Leviticus 25 Study Notes
General
True or False: This chapter allowed Israelites to acquire servants from the surrounding nations and from foreigners living among them, and these could be kept for life.
Answer: True
This is true. The chapter permitted Israelites to buy servants from surrounding nations and from foreigners living in the land, who became their owners' property, could be passed on to their sons, and could be held as slaves for life (25:44-46). These laws regulated a practice that already existed across the ancient world; they did not present it as an ideal. Other laws in Israel limited it sharply: kidnapping someone to sell him was punishable by death (Exodus 21:16), and a master who injured a servant's eye had to set him free (Exodus 21:26). The gospel points beyond these arrangements altogether, since in Christ there is neither slave nor free, but all are one in Him (Galatians 3:28).
- Leviticus 25:44-46 (BSB)“Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them. You may also purchase them from the foreigners residing among you or their clans living among you who are born in your land. These may become your property. You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man may rule harshly over his brother.”Israelites may acquire servants from surrounding nations and resident foreigners, who may be held permanently, but no Israelite may rule harshly over his brother.
- Exodus 21:16 (BSB)“Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.”The law made kidnapping a person to sell him a capital crime.
- Exodus 21:26 (BSB)“If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye.”The law required a servant to be set free if his master injured his eye, limiting a master's power.
- Galatians 3:28 (BSB)“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”In Christ, the distinction between slave and free gives way to oneness in Him.
Theological
True or False: Leviticus 25:44-46 permitted Israelites to acquire servants from the surrounding nations and from resident foreigners and to hold them permanently.
Answer: True
This is true. The text permits acquiring servants from the surrounding nations and from resident foreigners, who became property that could be bequeathed and held as slaves for life (25:44-46), in contrast to the protections for Israelites (25:46b). Like the servant laws of Exodus 21, this legislation regulates an existing ancient institution rather than commending it, and Israel's law restrained it elsewhere: kidnapping a person was a capital crime (Exodus 21:16), and injury by a master secured a servant's freedom (Exodus 21:26). The gospel points beyond these civil arrangements to the unity of all believers in Christ, in whom there is neither slave nor free (Galatians 3:28).
- Leviticus 25:44-46 (BSB)“Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them. You may also purchase them from the foreigners residing among you or their clans living among you who are born in your land. These may become your property. You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man may rule harshly over his brother.”Israelites may acquire servants from surrounding nations and resident foreigners, who may be held permanently, but no Israelite may rule harshly over his brother.
- Exodus 21:16 (BSB)“Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.”The law made kidnapping a person to sell him a capital crime.
- Exodus 21:26 (BSB)“If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye.”The law required a servant to be set free if his master injured his eye, limiting a master's power.
- Galatians 3:28 (BSB)“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”In Christ, the distinction between slave and free gives way to oneness in Him.
General
What reason does God give at the end of the chapter for why Israelites could not be permanently enslaved (25:55)?
Answer: Because they were His servants, whom He had brought out of Egypt
The chapter ends by stating the reason behind all these laws: the Israelites belonged to God as His servants, because He had brought them out of Egypt (25:55). That is why even an Israelite who sold himself to a foreigner could not be treated harshly and had to go free in the Jubilee (25:53-54), and why no Israelite could be sold as a slave (25:42). God had broken the yoke of their slavery (Leviticus 26:13), and people He had redeemed could not be made anyone else's permanent property. The same is true for Christians: we were purchased at a cost, so we must not hand ourselves over in bondage to mere people (1 Corinthians 7:23), freed from sin to serve Him (Romans 6:22).
- Leviticus 25:53-55 (BSB)“He shall be treated like a man hired from year to year, but a foreign owner must not rule over him harshly in your sight. Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children shall be released in the Year of Jubilee. For the Israelites are My servants. They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”Even under a foreign owner, an Israelite must not be treated harshly and must go free in the Jubilee, because Israel belongs to God.
- Leviticus 25:42 (BSB)“Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves.”God first gives this reason when forbidding Israelites to be sold as slaves.
- Leviticus 26:13 (BSB)“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk in uprightness.”God reminds Israel that He broke the yoke of their slavery in Egypt.
- 1 Corinthians 7:23 (BSB)“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”Believers were bought at a price and so must not become slaves of men.
- Romans 6:22 (BSB)“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.”Those set free from sin now belong to God as His servants.
Theological
What ground does Leviticus 25:55 give for the protections afforded Israelites in servitude?
Answer: They are the LORD's servants, whom He brought out of Egypt
The chapter's closing ground is covenantal ownership: the Israelites are the LORD's servants whom He brought out of Egypt (25:55). Hence an Israelite under a foreign owner may not be ruled harshly and must go free in the Jubilee (25:53-54), and no Israelite may be sold as a slave (25:42). Redemption from Egypt established God's exclusive claim on His people (Leviticus 26:13). The same logic governs the new covenant: believers purchased at a cost must not become enslaved to people (1 Corinthians 7:23), for they have been freed from sin and made servants of God (Romans 6:22).
- Leviticus 25:53-55 (BSB)“He shall be treated like a man hired from year to year, but a foreign owner must not rule over him harshly in your sight. Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children shall be released in the Year of Jubilee. For the Israelites are My servants. They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”Even under a foreign owner, an Israelite must not be treated harshly and must go free in the Jubilee, because Israel belongs to God.
- Leviticus 25:42 (BSB)“Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves.”God first gives this reason when forbidding Israelites to be sold as slaves.
- Leviticus 26:13 (BSB)“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk in uprightness.”God reminds Israel that He broke the yoke of their slavery in Egypt.
- 1 Corinthians 7:23 (BSB)“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”Believers were bought at a price and so must not become slaves of men.
- Romans 6:22 (BSB)“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.”Those set free from sin now belong to God as His servants.
General
How was an Israelite to be treated if he became poor and sold himself to a fellow Israelite (25:39-43)?
Answer: As a paid laborer until the Jubilee, not treated harshly
A fellow Israelite who sold himself because of poverty was not to be forced into slave labor. He was to live with his master like a wage earner or resident guest until the Jubilee, when he would go free with his children and return to their family land (25:39-41). The reason is that the Israelites were God's own servants whom He had brought out of Egypt, so they must never be put up for sale as slaves or ruled harshly (25:42-43). God had rescued Israel from slavery (Exodus 20:2), and remembering that rescue was to shape how they treated the poor among them (Deuteronomy 15:15). The New Testament gives a similar reason for fairness: those in authority over others answer to their own heavenly Master (Colossians 4:1).
