Leviticus 25
DortLaws concerning the rest of the Land the seventh year, v. 1, etc. of the year of jubilee, to be kept every fiftieth year, 8. of the manner of buying and selling in the Jubilee, 14. of the Right of redeeming sold inheritances, 23. of Usury, and of kindness to the poor Israelites, 35. of the right of the Hebrew bondmen, how they were to be bought, dealt with, and redeemed, 39.
1. Moreover the LORD spoke unto Moseh, at mount Sinai: [viz. out of the Tent of the Congregation, which was set up at the said Mount. Exod. 40. and out of which God had given these Laws unto Moseh, Leviticus 1:1. when it was set up by Mount Sinai. Compare below 26. 46. and 27. 34.] saying:
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say to them; when ye shall be come into the Land, that I give you, then that Land shall rest [viz. from being tilled and husbanded] a Sabbath [the word Sabbath doth signify to rest and surcease form any manner of work. the outward Sabbath in the old Testament was first, of days; as of the seventh day, and the Feast days. Exodus 20:8. Leviticus 23:39, & c. secondly, for months; as of the new-moons, above chapter 23. 24. Numb. 28. 11. thirdly of the years; as here and below chapter 26. 35, & c.] to the LORD. [i.e. according to his command, and to his honour. Otherwise the Land shall rest, it shall be a Sabbath, etc.]
3. Six years shalt thou sow thy field, and six years cut thy vineyard, and gather the income thereof.
4. Yet in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of rest for the land? a Sabbath to the LORD: thy field thou shalt not sow, nor cut thy vineyard.
5. That which shall have grown of it self of thy Harvest, thou shall not reap, nor cut off the grapes of thy separation: [Oth. that which thou didst not cut, (or, prune) or from which thou withheldest thy self. Understand hereby the vineyard of every Israelite, from which he was to separate himself, according to this Law, so as that he might neither husband, nor dress the same, nor gather in ought of its growth. And thus the said vineyard is likewise called bel. v. 11.] it shall be a year of rest for the land.
6. And the (income of the ) Sabbath of the land shall be for food unto you; for thee, and for thy man-servant, and for thy Maid-servant, and for thy day-labourer (or hireling) and for thy cohabitant that sojourns with thee: [The meaning is, That they might feed on the fruits, which in that seventh year should grow for themselves through the blessing of the LORD, without any labour and dressing in their fields and vineyards, and which no owner was permitted to gather in according to the usual manner, for to be laid up in barns and cellars, or store-houses.]
7. Together with thy Cattle, and for the beasts, that are in thy Land, shall all the income thereof be for food.
8. Thou shall likewise number thee seven year-weeks, [Heb. Sabbath-years. The word Sabbath doth signify a week here, as above chapter 23. 15. Now as a week of days, so a week of years had seven years] seven times seven years; so that the days of the seven year-weeks, shall be unto you forty and nine year.
9. After that shalt thou cause in the seventh Moneth, [See above chapter 23. on v. 24.] the trumpet of sounding to pass thorough; [i.e. to go all the Land over, that there may be a general proclamation made of the year of Jubilee] upon the expiation-day [see above chapter 23. on v. 27.] shall ye cause the Trumpet to pass through in all your Land.
10. And ye shall hallow that fiftieth year [Heb. the year of fifty year, i.e. proclaim of it, that it is a year peculiarly set apart and dedicated to the LORD, for a singular and holy use. See of the word hallowing, taken in this sence above chapter 8. on verse 10.] and proclaim freedom in the Land, for all its inhabitants: it shall be a (year of) Jubilee unto you, [The Hebrew word Jobel signifieth first a Weather, or Ram: afterward a Ram’s horn; signifieth first a Weather, or Ram: afterward a Ram’s horn; at last the fiftieth year, which was proclaimed by the sound of a Ram’s-horn; as here in this year the freedom of men, and Maid-servants was proclaimed: and such as had sold their inheritance, through poverty, came to be repossessed of the same. The word year, is inserted in the text here, and in the sequel, out of verse 13.] and ye shall return every one to his possession, and shall return to his generation. [i.e. to his friends and kindred, from whom he had separated himself, by selling his freedom to others, see bel. v. 41.]
