a newcomer, or a foreigner who liveth with you, groweth rich, and thy brother is made poor, and selleth himself to that newcomer, or to any of his kin,)
48 he may be again-bought after the selling; he that will of his brethren, again-buy him; (he can be bought back after that he is sold; yea, he of his brothers who will do so, should buy him back;)
49 both his father's brother, and the son of his father's brother, and his kinsman, and his ally. Else if also he shall be able, he shall again-buy himself, (or his father's brother, or the son of his father's brother, or another of his kin, should buy him back. Or if he is able, he should buy himself back,)
50 while the years be reckoned only from the time of his (original) selling till into the year of jubilee; and while the money, for which he was sold, is reckoned by the number of years, and while the hire of an hired man is reckoned. (while the years be reckoned from the time when he first sold himself until the Jubilee Year; and while the price, for which he can be bought back, be reckoned by the wages for a hired man.)
51 If more years be that dwell till to the jubilee, by these years he shall yield also the price; (If there be more years that remain until the Jubilee Year, he shall pay the value of those years;)
52 if few years be (and even if there be only a few years left), he shall (still) set reckoning with him by the number of the(se) years; and (so) he shall yield (money) to the buyer (for) that that is left of [the] years,
53 while those years, in which he served before, be reckoned for hires; (and) a stranger shall not torment an home-born man violently in thy sight. (while those years, in which he served before, shall be reckoned as for a hired man; never let a foreigner, or a stranger, violently torment a man born in the land before thee.)
54 That if he may not be again-bought by this manner, he shall go out with his free children in the year of jubilee; (And even if he is not bought back in this manner, he shall still go out free with his children in the Jubilee Year;)
55 for the sons of Israel be my servants, which I led out of the land of Egypt. I am your Lord God; (for the Israelites be my slaves, whom I led out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God;)

Leviticus 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

The sabbath of rest for the land in the seventh year. (1-7) The jubilee of the fiftieth year, Oppression forbidden. (8-22) Redemption of the land and houses. (23-34) Compassion towards the poor. (35-38) Laws respecting bondmen, Oppression forbidden. (39-55)

Verses 1-7 All labour was to cease in the seventh year, as much as daily labour on the seventh day. These statues tell us to beware of covetousness, for a man's life consists not in the abundance of his possessions. We are to exercise willing dependence on God's providence for our support; to consider ourselves the Lord's tenants or stewards, and to use our possessions accordingly. This year of rest typified the spiritual rest which all believers enter into through Christ. Through Him we are eased of the burden of wordly care and labour, both being sanctified and sweetened to us; and we are enabled and encouraged to live by faith.

Verses 8-22 The word "jubilee" signifies a peculiarly animated sound of the silver trumpets. This sound was to be made on the evening of the great day of atonement; for the proclamation of gospel liberty and salvation results from the sacrifice of the Redeemer. It was provided that the lands should not be sold away from their families. They could only be disposed of, as it were, by leases till the year of jubilee, and then returned to the owner or his heir. This tended to preserve their tribes and families distinct, till the coming of the Messiah. The liberty every man was born to, if sold or forfeited, should return at the year of jubilee. This was typical of redemption by Christ from the slavery of sin and Satan, and of being brought again to the liberty of the children of God. All bargains ought to be made by this rule, "Ye shall not oppress one another," not take advantage of one another's ignorance or necessity, "but thou shalt fear thy God." The fear of God reigning in the heart, would restrain from doing wrong to our neighbour in word or deed. Assurance was given that they should be great gainers, by observing these years of rest. If we are careful to do our duty, we may trust God with our comfort. This was a miracle for an encouragement to all neither sowed or reaped. This was a miracle for an encouragement to all God's people, in all ages, to trust him in the way of duty. There is nothing lost by faith and self-denial in obedience. Some asked, What shall we eat the seventh year? Thus many Christians anticipate evils, questioning what they shall do, and fearing to proceed in the way of duty. But we have no right to anticipate evils, so as to distress ourselves about them. To carnal minds we may appear to act absurdly, but the path of duty is ever the path of safety.

Verses 23-34 If the land were not redeemed before the year of jubilee, it then returned to him that sold or mortgaged it. This was a figure of the free grace of God in Christ; by which, and not by any price or merit of our own, we are restored to the favour of God. Houses in walled cities were more the fruits of their own industry than land in the country, which was the direct gift of God's bounty; therefore if a man sold a house in a city, he might redeem it only within a year after the sale. This encouraged strangers and proselytes to come and settle among them.

Verses 35-38 Poverty and decay are great grievances, and very common; the poor ye have always with you. Thou shalt relieve him; by sympathy, pitying the poor; by service, doing for them; and by supply, giving to them according to their necessity, and thine ability. Poor debtors must not be oppressed. Observe the arguments here used against extortion: "Fear thy God." Relieve the poor, "that they may live with thee;" for they may be serviceable to thee. The rich can as ill spare the poor, as the poor can the rich. It becomes those that have received mercy to show mercy.

Verses 39-55 A native Israelite, if sold for debt, or for a crime, was to serve but six years, and to go out the seventh. If he sold himself, through poverty, both his work and his usage must be such as were fitting for a son of Abraham. Masters are required to give to their servants that which is just and equal, Col. 4:1 . At the year of jubilee the servant should go out free, he and his children, and should return to his own family. This typified redemption from the service of sin and Satan, by the grace of God in Christ, whose truth makes us free, ( John 8:32 ) . We cannot ransom our fellow-sinners, but we may point out Christ to them; while by his grace our lives may adorn his gospel, express our love, show our gratitude, and glorify his holy name.

Chapter Summary

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.

Leviticus 25 Commentaries

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.