- Leviticus 25:39-43 (BSB)“If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers. Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves. You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.”An Israelite who sells himself is not to be made a slave but treated as a hired worker until the Jubilee, because Israel belongs to God.
- Deuteronomy 15:15 (BSB)“Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.”Israel is reminded that they were slaves in Egypt and that God redeemed them, which is why they must treat servants rightly.
- Exodus 20:2 (BSB)““I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”God identifies Himself as the One who brought Israel out of the house of slavery.
- Colossians 4:1 (BSB)“Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”Paul tells masters to treat those under them fairly because they too have a Master in heaven.
Theological
What status does Leviticus 25:39-43 assign to an impoverished Israelite who sells himself to a fellow Israelite?
Answer: Hired worker until the Jubilee, not to be ruled with harshness
The destitute Israelite who sells himself may not be subjected to slave labor; he serves as a wage laborer or sojourner until the Jubilee, when he is released along with his children to their clan and ancestral holding (25:39-41). The ground is theological: Israelites are the LORD's servants whom He brought out of Egypt, so they may never be put up for sale as slaves or ruled harshly (25:42-43). The exodus redemption (Exodus 20:2) determines Israel's treatment of the poor (Deuteronomy 15:15), and the apostolic household code likewise grounds just treatment in accountability to the heavenly Master (Colossians 4:1).
- Leviticus 25:39-43 (BSB)“If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers. Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves. You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.”An Israelite who sells himself is not to be made a slave but treated as a hired worker until the Jubilee, because Israel belongs to God.
- Deuteronomy 15:15 (BSB)“Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.”Israel is reminded that they were slaves in Egypt and that God redeemed them, which is why they must treat servants rightly.
- Exodus 20:2 (BSB)““I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”God identifies Himself as the One who brought Israel out of the house of slavery.
- Colossians 4:1 (BSB)“Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”Paul tells masters to treat those under them fairly because they too have a Master in heaven.
General
How did Israel determine when the Jubilee year came (25:8-10)?
Answer: They counted seven cycles of seven years, and the next year, the fiftieth, was the Jubilee
Israel was to count seven sabbatical cycles of seven years each, forty-nine years in all, and then set apart the fiftieth year as the Jubilee (25:8-10). To consecrate something means to set it apart as holy for God. The Jubilee was the rest-year pattern at its fullest: a Sabbath of Sabbaths for the land and its people. A similar seven-times-seven count appears at the Feast of Weeks, which fell on the fiftieth day (Leviticus 23:15-16). Other laws treat the Jubilee as the fixed point when land returned to its original owner (Leviticus 27:24).
- Leviticus 25:8-10 (BSB)“And you shall count off seven Sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven Sabbaths of years amount to forty-nine years. Then you are to sound the horn far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. You shall sound it throughout your land. So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan.”Israel is to count seven sets of seven years and then set apart the fiftieth year as the Jubilee.
- Leviticus 23:15-16 (BSB)“From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you are to count off seven full weeks. You shall count off fifty days until the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.”The Feast of Weeks uses a similar count of seven sevens, with the offering brought on the fiftieth day.
- Leviticus 27:24 (BSB)“In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom it was bought—the original owner of the land.”The law on dedicated fields assumes the Jubilee as the fixed time when land goes back to its original owner.
Theological
According to Leviticus 25:8-10, how was the Jubilee year reckoned?
Answer: As the fiftieth year, following seven sabbatical cycles of seven years
The Jubilee is reckoned by counting seven sabbatical cycles, forty-nine years, and consecrating the fiftieth (25:8-10). It is the sabbatical principle raised to its fullest expression, a Sabbath of Sabbaths. The seven-sevens-plus-one structure parallels the reckoning of the Feast of Weeks on the fiftieth day (Leviticus 23:15-16), and the vow legislation presupposes the Jubilee as the fixed point of property reversion (Leviticus 27:24).
- Leviticus 25:8-10 (BSB)“And you shall count off seven Sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven Sabbaths of years amount to forty-nine years. Then you are to sound the horn far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. You shall sound it throughout your land. So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan.”Israel is to count seven sets of seven years and then set apart the fiftieth year as the Jubilee.
- Leviticus 23:15-16 (BSB)“From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you are to count off seven full weeks. You shall count off fifty days until the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.”The Feast of Weeks uses a similar count of seven sevens, with the offering brought on the fiftieth day.
- Leviticus 27:24 (BSB)“In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom it was bought—the original owner of the land.”The law on dedicated fields assumes the Jubilee as the fixed time when land goes back to its original owner.
General
On what day was the horn blown to announce the Jubilee (25:9)?
Answer: On the Day of Atonement, day ten of month seven
The horn announcing the Jubilee was to sound throughout the land on the Day of Atonement, day ten of month seven (25:9). Atonement means the covering and removal of sin so that people can be reconciled to God. On that same day each year, atonement was made to cleanse Israel from all their sins (Leviticus 16:29-30). So the year of release and return was announced on the day Israel's sins were atoned for. The New Testament likewise joins redemption to atonement: Christ entered God's presence through His own blood and obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12), and believers are redeemed and forgiven through His blood (Ephesians 1:7).
- Leviticus 25:9 (BSB)“Then you are to sound the horn far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. You shall sound it throughout your land.”The horn announcing the Jubilee is sounded on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement.
- Leviticus 16:29-30 (BSB)“This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you shall humble yourselves and not do any work—whether the native or the foreigner who resides among you— because on this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.”Shows that the tenth day of the seventh month was the day atonement was made to cleanse Israel from all their sins.
- Hebrews 9:12 (BSB)“He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.”Christ entered the Most Holy Place by His own blood and secured eternal redemption.
- Ephesians 1:7 (BSB)“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”Believers have redemption and the forgiveness of sins through Christ's blood.
Theological
On which day does Leviticus 25:9 set the sounding of the horn that inaugurates the Jubilee?
Answer: The Day of Atonement, day ten of month seven
The Jubilee is announced by the horn on the Day of Atonement, day ten of month seven (25:9), the day on which atonement was made to cleanse Israel from all their sins (Leviticus 16:29-30). The proclamation of release thus coincides with the annual cleansing of the nation. The New Testament likewise joins redemption to atonement: Christ entered the inner sanctuary through His own blood and obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12), and believers are redeemed and forgiven through His blood (Ephesians 1:7).
- Leviticus 25:9 (BSB)“Then you are to sound the horn far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. You shall sound it throughout your land.”The horn announcing the Jubilee is sounded on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement.