11. This Jubel-year shall be the fiftieth year unto you; ye shall not sow, nor reap what shall have grown therein of itself, neither cut off (the grapes of) the separation in the same. [viz. in that fiftieth year. see above v. 5.]
12. For that is the Jubel-year; it shall be holy unto you, [Heb. holiness] ye shall eat the income thereof out of the field. [the income. Understand the corn and fruit which shall have grown there of it self, without thy labour.]
13. On that Jubel-year shall ye return every one to his possession.
14. Therefore when thou shalt sell any saleable (thing) to thy neighbour, or buy ought out of the hand of thy neighbour, let none oppress [or shorten, see above ch.19. on v. 33.] the one the other. [Heb. a man his brother]
15. According to the number of years from the Jubil-year, shalt thou buy of thy Neighbour, and according to the number of the years of the incomes [i.e. wherein the fields or grounds are to bring forth their incomes for certain years, as appeareth by the sequel.] shall he sell it to thee.
16. According to the multitude of the years shalt thou multiply his purchase [Understand the price or value of the goods to be sold] and according to fewness of the years shall thou lessen its purchase; for he selleth unto thee the number of the incomes. [i.e. not the propriety of the land, but the use and income of it, and that only for a certain number of years, which must end with Jubel-year. For then it stood open again for the Seller, or first owner to repossess it again, and the buyer was to quit it.]
17. Let none therefore oppress his neighbour; but fear (or stand in awe) before thy God; for I am the LORD thy God.
18. And do my institutions; and keep my rights and do the same: then shall ye dwell secure in the Land.
19. And the Land shall give its fruit, and ye shall eat to satisfaction, and ye shall dwell safe (or securely) therein.
20. And when ye shall say, what shall we eat in the seventh year? behold we may not sow, nor gather in our income?
21. Then will I command my blessing [i.e. I will give and bestow my blessing. Gods commanding signifieth his doing and performing, either with real blessings, as here, and Deuteronomy 28:8. and Psalms 111:9. and 133. 3. or with real punishments as Isaiah 5:6. and Amos 9 4. Nahum 1:14. comp. Gen. 1. on verse 3.] over you in the sixth year: that it shall bring forth the incomes for three years.
22. Now the eighth year ye shall sow, and shall eat of the old income, until the ninth year, till his income [viz. that of the eighth year] be come in ye shall eat the old.
23. The land also shall not be sold for ever; [Heb. for cutting off, viz. from the right of Redemption; so that the seller should be utterely cut off from all interest therein, and deprived of the right to redeem his sold inheritance, or at the least in the year of Jubilee to be re-admitted into the possession thereof, see the same phrase bel. verse 36.] for the land is mine because ye are strangers, and cohabitants by me.
24. Therefore in all the land of your possession, ye shall permit. [Heb. properly give] redemption for the land, [i.e. you shall sell with this condition, that liberty may be left you still, to redeem it.]
25. When thy Brother shall be improverished, and shall have sold ought his possession: then his Redeemer; that is, his near kin shall come, and shall redeem the sold (land) of his brother.
26. And when any shall have no Redeemer, but his hand shall have gotten and he found, [see of the like phrases ab. ch. 5. on v. 7.] so much as is sufficient for his redemption: [Heb. according to the sufficiency of his, & c.]
27. Then shall he reckon the years of his sale, [viz. from the time that the sale was made, unto the next ensuing Jubilee; reckoning the income of so many years as yet remain behind, and paying for them according to the rate and value the sale was made by: see ab. verse 16.] and he shall return the Surplus back unto the man, to whom he had sold it; and shall come to his possession again.
28. But if his hand have not found sufficient to return back unto him, [Compare this with the note on vers. 26. and Judges 9:33.] then his sold goods shall be in the Jubel-year it shall go out, [i.e. the sold goods shall not continue any longer in the power of him that had brought it. Oth. He, viz. the buyer shall go out. Comp. bel. verse 30. and 31.] and he [viz. the Seller] shall return to his possession.
