36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
38 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee.
41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
42 For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.
43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor; but shalt fear thy God.
44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.
46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor.
36 Take H3947 thou no usury H5392 of him, or increase: H8636 but fear H3372 thy God; H430 that thy brother H251 may live H2416 with thee.
37 Thou shalt not give H5414 him thy money H3701 upon usury, H5392 nor lend H5414 him thy victuals H400 for increase. H4768
38 I am the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which brought you forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 to give H5414 you the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 and to be your God. H430
39 And if thy brother H251 that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, H4134 and be sold H4376 unto thee; thou shalt not compel H5647 him to serve H5656 as a bondservant: H5650
40 But as an hired servant, H7916 and as a sojourner, H8453 he shall be with thee, and shall serve H5647 thee unto the year H8141 of jubile: H3104
41 And then shall he depart H3318 from thee, both he and his children H1121 with him, and shall return H7725 unto his own family, H4940 and unto the possession H272 of his fathers H1 shall he return. H7725
42 For they are my servants, H5650 which I brought forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 they shall not be sold H4376 as H4466 bondmen. H5650
43 Thou shalt not rule H7287 over him with rigour; H6531 but shalt fear H3372 thy God. H430
44 Both thy bondmen, H5650 and thy bondmaids, H519 which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen H1471 that are round about H5439 you; of them shall ye buy H7069 bondmen H5650 and bondmaids. H519
45 Moreover of the children H1121 of the strangers H8453 that do sojourn H1481 among you, of them shall ye buy, H7069 and of their families H4940 that are with you, which they begat H3205 in your land: H776 and they shall be your possession. H272
46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance H5157 for your children H1121 after H310 you, to inherit H3423 them for a possession; H272 they shall be your bondmen H5647 for ever: H5769 but over your brethren H251 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 ye shall not rule H7287 one H376 over another H251 with rigour. H6531
36 Take thou no interest of him or increase, but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor give him thy victuals for increase.
38 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, `and' to be your God.
39 And if thy brother be waxed poor with thee, and sell himself unto thee; thou shalt not make him to serve as a bond-servant.
40 As a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee; he shall serve with thee unto the year of jubilee:
41 then shall he go out from thee, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
42 For they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.
43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear thy God.
44 And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whom thou shalt have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they have begotten in your land: and they shall be your possession.
46 And ye shall make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession; of them shall ye take your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule, one over another, with rigor.
36 thou takest no usury from him, or increase; and thou hast been afraid of thy God; and thy brother hath lived with thee;
37 thy money thou givest not to him in usury, and for increase thou givest not thy food;
38 I `am' Jehovah your God, who hath brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give to you the land of Canaan, to become your God.
39 `And when thy brother becometh poor with thee, and he hath been sold to thee, thou dost not lay on him servile service;
40 as an hireling, as a settler, he is with thee, till the year of the jubilee he doth serve with thee, --
41 then he hath gone out from thee, he and his sons with him, and hath turned back unto his family; even unto the possession of his fathers he doth turn back.
42 `For they `are' My servants, whom I have brought out from the land of Egypt: they are not sold `with' the sale of a servant;
43 thou rulest not over him with rigour, and thou hast been afraid of thy God.
44 `And thy man-servant and thy handmaid whom thou hast `are' of the nations who `are' round about you; of them ye buy man-servant and handmaid,
45 and also of the sons of the settlers who are sojourning with you, of them ye buy, and of their families who `are' with you, which they have begotten in your land, and they have been to you for a possession;
46 and ye have taken them for inheritance to your sons after you, to occupy `for' a possession; to the age ye lay service upon them, but upon your brethren, the sons of Israel, one with another, thou dost not rule over him with rigour.
36 Thou shalt take no usury nor increase of him; and thou shalt fear thy God; that thy brother may live beside thee.
37 Thy money shalt thou not give him upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
38 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God.
39 And if thy brother grow poor beside thee, and be sold unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
40 as a hired servant, as a sojourner, shall he be with thee; until the year of jubilee shall he serve thee.