- Leviticus 16:29-30 (BSB)“This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you shall humble yourselves and not do any work—whether the native or the foreigner who resides among you— because on this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.”Shows that the tenth day of the seventh month was the day atonement was made to cleanse Israel from all their sins.
- Hebrews 9:12 (BSB)“He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.”Christ entered the Most Holy Place by His own blood and secured eternal redemption.
- Ephesians 1:7 (BSB)“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”Believers have redemption and the forgiveness of sins through Christ's blood.
General
What was proclaimed in the land in the Jubilee year, and what did each Israelite do (25:10, 13)?
Answer: Freedom was announced to all its residents, and each person went back to his family land and clan
In the fiftieth year Israel was to announce freedom throughout the land to everyone living in it, and each person was to go back to his family's land and his clan (25:10, 13). Debts of land and service did not last forever; the Jubilee restored families to the inheritance God had given them. Isaiah later describes the Servant of the LORD announcing freedom for captives and a season when the LORD shows favor (Isaiah 61:1-2), language that echoes this Jubilee theme of release. Jesus read that passage in the synagogue at Nazareth and announced that it was being fulfilled that day in Him (Luke 4:18-21). The Jubilee's release gives a picture of the greater freedom Christ brings to those bound by sin.
- Leviticus 25:10 (BSB)“So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan.”The fiftieth year is set apart, liberty is proclaimed, and each person returns to his property and clan.
- Leviticus 25:13 (BSB)“In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his own property.”The command to return to one's own property is repeated for the Jubilee year.
- Isaiah 61:1-2 (BSB)“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,”The Servant's mission to announce freedom for captives and the year of the LORD's favor uses language that echoes the Jubilee's release.
- Luke 4:18-21 (BSB)““The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””Jesus reads Isaiah's announcement of liberty and the year of the Lord's favor and declares it fulfilled that day.
Theological
What does Leviticus 25:10, 13 require to be proclaimed in the Jubilee, and with what result for each Israelite?
Answer: Liberty for all the land's residents, with each man restored to his ancestral holding and clan
The Jubilee proclaims liberty to all the land's inhabitants, and each Israelite is restored to his ancestral holding and clan (25:10, 13). Alienation of land and labor is thus limited, and families return to the inheritance God allotted them. Isaiah's Servant announces release for captives and a season when the LORD shows favor (Isaiah 61:1-2), language widely recognized as echoing the Jubilee, and Christ reads that text in the synagogue and declares its fulfillment in Himself (Luke 4:18-21). The Jubilee's release thus offers a picture of the liberty of the gospel.
- Leviticus 25:10 (BSB)“So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan.”The fiftieth year is set apart, liberty is proclaimed, and each person returns to his property and clan.
- Leviticus 25:13 (BSB)“In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his own property.”The command to return to one's own property is repeated for the Jubilee year.
- Isaiah 61:1-2 (BSB)“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,”The Servant's mission to announce freedom for captives and the year of the LORD's favor uses language that echoes the Jubilee's release.
- Luke 4:18-21 (BSB)““The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””Jesus reads Isaiah's announcement of liberty and the year of the Lord's favor and declares it fulfilled that day.
General
True or False: In the Jubilee year, Israel was allowed to plant new crops as long as they rested on the Sabbath days.
Answer: False
This is false. The fiftieth year was holy, and like the seventh year it was a year of no planting and no regular harvest; the people were to eat only what the fields produced on their own (25:11-12). This extends to the Jubilee the no-planting rule the earlier covenant law gave for the seventh year (Exodus 23:10-11). Going without planting took real trust in God to provide, the same trust Jesus calls for when He tells His followers not to worry about food but to seek God's kingdom first (Matthew 6:31-33).
- Leviticus 25:11-12 (BSB)“The fiftieth year will be a Jubilee for you; you are not to sow the land or reap its aftergrowth or harvest the untended vines. For it is a Jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You may eat only the crops taken directly from the field.”The Jubilee year, like the seventh year, is a year without sowing or harvesting; the people eat what the field produces on its own.
- Exodus 23:10-11 (BSB)“For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.”Shows the no-planting rule for the fallow seventh year, which the Jubilee year extends.
- Matthew 6:31-33 (BSB)“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”Jesus calls His people to trust their heavenly Father for food rather than worry, the same trust the rest years required.
Theological
True or False: Leviticus 25:11-12 permits sowing in the Jubilee year provided the weekly Sabbaths are observed.
Answer: False
This is false. The Jubilee is holy, and like the sabbatical year it forbids sowing and regular harvesting; Israel is to eat only what the field yields of itself (25:11-12). The prohibition extends the fallow-year law of Exodus 23:10-11. The rest years required a concrete trust in God's provision, the same trust Christ commends in calling His disciples to put the kingdom first rather than be anxious about food (Matthew 6:31-33).
- Leviticus 25:11-12 (BSB)“The fiftieth year will be a Jubilee for you; you are not to sow the land or reap its aftergrowth or harvest the untended vines. For it is a Jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You may eat only the crops taken directly from the field.”The Jubilee year, like the seventh year, is a year without sowing or harvesting; the people eat what the field produces on its own.
- Exodus 23:10-11 (BSB)“For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.”Shows the no-planting rule for the fallow seventh year, which the Jubilee year extends.
- Matthew 6:31-33 (BSB)“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”Jesus calls His people to trust their heavenly Father for food rather than worry, the same trust the rest years required.
General
If an Israelite became poor and sold some of his land, who could buy it back for him (25:25)?
Answer: His closest relative
If an Israelite fell into poverty and sold part of his land, his closest relative could step in and redeem it, meaning buy it back so it stayed in the family (25:25). This relative is often called a kinsman-redeemer. The Bible shows this law at work: Jeremiah bought his cousin's field because the right to buy it back was his (Jeremiah 32:7-8), and in the book of Ruth, Boaz is one of the family's kinsman-redeemers (Ruth 2:20) who deals with the redemption of Elimelech's land (Ruth 4:4-6). The kinsman-redeemer, a relative who pays to restore what was lost, gives a picture of Christ, who became our brother by taking on human flesh in order to redeem us.
- Leviticus 25:25 (BSB)“If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his nearest of kin may come and redeem what his brother has sold.”When a poor Israelite sells part of his property, his closest relative may buy it back for him.
- Jeremiah 32:7-8 (BSB)“Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’ Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’” Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.”Jeremiah buys his cousin's field because the right of redemption belongs to him as a relative.