29. In like manner, when any one shall have sold a dwelling house (in) a walled City; [Heb. a city of the wals] then his redemption shall be in a full year. [Heb. days. Thus the word days is taken for a full year, Exodus 13:10. 1 Samuel 1:3. and 27. 7. the meaning is, that the right of this Redemption lasted a whole or a full and complete year, after the sale was made.]
30. But in case it be not redeemed against the whole year shall be fulfilled, then that house which is in that city that hath a wall, shall ever [Heb. for cutting off: as ab. verse 23.] remain to him that bought it, among his generations. [The sense is, the house should thenceforward so appertain to the Purchasor or Buyer of it, that the Seller was cut off then from all right and title to redeem it.] it shall not go out in the Jubel-year. [Understand this of the House sold, which in the very Jubel-year, was not to go out free (like land) out of the buyers hand, but he must remain the proprietor of it.]
31. But the houses of the villages, which have no wall round about, shall be reckoned as the filed of the land (or Country) for that there shall be redemption, [viz. for the houses of the Villages in the same manner as was ordained for the fields, or lands, above verse 25. 26. In the Hebrew it is, for them there shall be redemption, in the plural; i.e. for every Village-house. Oth. for him (i.e. for the Seller) there shall be redemption, and (the Buyer) shall go out in the Jubel-year] and they shall go out in the Jubel-year.
32. As for the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession; the Levites shall have a perpetual redemption: [Understand this during the time of the Law, and judaical-government in the land of Canaan, so below verse 34. see Gen. 13. on verse 5.
33. And when redemption shall have been made among the Levites, [Oth. When one shall have bought any house of the Levites, &c. or, but he that redeemeth (he) of the Levites; or, the (Buyer) of the sold house shall, etc.] then the buying (or purchase) of the house [viz. which is to be redeemed by the Buyer] and of the city of his possession [understand to which the house appertained, or under whose jurisdiction it was] shall go out in the Jubel-year: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession in the midst of the children of Israel.
34. Yet the Field of the Suburb [Lying under the City] of their Cities shall not be sold: for it is a perpetual possession for them, [as above verse 32]
35. And when thy Brother shall be improverished, and his hand shall waver by thee, [i.e. his means and ability shall be decayed. Other his shaking hand shall extend to thee; for to crave and obtain relief in his poverty and distress] then thou shalt uphold, (or, hold him fast) [The Hebrew word doth properly signify to seize, and lay hold on, for to hold fast: understand here all manner of relief and kindness, whereby the poor may be upheld and comforted. Comp. Ezekiel 16:49.] (even) a stranger, [Here may be understood the Strangers, that were Proselites, and had embraced and made profession of the Israelites religion; for to other strangers they were allowed to lend upon usury, Deuteronomy 23:20. which God had forbidden to do to the faithful strangers, Exod.22. 5. Deuteronomy 23:19.] and cohabitant, that ye may live by you.
36. Thou shalt take no Usurie, [The Hebrew word signifieth a biting or a gnawing through, because a man’s means are devoured and swallowed up by Usury] nor over-gain [the Hebrew word implyeth as much, as multiplying, or unmeasurable increase: such as is usury upon usury, gain of gain, and to take an exaction, beyond all equity and measure; some take the first word for the gain gotten, by wares, meat, apparel, & c.] from him, but thou shalt fear before thy God, that thy Brother may live by thee.
37. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury; and thou shalt not give thy meat for over again.
38. I am the LORD your God, that carried you forth out of the land of Egypt, for to give you the land of Canaan, that I may be a God unto you. [See above chapter 17. on verse 7.]
