Leviticus 25

The laws of redemption.—When the God of Israel delivers laws, he at the same time clearly states the authority on which they are founded. The expression generally is, & ” “ ? iti Tam Jehovah,” or, “I am the Lorn thy God:” here it is more special and particular: “‘ For the Lann is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.” (Ver. 23.) On this all the folowing laws rest. “The land is mine,” therefore it shall not be sold for ever.—Our case is exactly similar to that of the Israelites, and this circumstance should be borne continually in our remembrance. He that said, “Is not this great Babylon which I have built ? heard a voice suddenly from heaven, which said O king Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdom is departed from thee.’ ((Daniel 4:30-31).) And to the vain fool that boasted of having goods laid up for many years,” God said “This night shal thy soul be required of thee.” We are indee, tenants at will,” and have not even a lease of our possessions; and this should teach us that we are “strangers and sojourners” upon earth: and tu look to Him who is not ashamed to be called our God, because he hath prepared for us a city—‘‘a city which hath foundations, and whose foundations rest on the rock of eternal ages.” ((Hebrews 11:16).; (Revelation 21:14), &c.) The uncertainty of the present state regards not only life itself, but all its enjoyments: while we are walking with God, as “strangers and sojourners,”’ we are continually dropping some or other of our temporal enjoyments by the way: here an affectionate partner, a Rachel: and there a below child, a Joseph: here our possessions, and there our enjoyments; till at length our bodies drop into the grave, and our souls land upon the eternal shores.

“The dear delights we here enjoy, And fondly call our own, Are but short favours borrow’d now, To be repaid anon.” Watts. With the rules and regulations here given, relative to the Jewish rites of redemption, we have no immediate concern. Our Redeemer founds his right to our obedience in the purchase of his blood, and on that ground claims us as his redeemed ones: “Ye are not yourown; ye are bought with a price;” and that price is “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Cor-. vi. 20. vii. 23.; (1 Peter 1:19).) We must not omit, hob eeer to notice in this chapter, some very excellent moral precepts, in favour of a principle of benevolence and charity—all but Christian.

First, in aflording facility of redemption to “a brother waxen poor,”’ who hath been com-

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXV. Ver. 9. The trumpet of the jubilee.—The Hebrew Jobel is think it derived from the Arabic word for a ram’s variously derived. Josephus explains it to mean /iberty, horn, the species of trumpet here used. but on what authority, is not known; but it is called the “ year of pene Yabal, (or Jabel,) to bring back, or recover, be- Others from (Ezekiel 47:17). Ji But the most general cause all estates now returned to the original owner. is from Jovel, (or Jubal,) a stream, either of water or and approved derivation J of bir and which is used for the lengt hened or continued blast of a trumpet, (Exodus 19:13). the land of Israel. Compare (Joshua 6:5, 13). The tramp ofthe Jubilee were probably sounded in Zengthened tones throughout al Ver.

21. Command my blessing.—[As it is here graciously promised, that the sixth year was to bring forth fruits for three years, not merely for two, it is evident, that both the Sabbatical year and the year of Jubilee were distinctly provided for. They were not to sow from the sixth to the eighth year, omitting 100 seed times; nor reap from the sixth to the ninth, omitting two harnests. |— Bagster. Ver. 29. In a walled city.—[A very proper difference is here made between houses in a city and houses in the country. ‘The former might be redeemed any time in the course of a year; but after that time could not be redeemed, or go out with the Jubilee; the latter might be redeemed at any time; and if not redeemed must go out with the Jubilee.

The reason in both cases is sufliciently evident: the house in the city might be built merely for purposes of trade or tra ffic—the house in the country was builded on, or attac ed to, the inheritance which God had divided to the respective families, It was therefore necessary that the same law should apply to the Rowse as to the inheritance; which necessity did not exist with regard to the house in the city. And, as the house in the city might be purchased for the purpose <F trade, it would be very inconvenient for the purchaser, when his business was esta blished, to be obliged to remove. |—Bagster.. Ver. 32. The cities of the Levites.—’* The houses possessed by the Leyites in the cities afterwards allotted to them, and the gardens and pastures in the suburbs, were, in fact, their only permanent estate in Israel; and they were therefore under the same law as the land of the other tribes.”"—Scort.