- Ruth 2:20 (BSB)“Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our kinsman-redeemers.””Naomi identifies Boaz as one of the family's kinsman-redeemers.
- Ruth 4:4-6 (BSB)“I thought I should inform you that you may buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you will not redeem it, tell me so I may know, because there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.” “I will redeem it,” he replied. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi and also from Ruth the Moabitess, you must also acquire the widow of the deceased in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” The kinsman-redeemer replied, “I cannot redeem it myself, or I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I cannot redeem it.””The redemption of Elimelech's land is offered first to the nearer relative, following this family duty.
Theological
Who is authorized by Leviticus 25:25 to redeem land sold by an impoverished Israelite?
Answer: His nearest kinsman
When an impoverished Israelite sells part of his holding, his nearest kinsman is entitled to buy it back, preserving the family inheritance (25:25). The institution of the go'el appears in practice when Jeremiah redeems his cousin's field (Jeremiah 32:7-8) and when Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 2:20), takes up the redemption of Elimelech's land after the nearer kinsman declines (Ruth 4:4-6). The kinsman-redeemer provides a fitting type of Christ, who shared our flesh in order to redeem His people.
- Leviticus 25:25 (BSB)“If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his nearest of kin may come and redeem what his brother has sold.”When a poor Israelite sells part of his property, his closest relative may buy it back for him.
- Jeremiah 32:7-8 (BSB)“Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’ Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’” Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.”Jeremiah buys his cousin's field because the right of redemption belongs to him as a relative.
- Ruth 2:20 (BSB)“Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our kinsman-redeemers.””Naomi identifies Boaz as one of the family's kinsman-redeemers.
- Ruth 4:4-6 (BSB)“I thought I should inform you that you may buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you will not redeem it, tell me so I may know, because there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.” “I will redeem it,” he replied. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi and also from Ruth the Moabitess, you must also acquire the widow of the deceased in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” The kinsman-redeemer replied, “I cannot redeem it myself, or I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I cannot redeem it.””The redemption of Elimelech's land is offered first to the nearer relative, following this family duty.
General
What special rules applied to the Levites' houses and pastureland (25:32-34)?
Answer: They could buy back their town houses at any time, those houses went back to them at the Jubilee, and their grazing land could not be sold
The Levites, the tribe set apart to serve at God's sanctuary, received special protection. Their houses in their own cities could be redeemed at any time and had to return to them in the Jubilee, unlike other houses in walled cities, because those houses were their own holding among the Israelites (25:32-33). The grazing land surrounding their towns could not be sold at all, since it was their permanent possession (25:34). God had commanded that the Levites be given cities and pastureland (Numbers 35:2-3) because, unlike the other tribes, they received no large land inheritance; the LORD Himself was their inheritance (Deuteronomy 18:1-2).
- Leviticus 25:32-34 (BSB)“As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the cities they possess. So whatever belongs to the Levites may be redeemed—a house sold in a city they possess—and must be released in the Jubilee, because the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the Israelites. But the open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for this is their permanent possession.”Levites may always redeem their houses in their cities, those houses return in the Jubilee, and their pastureland may never be sold.
- Numbers 35:2-3 (BSB)““Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.”God commands Israel to give the Levites cities to live in with pasturelands around them.
- Deuteronomy 18:1-2 (BSB)“The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.”The Levites had no tribal land inheritance; the LORD Himself was their inheritance.
Theological
What exceptions does Leviticus 25:32-34 make for Levitical property?
Answer: A perpetual right of redemption for their city houses, reversion in the Jubilee, and inalienable pastureland
Levitical property is exempted from the walled-city rule: Levites retain a perpetual right to redeem houses in their cities, and such houses revert at the Jubilee, since they constitute the Levites' possession among Israel (25:32-33); the common grazing land around their towns is wholly inalienable, being their perpetual holding (25:34). The provision presupposes the allotment of Levitical cities with pasturelands (Numbers 35:2-3) and the fact that Levi received no tribal inheritance, the LORD being their portion (Deuteronomy 18:1-2).
- Leviticus 25:32-34 (BSB)“As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the cities they possess. So whatever belongs to the Levites may be redeemed—a house sold in a city they possess—and must be released in the Jubilee, because the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the Israelites. But the open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for this is their permanent possession.”Levites may always redeem their houses in their cities, those houses return in the Jubilee, and their pastureland may never be sold.
- Numbers 35:2-3 (BSB)““Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.”God commands Israel to give the Levites cities to live in with pasturelands around them.
- Deuteronomy 18:1-2 (BSB)“The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.”The Levites had no tribal land inheritance; the LORD Himself was their inheritance.
General
How were Israelites to treat a fellow Israelite who became poor and could not support himself (25:35-38)?
Answer: Help him, and lend money and sell food to him without charging interest or making a profit
When a fellow Israelite became too poor to support himself, the others were to help him, just as they would help a foreigner living among them, so that he could go on living in the community (25:35). They were not to collect interest on a loan to him or make a profit on food sold to him, but to fear God (25:36-37). The reason is God's own grace: He had brought them out of Egypt, given them the land, and pledged to be their God (25:38). The earlier law also forbade charging interest to the poor (Exodus 22:25), and the psalmist describes the one who may dwell with God as lending without interest (Psalm 15:5). Jesus calls His followers to the same generosity, lending without expecting anything back (Luke 6:35).
- Leviticus 25:35-38 (BSB)“Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.”A struggling Israelite is to be supported, not charged interest or sold food at profit, because God redeemed Israel from Egypt.
- Exodus 22:25 (BSB)“If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.”The earlier covenant law likewise forbids charging interest to a poor fellow Israelite.
- Psalm 15:5 (BSB)“who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.”The one who may dwell with God lends without interest.
- Luke 6:35 (BSB)“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”Jesus calls His followers to lend expecting nothing back, imitating God's kindness.
Theological
What does Leviticus 25:35-38 require toward an Israelite who has become destitute?
Answer: Support without charging him interest on money or profit on food
The impoverished Israelite is to be upheld as one would a sojourner, enabling him to continue living in the community (25:35); he may be charged neither interest on money nor profit on food (25:36-37). The command is grounded in redemption: the LORD who delivered Israel from Egypt, gave them Canaan, and pledged to be their God (25:38). The prohibition of interest to the poor restates Exodus 22:25, the righteous man of Psalm 15:5 lends without interest, and Christ deepens the ethic by commanding His disciples to lend without expecting repayment (Luke 6:35).
- Leviticus 25:35-38 (BSB)“Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.”A struggling Israelite is to be supported, not charged interest or sold food at profit, because God redeemed Israel from Egypt.