39. Likewise, when thy Brother shall be improverished by thee, and shall have sold himself unto thee, [Or, shall be sold unto thee] thou shalt not make him serve the service of a slave: [or, thou shalt not require service of him, according to slavish bondage: or, thou shalt not suffer him to serve, or, shalt not be served by him, with the service of a slave, or bondman. i.e. thou shalt not make use of his service with that rigour and exaction, which is usually practiced and laid upon the slaves. Heb. Thou shalt not serve in him the service of a servant; see the same phrase below verse 48. Exodus 1:14. Jeremiah 25:14. and 30. 8. and 34. 9. 10.]
40. As a day-labourer, as a cohabitant he shall be with thee: He shall serve the until thee Jubel-year.
41. Then he shall go out from thee, he and his Children with him: And he shall return unto his Generation (Kindred, Family,) [See above on verse 10] and return to the possession of his Fathers.
42. For they are my Servants, [Whom I have chosen, out of all Nations to be my peculiar people, my inheritance, for to serve me here in this life, and live with me for ever hereafter: as also below verse 55.] Whom I carried forth out of Egypt; they shall not be sold, as one doth sell a Slave (or, Bondman) Hebr. by, or, after the selling of a Slave, i.e. to be sold like Slaves, to perpetual bondage.]
43. Thou shalt have no dominion over him with cruelty, but thy shalt fear before thy God.
44. Concerning thy Bondman, or thy Bondmaid, whom thou shalt have, they shall be of the Nations which are round about you; of them ye shall buy a Bondman, or Bondwoman.
45. Ye shall (may) likewise buy them of the children of the Cohabitants, which sojourn with you as Strangers, out of them, and out of their generations, which shall be with you, whom they shall have gotten in your land; and they shall be for a possession unto you. [viz. To hold and use them as Slaves and Bondmen for ever, who could not have the benefit of being redeemed, or going out free in the Jubel-year.]
46. And ye shall put your selves possessors over them, for your children after you, that they may inherit the possession, ye shall make them serve for ever, [viz. as Slaves and Bondmen: above verse 39.] But over your Brethren the Children of Israel; every one over his Brother, ye shall have no dominion over him with cruelty (or harshness)
47. And when the hand of a Stranger and Cohabitant that is by thee, shall have gotten ought [i.e. acquired some means, or riches, and so below v. 49.] and thy Brother, that is by him, shall be improverished, that he shall have sold himself to the Stranger, the Cohabitant that is by thee, or unto the Tribe of generation of Strangers. [i.e. To the inborn and inhabitant, who though he be of foreign descent, was nevertheless born in the Land, and hath taken root by his long abode therein.]
48. After that he shall have sold himself there shall be redemption for him, one of his Brethren for him, one of his Brethren shall redeem him.
49. Either his Uncle, or the son of his Uncle shall redeem, or he that is of the nearest of his flesh, of his generation shall redeem him; or if his hand gotten something, let him redeem himself.
50. And he shall reckon with his Buyer, from that year of that he sold himself, until the Jubel-year; so that the money of his sale shall be according to the number of the years; [viz. which he shall have served his Master, to deduct so much money in paying his Redemption, as he hath spent time in his Masters-service] accordning to the days of an Hireling (or, Day-labourer) shall it be with him. [i.e. shall he be dealt with]
51. If there be many of those years, yet [viz. from the time he is ready to be redeemed, until the Jubilee, when such servants went out free: compare the next verse.] according to them shall he restore for his redemption, of the money for which he was bought. Hebr. the money is his buying, i.e. according as there are many years to come yet before the Jubilee, so let him restore to his Master of the Money he was bought for.]
52. No text on verse.
53. As a day-labourer (or, hireling) shall he be with him from year to year; [i.e. as one that was not taken on by sits now and then, but kept and hired for a full year or more to work with him] they shall have no dominion over him with cruelty (harshness) before your eyes [in your presence, yourselves looking on and winking or conniving at it.]
54. And in case he be not redeemed hereby, [i.e. by the foresaid men or means. Otherwise in these viz. years] then he shall go out in the Jubel-year, he and his children with him.
55. For the children of Israel are my servants, my Servants they are, whom I have carried forth out of the land of Egypt, I am the LORD your God.