Ver. 33. If aman purchase, &.—Margin, “ Ifone of the Levites redeem them.” It is hence inferred, that any Levite might redeem the house which another had sold, though not of the same family, Ce 45 Moreover, of the children of the P strant his hand gers that do sojourn among you, of them shall u Ne.5.5,8. ye buy, and of their families that are with you, y Job 7.1. which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. 46 And ye shall take them as an 9 inheritance w or, b for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bond-men x ver.42. for ever: but over your brethren the children a De.16,22. of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with * rigour.

b or, pillar. 47 J, And if a sojourner or at stranger wax c astoneof rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and “sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock d ¢,19.30, of the stranger’s family: e De.11.13.. 48 After that he is sold he may be redeemf 15.30.23. a again; one of his brethren may redeem 49 Hither his uncle, or his uncle’s son may g Ps,67.6. redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto h Am.9.13. him of his family may redeem him; or if he i Ps.147.14. be able, he may redeem himself. j cause to 50 And he shall reckon with him that bought kc 2Ki. 17,25. lim, from the year that he was sold to him, unto the year of jubilee: and the price of his 1 De.32.30.

sale shall be according unto the number of m Ex.2.25. years, according to the * time of a hired servant shall it be with him. pelled to 2. in * sell some (at least) of his possessions,” or inkentenes, to whom the whole shall revert in the year of jubilee. “thou shalt relieve him,” case of his needing temporary relief, says the law, and take no usury or increase: but “ fear thy God; i 3. In case of his being that thy brother may live with thee.” sold by his creditors, (which in some cases was allowed,) “‘ Thou shalt not compel him to serve with thee as th bond-servant j be with thee;’ but as a hired servant, and a sojourner he anal y enjoying the same comforts; that is, as one of thine own famil 1 as such he shall serve “thee unto the day of jubilee:”

and then children with him, shall he depart from thee, both he and his and shall return unto his own family, and the possession of his fathers. Moreover, if an Israelite be sold to a stranger, of his brethren may redeem him; and though it is not expressly said he shall redeem him, yet they held themselves bound to do so, if they were able; therefore, said Nehemiah, subsequent to the captivity, ‘‘ We after our ability have redeemed our brethren ((Nehemiah 5:8).) the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen.” in the most tender man- Finally, to enforce these admonitions, Ver. 48. He may be redeemed again.—Ainsworth translates this verse so as “After that he is sold, a redemption shall be for to make it a command.

This must be allowed to be him; one of his brethren shall redeem him.” as the. \ subjunctive mood, frequently more literal; yet as the Hebrews, having no use the future indicative in its stead, it is so rendered, not only in ours, but in most other versions. Ver. 50. Price of his sale—{This was a very equitable law, both to the so- Israelite who had been sold. journer to whom the man was sold, and to the The Israelite might redeem himself, or one of his kindred might redeem him; were therethe jubilee; but this must not be done to the prea of his master. tie fore to reckon the years he must have served, from that time til and then taking the current wages of a servant, per year, at that time, multiply the remainmg years by that sum, and the aggregate was to be given to his The Jews hold, that the kindred of such a person master fdr his redemption.

to redeem him, lest he should be swallowed up were bound, if in their power, find ((Nehemiah 5:8).) that this was done vy the Jews heathen; and we on their return \ cal from the Babylonish captivity. ]—Bagster. was a wonderful institution, and of Ver. 52. Year of jubilee. —[The jubilee at service to the religion, freedom, and independence, of the Hebrews. t he tich from oppressing the poor, and reducing was Ti. to prevent t 1 Of idola. 8 A blessing to them that keep the commandments: 14 & curse to those ‘at break them. 40 God promiseth to remember them that repent. E *shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a ® standing image, neither shall ye set up any ‘image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for Iam the Lord your God.

29 Ye ‘shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. 3] If*ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, and do them; 4 Then I will give you ‘ rain in due season, and the £ land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit: 5 And your “threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing-time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6 And I will give | peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will) rid evil * beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. 7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

8 And! five of youshall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 For I will have ™respect unto you, and ner, and to impress these precepts on their conscience, it is added, “For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: our God. I am the Lord X