- Exodus 22:25 (BSB)“If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.”The earlier covenant law likewise forbids charging interest to a poor fellow Israelite.
- Psalm 15:5 (BSB)“who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.”The one who may dwell with God lends without interest.
- Luke 6:35 (BSB)“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”Jesus calls His followers to lend expecting nothing back, imitating God's kindness.
General
What did God promise if Israel kept His statutes and judgments (25:18-19)?
Answer: That they would live safely in the land and it would give them plenty to eat
God promised that if Israel kept His statutes and judgments, they would live safely in the land, and the land would produce enough for them to eat their fill (25:18-19). These are covenant blessings, promises God made to the nation of Israel for their life in the land He gave them. The next chapter spells out the same promise of good harvests and secure living (Leviticus 26:3-5), and Moses likewise speaks of God giving His people rest and safety (Deuteronomy 12:10). These blessings came from the God who had already redeemed Israel; obedience was the grateful response of a people He had made His own.
- Leviticus 25:18-19 (BSB)“You are to keep My statutes and carefully observe My judgments, so that you may dwell securely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, so that you can eat your fill and dwell in safety in the land.”God promises that if Israel keeps His statutes and judgments, they will live securely and the land will give them plenty.
- Leviticus 26:3-5 (BSB)“If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments, I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Your threshing will continue until the grape harvest, and the grape harvest will continue until sowing time; you will have your fill of food to eat and will dwell securely in your land.”The covenant blessings of the next chapter repeat the promise of abundant produce and secure dwelling for obedience.
- Deuteronomy 12:10 (BSB)“When you cross the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all the enemies around you and you dwell securely,”Moses promises that God will give Israel rest from their enemies so that they live in safety.
Theological
What covenant promise is attached to Israel's keeping of God's statutes and judgments in Leviticus 25:18-19?
Answer: Secure dwelling in the land and abundant produce
Obedience to God's statutes and judgments is attached to secure dwelling and abundant produce in the land (25:18-19). These are national covenant blessings tied to Israel's tenure in Canaan, elaborated in Leviticus 26:3-5 and echoed in the promise of rest and safety in Deuteronomy 12:10. They presuppose a people already redeemed and brought into covenant, so that obedience is the response to grace rather than its ground.
- Leviticus 25:18-19 (BSB)“You are to keep My statutes and carefully observe My judgments, so that you may dwell securely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, so that you can eat your fill and dwell in safety in the land.”God promises that if Israel keeps His statutes and judgments, they will live securely and the land will give them plenty.
- Leviticus 26:3-5 (BSB)“If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments, I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Your threshing will continue until the grape harvest, and the grape harvest will continue until sowing time; you will have your fill of food to eat and will dwell securely in your land.”The covenant blessings of the next chapter repeat the promise of abundant produce and secure dwelling for obedience.
- Deuteronomy 12:10 (BSB)“When you cross the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all the enemies around you and you dwell securely,”Moses promises that God will give Israel rest from their enemies so that they live in safety.
General
How was the price of land set when an Israelite sold it to a neighbor (25:14-17)?
Answer: By how many harvests remained until the next Jubilee
Because land went back to its family in the Jubilee, a sale was really the sale of a certain number of harvests. The price went up if many years remained before the Jubilee and down if few remained (25:15-16). Both sides were told not to cheat one another but to fear God (25:14, 17). This fits God's broader command not to defraud a neighbor (Leviticus 19:13) and His delight in honest measures (Proverbs 11:1).
- Leviticus 25:14-17 (BSB)“If you make a sale to your neighbor or a purchase from him, you must not take advantage of each other. You are to buy from your neighbor according to the number of years since the last Jubilee; he is to sell to you according to the number of harvest years remaining. You shall increase the price in proportion to a greater number of years, or decrease it in proportion to a lesser number of years; for he is selling you a given number of harvests. Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.”Land sales are priced by the number of harvests left before the Jubilee, and neither side may take advantage of the other.
- Leviticus 19:13 (BSB)“You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.”Another law in Leviticus forbids defrauding or robbing a neighbor.
- Proverbs 11:1 (BSB)“Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.”God hates dishonest dealing and delights in accurate, fair measures.
Theological
On what basis does Leviticus 25:14-17 fix the price of land sold between Israelites?
Answer: How many harvest seasons remained before the Jubilee
Since the land reverts in the Jubilee, what is sold is not the land itself but its produce for the years that remain: the price rises or falls with the number of harvests left (25:15-16). Both parties are forbidden to wrong one another and are summoned to fear God (25:14, 17). The regulation applies the Levitical prohibition of defrauding a neighbor (Leviticus 19:13) and the wisdom principle that God abhors dishonest measures (Proverbs 11:1).
- Leviticus 25:14-17 (BSB)“If you make a sale to your neighbor or a purchase from him, you must not take advantage of each other. You are to buy from your neighbor according to the number of years since the last Jubilee; he is to sell to you according to the number of harvest years remaining. You shall increase the price in proportion to a greater number of years, or decrease it in proportion to a lesser number of years; for he is selling you a given number of harvests. Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.”Land sales are priced by the number of harvests left before the Jubilee, and neither side may take advantage of the other.
- Leviticus 19:13 (BSB)“You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.”Another law in Leviticus forbids defrauding or robbing a neighbor.
- Proverbs 11:1 (BSB)“Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.”God hates dishonest dealing and delights in accurate, fair measures.
General
If an Israelite sold himself to a wealthy foreigner living in Israel, how could he be set free before the Jubilee (25:47-52)?
Answer: A relative could redeem him, or he could redeem himself, at a price based on the years left until the Jubilee
Such a man could still be bought back. One of his relatives, such as an uncle, a cousin, or another close family member, could redeem him, meaning pay to set him free, or he could redeem himself if he prospered (25:48-49). The price was figured by the years remaining until the Jubilee, based on a hired worker's wages (25:50-52). A relative paying to free a family member gives a fitting picture of Christ's work. God's Son took on our flesh and blood so He could free those kept in bondage by the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15); He came under the law in order to buy freedom for those under it (Galatians 4:4-5); and the price He paid was not silver or gold but His own precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).
- Leviticus 25:47-52 (BSB)“If a foreigner residing among you prospers, but your countryman dwelling near him becomes destitute and sells himself to the foreigner or to a member of his clan, he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his brothers may redeem him: either his uncle or cousin or any close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. He and his purchaser will then count the time from the year he sold himself up to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale will be determined by the number of years, based on the daily wages of a hired hand. If many years remain, he must pay for his redemption in proportion to his purchase price. If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he is to calculate and pay his redemption according to his remaining years.”An Israelite who sells himself to a foreigner keeps the right of redemption by a relative or by himself, at a price based on the years left until the Jubilee.
- Galatians 4:4-5 (BSB)“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.”God sent His Son, born under the law, to redeem those under the law so that they might be adopted as sons.
- Hebrews 2:14-15 (BSB)“Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”Christ shared our flesh and blood so that by His death He could free those held in slavery by the fear of death.
- 1 Peter 1:18-19 (BSB)“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.”Believers were redeemed not with silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ.
Theological
By what means could an Israelite who sold himself to a foreign resident be redeemed before the Jubilee according to Leviticus 25:47-52?
Answer: By a near kinsman or by himself, at a price prorated to the years remaining until the Jubilee
The Israelite who sells himself to a resident foreigner may still be redeemed: a kinsman, whether brother, uncle, cousin, or other near relative, may buy his freedom, or he may buy his own if he prospers (25:48-49), with the price calculated by the years remaining to the Jubilee at a hired worker's rate (25:50-52). The kinsman-redeemer here offers a type of Christ, who took on flesh and blood to deliver those held in bondage by the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15), came under the law in order to buy freedom for those under it (Galatians 4:4-5), and paid the ransom not with silver or gold but with His own precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).
- Leviticus 25:47-52 (BSB)“If a foreigner residing among you prospers, but your countryman dwelling near him becomes destitute and sells himself to the foreigner or to a member of his clan, he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his brothers may redeem him: either his uncle or cousin or any close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. He and his purchaser will then count the time from the year he sold himself up to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale will be determined by the number of years, based on the daily wages of a hired hand. If many years remain, he must pay for his redemption in proportion to his purchase price. If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he is to calculate and pay his redemption according to his remaining years.”An Israelite who sells himself to a foreigner keeps the right of redemption by a relative or by himself, at a price based on the years left until the Jubilee.
- Galatians 4:4-5 (BSB)“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.”God sent His Son, born under the law, to redeem those under the law so that they might be adopted as sons.
- Hebrews 2:14-15 (BSB)“Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”Christ shared our flesh and blood so that by His death He could free those held in slavery by the fear of death.
- 1 Peter 1:18-19 (BSB)“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.”Believers were redeemed not with silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ.
General
True or False: During the seventh-year rest, whatever the land produced on its own was reserved for the landowner's family alone.
Answer: False
This is false. Whatever grew by itself during the rest year was food not only for the owner but also for his male and female servants, hired workers, foreigners living with him, his livestock, and even the wild animals (25:6-7). The earlier law says the same thing: needy people and wild creatures were to eat from the resting field (Exodus 23:11). This fits the wider concern in Leviticus for leaving food for needy people and outsiders at harvest time (Leviticus 19:10). The land's rest year was a gift of God shared with the whole community.
- Leviticus 25:6-7 (BSB)“Whatever the land yields during the Sabbath year shall be food for you—for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, the hired hand or foreigner who stays with you, and for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. All its growth may serve as food.”What grows on its own during the rest year is food for the whole household, including servants, hired workers, foreigners, and animals.
- Exodus 23:11 (BSB)“but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.”The earlier fallow-year law says the poor and the wild animals are to eat from the resting field.
- Leviticus 19:10 (BSB)“You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”Another law in Leviticus likewise leaves part of the harvest for the poor and the foreigner.
Theological
True or False: In the sabbatical year, the land's spontaneous yield was restricted to the owner's immediate family.
Answer: False
This is false. The spontaneous growth of the sabbatical year was to feed the owner, his male and female servants, hired workers, resident foreigners, livestock, and wild animals alike (25:6-7). Exodus 23:11 makes the same provision for the needy and the beasts of the field, and it matches the gleaning law's provision for the needy and the sojourner (Leviticus 19:10). The rest year was thus a common provision under God's hand, not private surplus.
- Leviticus 25:6-7 (BSB)“Whatever the land yields during the Sabbath year shall be food for you—for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, the hired hand or foreigner who stays with you, and for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. All its growth may serve as food.”What grows on its own during the rest year is food for the whole household, including servants, hired workers, foreigners, and animals.
- Exodus 23:11 (BSB)“but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.”The earlier fallow-year law says the poor and the wild animals are to eat from the resting field.
- Leviticus 19:10 (BSB)“You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”Another law in Leviticus likewise leaves part of the harvest for the poor and the foreigner.
General
What did God command Israel to do with their fields every seventh year (25:2-5)?
Answer: Leave the land at rest, with no planting or vine-trimming
After six years of planting fields and tending vineyards, Israel was to give the land a full year of rest in year seven, a Sabbath (a holy day or season of rest set apart for God) belonging to the LORD (25:2-4). They were not to plant, trim the vines, or gather the regular harvest (25:4-5). The same pattern of six years of work and a fallow seventh year appears in the earlier covenant law (Exodus 23:10-11). Scripture later describes the land lying at rest through all the years it stayed desolate during the exile (2 Chronicles 36:21). The rest year reminded Israel that the ground they farmed was the LORD's and that their life depended on Him, not on nonstop labor.
- Leviticus 25:2-5 (BSB)““Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD. For six years you may sow your field and prune your vineyard and gather its crops. But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD. You are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard. You are not to reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vines. The land must have a year of complete rest.”God commands that every seventh year the land itself is to rest, with no sowing, pruning, or regular harvest.
- Exodus 23:10-11 (BSB)“For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.”The earlier covenant law already set this pattern of six years of farming followed by a fallow seventh year.
- 2 Chronicles 36:21 (BSB)“So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah.”Later history describes the land resting through the years it lay desolate during the exile.
Theological
What does Leviticus 25:2-5 require of Israel's agricultural land every seventh year?
Answer: A year of total rest with no planting or vine-trimming
The sabbatical year extends the weekly Sabbath principle to the land: after six years of planting and tending vines, the seventh year belongs to the LORD as a rest in which there is no planting, trimming, or regular harvesting (25:2-5). The legislation restates the fallow-year law of the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 23:10-11), and the Chronicler describes the land resting through the years of its desolation in the exile (2 Chronicles 36:21). The command confesses God's ownership of the land and Israel's dependence on His provision rather than on uninterrupted labor.
- Leviticus 25:2-5 (BSB)““Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD. For six years you may sow your field and prune your vineyard and gather its crops. But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD. You are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard. You are not to reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vines. The land must have a year of complete rest.”God commands that every seventh year the land itself is to rest, with no sowing, pruning, or regular harvest.
- Exodus 23:10-11 (BSB)“For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.”The earlier covenant law already set this pattern of six years of farming followed by a fallow seventh year.
- 2 Chronicles 36:21 (BSB)“So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah.”Later history describes the land resting through the years it lay desolate during the exile.
General
How did God answer the question of what Israel would eat during year seven, when no crops were planted (25:20-22)?
Answer: He promised to bless the sixth year's harvest so richly that it would last three years
God expected Israel to wonder how they would eat in a year with no planting. His answer was a promise: He would bless the sixth-year harvest so richly that it would provide enough for three years, carrying them through the rest year until the new harvest came in (25:20-22). This is the same kind of provision God gave in the wilderness, when His people gathered a double portion of manna on day six, food for two days so they could rest (Exodus 16:22, 29). Jesus teaches the same trust: we need not worry about what we will eat, because our heavenly Father knows what we need (Matthew 6:31-33).
- Leviticus 25:20-22 (BSB)“Now you may wonder, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not sow or gather our produce?’ But I will send My blessing upon you in the sixth year, so that the land will yield a crop sufficient for three years. While you are sowing in the eighth year, you will be eating from the previous harvest, until the ninth year’s harvest comes in.”God answers the worry about food by promising a sixth-year harvest large enough to last three years.
- Exodus 16:22 (BSB)“On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food—two omers per person—and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported this to Moses.”On the sixth day the Israelites gathered twice as much manna, two omers per person.
- Exodus 16:29 (BSB)“Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He will give you bread for two days. On the seventh day, everyone must stay where he is; no one may leave his place.””God explains that He gave bread for two days on the sixth day because He had given them the Sabbath.
- Matthew 6:31-33 (BSB)“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”Jesus tells His followers not to worry about what they will eat, because their Father knows their needs.
Theological
How does God answer the anticipated objection about food during the sabbatical year in Leviticus 25:20-22?
Answer: By promising a sixth-year blessing yielding enough for three years
God anticipates the objection and answers with a promise: He will bless the sixth-year crop so that it suffices for three years, sustaining Israel through the fallow year until the new crop (25:20-22). The provision parallels the double manna on day six that made Sabbath rest possible (Exodus 16:22, 29). Obedience to the rest year thus rested on trust in God's providence, the same trust Christ enjoins when He forbids anxiety about food and directs His disciples to put the kingdom first (Matthew 6:31-33).
- Leviticus 25:20-22 (BSB)“Now you may wonder, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not sow or gather our produce?’ But I will send My blessing upon you in the sixth year, so that the land will yield a crop sufficient for three years. While you are sowing in the eighth year, you will be eating from the previous harvest, until the ninth year’s harvest comes in.”God answers the worry about food by promising a sixth-year harvest large enough to last three years.
- Exodus 16:22 (BSB)“On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food—two omers per person—and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported this to Moses.”On the sixth day the Israelites gathered twice as much manna, two omers per person.
- Exodus 16:29 (BSB)“Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He will give you bread for two days. On the seventh day, everyone must stay where he is; no one may leave his place.””God explains that He gave bread for two days on the sixth day because He had given them the Sabbath.
- Matthew 6:31-33 (BSB)“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”Jesus tells His followers not to worry about what they will eat, because their Father knows their needs.
General
Why does God forbid permanent sale of the land (25:23-24)?
Answer: Because the land belongs to Him, and Israel lives on it as His sojourning tenants
God forbade permanent sale of the land because the land was His; the Israelites lived on it as foreigners and residents in His presence (25:23). For that reason every sale had to allow the land to be bought back (25:24). The whole earth belongs to the LORD (Psalm 24:1), and Israel held its land as a trust from Him. Naboth's refusal to sell his family's inheritance even to King Ahab shows this law taken seriously (1 Kings 21:3). The patriarchs likewise confessed that they were foreigners and exiles in this world (Hebrews 11:13), a pilgrim identity all believers share.
- Leviticus 25:23-24 (BSB)“The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and residents with Me. Thus for every piece of property you possess, you must provide for the redemption of the land.”The land may not be sold for all time, because it belongs to God; Israel lives on it as foreigners and residents with Him.
- Psalm 24:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.”The whole earth and everything in it belongs to the LORD.
- 1 Kings 21:3 (BSB)“But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.””Naboth refuses to sell his family inheritance even to the king, reflecting this law.
- Hebrews 11:13 (BSB)“All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”The patriarchs, dying in faith, acknowledged that they were foreigners and exiles in this world.
Theological
What reason does Leviticus 25:23-24 give for the prohibition on permanent sale of land?
Answer: The LORD owns the land, and Israel holds it as His sojourning tenants
The prohibition rests on divine ownership: the LORD owns the land, and Israel holds it as sojourners and resident tenants with Him (25:23), so every holding must remain redeemable (25:24). The principle reflects God's universal ownership (Psalm 24:1) and underlies Naboth's refusal to alienate his patrimony (1 Kings 21:3). It also shapes the self-understanding of God's people, who, like the patriarchs, confess themselves foreigners and exiles in this world (Hebrews 11:13).
- Leviticus 25:23-24 (BSB)“The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and residents with Me. Thus for every piece of property you possess, you must provide for the redemption of the land.”The land may not be sold for all time, because it belongs to God; Israel lives on it as foreigners and residents with Him.
- Psalm 24:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.”The whole earth and everything in it belongs to the LORD.
- 1 Kings 21:3 (BSB)“But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.””Naboth refuses to sell his family inheritance even to the king, reflecting this law.
- Hebrews 11:13 (BSB)“All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”The patriarchs, dying in faith, acknowledged that they were foreigners and exiles in this world.
General
True or False: If a poor Israelite who sold his land could never afford to buy it back and had no relative to do so, the land stayed with the buyer only until the Jubilee, when it was returned to him.
Answer: True
This is true. A seller who later prospered could redeem his own land by working out the years since the sale and repaying the rest of the price (25:26-27). If he never had enough, the buyer kept the land only until the Jubilee; then it was released and the original owner went back to his property (25:28). The same principle appears in the law of vows, where a field returns to its original owner in the Jubilee (Leviticus 27:24). Elsewhere the law shows the same concern that each Israelite keep the inheritance of his fathers (Numbers 36:7).
- Leviticus 25:26-28 (BSB)“Or if a man has no one to redeem it for him, but he prospers and acquires enough to redeem his land, he shall calculate the years since its sale, repay the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and return to his property. But if he cannot obtain enough to repay him, what he sold will remain in possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. In the Jubilee, however, it is to be released, so that he may return to his property.”A seller who later prospers may redeem his land by repaying the balance; if not, the land returns to him in the Jubilee.
- Leviticus 27:24 (BSB)“In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom it was bought—the original owner of the land.”The vow law repeats that in the Jubilee a field returns to the original owner.
- Numbers 36:7 (BSB)“No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.”Each Israelite was to keep the inheritance of his fathers' tribe; no inheritance was to pass from one tribe to another.
Theological
True or False: Under Leviticus 25:26-28, land that neither the seller nor a kinsman could redeem remained with the buyer only until the Jubilee, when it reverted to the seller.
Answer: True
This is true. The seller who later prospers may redeem his land by calculating the years since the sale and refunding the balance (25:26-27); failing that, the land stays with the buyer only until the Jubilee, when it is released and the seller returns to his holding (25:28). The same reversion principle governs dedicated fields (Leviticus 27:24), and it serves the wider aim that each Israelite keep his fathers' tribal inheritance (Numbers 36:7).
- Leviticus 25:26-28 (BSB)“Or if a man has no one to redeem it for him, but he prospers and acquires enough to redeem his land, he shall calculate the years since its sale, repay the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and return to his property. But if he cannot obtain enough to repay him, what he sold will remain in possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. In the Jubilee, however, it is to be released, so that he may return to his property.”A seller who later prospers may redeem his land by repaying the balance; if not, the land returns to him in the Jubilee.
- Leviticus 27:24 (BSB)“In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom it was bought—the original owner of the land.”The vow law repeats that in the Jubilee a field returns to the original owner.
- Numbers 36:7 (BSB)“No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.”Each Israelite was to keep the inheritance of his fathers' tribe; no inheritance was to pass from one tribe to another.
General
True or False: Houses in villages without walls were treated like farmland, so they could be redeemed and went back to the owner at the Jubilee.
Answer: True
This is true. Unlike houses in walled cities, houses in unwalled villages were counted as part of the open countryside. They could be redeemed at any time and had to go back to the owner at the Jubilee (25:31). Village houses belonged with the farmland families lived on, so they shared its protection. The prophets later condemned people who grabbed up houses and fields and robbed families of their inheritance (Micah 2:2; Isaiah 5:8), the very injustice these laws were meant to prevent.
- Leviticus 25:31 (BSB)“But houses in villages with no walls around them are to be considered as open fields. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.”Houses in unwalled villages are counted like open fields: they may be redeemed and are released in the Jubilee.
- Micah 2:2 (BSB)“They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.”The prophet condemns those who seize fields and houses and rob a man of his inheritance, the very thing these laws guarded against.
- Isaiah 5:8 (BSB)“Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land.”Isaiah pronounces woe on those who keep buying up house after house and field after field.
Theological
True or False: Leviticus 25:31 classes houses in unwalled villages with the open fields, so that they remain redeemable and revert in the Jubilee.
Answer: True
This is true. Houses in unwalled villages are reckoned with the open fields: they remain redeemable and revert in the Jubilee (25:31), in contrast to houses in walled cities (25:29-30). Village dwellings belonged to the agrarian patrimony the Jubilee protected. The prophets later denounced the accumulation of houses and fields that dispossessed families of their inheritance (Micah 2:2; Isaiah 5:8), the very injustice this legislation was designed to restrain.
- Leviticus 25:31 (BSB)“But houses in villages with no walls around them are to be considered as open fields. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.”Houses in unwalled villages are counted like open fields: they may be redeemed and are released in the Jubilee.
- Micah 2:2 (BSB)“They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.”The prophet condemns those who seize fields and houses and rob a man of his inheritance, the very thing these laws guarded against.
- Isaiah 5:8 (BSB)“Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land.”Isaiah pronounces woe on those who keep buying up house after house and field after field.
General
What was the rule for a house sold inside a walled city (25:29-30)?
Answer: It could be bought back only within one full year; after that it belonged permanently to the buyer
A dwelling inside a city with walls followed a different rule from farmland. The seller had one full year after the sale to redeem it, meaning buy it back. If he did not, the house became the property of the buyer's family for good, and it was not returned at the Jubilee (25:29-30). The law elsewhere insists that each Israelite keep the inheritance of his fathers (Numbers 36:7), the kind of ancestral land Naboth refused to give up (1 Kings 21:3). The difference fits the Jubilee's main concern with that family farmland, which a house inside a walled town was not.
- Leviticus 25:29-30 (BSB)“If a man sells a house in a walled city, he retains his right of redemption until a full year after its sale; during that year it may be redeemed. If it is not redeemed by the end of a full year, then the house in the walled city is permanently transferred to its buyer and his descendants. It is not to be released in the Jubilee.”A house in a walled city can be redeemed only within a full year after its sale; after that it belongs permanently to the buyer.
- Numbers 36:7 (BSB)“No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.”Each Israelite was to keep the inheritance of his fathers' tribe; no inheritance was to pass from one tribe to another.
- 1 Kings 21:3 (BSB)“But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.””Naboth's vineyard shows the kind of ancestral inheritance the Jubilee laws especially guarded.
Theological
What redemption rule governs a dwelling sold within a walled city under Leviticus 25:29-30?
Answer: Redeemable for one full year, then permanently transferred to the buyer
A dwelling inside a city with walls may be redeemed only within one full year of sale; after that it passes permanently to the buyer's family and does not revert in the Jubilee (25:29-30). The distinction fits the Jubilee's focus on the ancestral inheritance each Israelite was to retain (Numbers 36:7), the kind of land Naboth would not surrender (1 Kings 21:3); urban dwellings stood outside that agricultural patrimony.
- Leviticus 25:29-30 (BSB)“If a man sells a house in a walled city, he retains his right of redemption until a full year after its sale; during that year it may be redeemed. If it is not redeemed by the end of a full year, then the house in the walled city is permanently transferred to its buyer and his descendants. It is not to be released in the Jubilee.”A house in a walled city can be redeemed only within a full year after its sale; after that it belongs permanently to the buyer.
- Numbers 36:7 (BSB)“No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.”Each Israelite was to keep the inheritance of his fathers' tribe; no inheritance was to pass from one tribe to another.
- 1 Kings 21:3 (BSB)“But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.””Naboth's vineyard shows the kind of ancestral inheritance the Jubilee laws especially guarded.