41 Then shall he depart from thee, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
42 For they are my bondmen, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as [men] sell bondmen.
43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; and thou shalt fear thy God.
44 And as for thy bondman and thy handmaid whom thou shalt have -- of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and handmaids.
45 Moreover of the children of them that dwell as sojourners with you, of them may ye buy, and of their family that is with you, which they beget in your land, and they shall be your possession.
46 And ye shall leave them as an inheritance to your children after you, to inherit them as a possession: these may ye make your bondmen for ever; but as for your brethren, the children of Israel, ye shall not rule over one another with rigour.
36 Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live among you.
37 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.
38 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
39 "'If your brother has grown poor among you, and sells himself to you; you shall not make him to serve as a slave.
40 As a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee:
41 then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and shall return to his own family, and to the possession of his fathers.
42 For they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. They shall not be sold as slaves.
43 You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your God.
44 "'As for your male and your female slaves, whom you may have; of the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.
45 Moreover of the children of the strangers who sojourn among you, of them you may buy, and of their families who are with you, which they have conceived in your land; and they will be your property.
46 You may make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession; of them may you take your slaves forever: but over your brothers the children of Israel you shall not rule, one over another, with harshness.
36 Take no interest from him, in money or in goods, but have the fear of your God before you, and let your brother make a living among you.
37 Do not take interest on the money which you let him have or on the food which you give him.
38 I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, that I might be your God.
39 And if your brother becomes poor and gives himself to you for money, do not make use of him like a servant who is your property;
40 But let him be with you as a servant working for payment, till the year of Jubilee;
41 Then he will go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his family and to the property of his fathers.
42 For they are my servants whom I took out from the land of Egypt; they may not become the property of another.
43 Do not be a hard master to him, but have the fear of God before you.
44 But you may get servants as property from among the nations round about; from them you may take men-servants and women-servants.
45 And in addition, you may get, for money, servants from among the children of other nations who are living with you, and from their families which have come to birth in your land; and these will be your property.
46 And they will be your children's heritage after you, to keep as their property; they will be your servants for ever; but you may not be hard masters to your countrymen, the children of Israel.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 25
Commentary on Leviticus 25 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 25
Le 25:1-7. Sabbath of the Seventh Year.
2-4. When ye come into the land which I give you—It has been questioned on what year, after the occupation of Canaan, the sabbatic year began to be observed. Some think it was the seventh year after their entrance. But others, considering that as the first six years were spent in the conquest and division of the land (Jos 5:12), and that the sabbatical year was to be observed after six years of agriculture, maintain that the observance did not commence till the fourteenth year.
the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord—This was a very peculiar arrangement. Not only all agricultural processes were to be intermitted every seventh year, but the cultivators had no right to the soil. It lay entirely fallow, and its spontaneous produce was the common property of the poor and the stranger, the cattle and game. This year of rest was to invigorate the productive powers of the land, as the weekly Sabbath was a refreshment to men and cattle. It commenced immediately after the feast of ingathering, and it was calculated to teach the people, in a remarkable manner, the reality of the presence and providential power of God.
Le 25:8-23. The Jubilee.
8-11. thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years—This most extraordinary of all civil institutions, which received the name of "Jubilee" from a Hebrew word signifying a musical instrument, a horn or trumpet, began on the tenth day of the seventh month, or the great day of atonement, when, by order of the public authorities, the sound of trumpets proclaimed the beginning of the universal redemption. All prisoners and captives obtained their liberties, slaves were declared free, and debtors were absolved. The land, as on the sabbatic year, was neither sowed nor reaped, but allowed to enjoy with its inhabitants a sabbath of repose; and its natural produce was the common property of all. Moreover, every inheritance throughout the land of Judea was restored to its original owner.
10. ye shall hallow the fiftieth year—Much difference of opinion exists as to whether the jubilee was observed on the forty-ninth, or, in round numbers, it is called the fiftieth. The prevailing opinion, both in ancient and modern times, has been in favor of the latter.
12. ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field, &c.—All that the ground yielded spontaneously during that period might be eaten for their necessary subsistence, but no persons were at liberty to hoard or form a private stock in reserve.
13. ye shall return every man unto his possession, &c.—Inheritances, from whatever cause, and how frequently soever they had been alienated, came back into the hands of the original proprietors. This law of entail, by which the right heir could never be excluded, was a provision of great wisdom for preserving families and tribes perfectly distinct, and their genealogies faithfully recorded, in order that all might have evidence to establish their right to the ancestral property. Hence the tribe and family of Christ were readily discovered at his birth.
17. Ye shall not oppress one another, but thou shalt fear thy God—This, which is the same as Le 25:14, related to the sale or purchase of possessions and the duty of paying an honest and equitable regard, on both sides, to the limited period during which the bargain could stand. The object of the legislator was, as far as possible, to maintain the original order of families, and an equality of condition among the people.
21, 22. I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years, &c.—A provision was made, by the special interposition of God, to supply the deficiency of food which would otherwise have resulted from the suspension of all labor during the sabbatic year. The sixth year was to yield a miraculous supply for three continuous years. And the remark is applicable to the year of Jubilee as well as the sabbatic year. (See allusions to this extraordinary provision in 2Ki 19:29; Isa 37:30). None but a legislator who was conscious of acting under divine authority would have staked his character on so singular an enactment as that of the sabbatic year; and none but a people who had witnessed the fulfilment of the divine promise would have been induced to suspend their agricultural preparations on a recurrence of a periodical Jubilee.
23-28. The land shall not be sold for ever—or, "be quite cut off," as the Margin better renders it. The land was God's, and, in prosecution of an important design, He gave it to the people of His choice, dividing it among their tribes and families—who, however, held it of Him merely as tenants-at-will and had no right or power of disposing of it to strangers. In necessitous circumstances, individuals might effect a temporary sale. But they possessed the right of redeeming it, at any time, on payment of an adequate compensation to the present holder; and by the enactments of the Jubilee they recovered it free—so that the land was rendered inalienable. (See an exception to this law, Le 27:20).
29-31. if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold—All sales of houses were subject to the same condition. But there was a difference between the houses of villages (which, being connected with agriculture, were treated as parts of the land) and houses possessed by trading people or foreigners in walled towns, which could only be redeemed within the year after the sale; if not then redeemed, these did not revert to the former owner at the Jubilee.
32-34. Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, &c.—The Levites, having no possessions but their towns and their houses, the law conferred on them the same privileges that were granted to the lands of the other Israelites. A certain portion of the lands surrounding the Levitical cities was appropriated to them for the pasturage of their cattle and flocks (Nu 35:4, 5). This was a permanent endowment for the support of the ministry and could not be alienated for any time. The Levites, however, were at liberty to make exchanges among themselves; and a priest might sell his house, garden, and right of pasture to another priest, but not to an Israelite of another tribe (Jer 41:7-9).
35-38. if thy brother be waxen poor, … relieve him—This was a most benevolent provision for the poor and unfortunate, designed to aid them or alleviate the evils of their condition. Whether a native Israelite or a mere sojourner, his richer neighbor was required to give him food, lodging, and a supply of money without usury. Usury was severely condemned (Ps 15:5; Eze 18:8, 17), but the prohibition cannot be considered as applicable to the modern practice of men in business, borrowing and lending at legal rates of interest.
39-46. if thy brother … be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond-servant—An Israelite might be compelled, through misfortune, not only to mortgage his inheritance, but himself. In the event of his being reduced to this distress, he was to be treated not as a slave, but a hired servant whose engagement was temporary, and who might, through the friendly aid of a relative, be redeemed at any time before the Jubilee. The ransom money was determined on a most equitable principle. Taking account of the number of years from the proposal to redeem and the Jubilee, of the current wages of labor for that time, and multiplying the remaining years by that sum, the amount was to be paid to the master for his redemption. But if no such friendly interposition was made for a Hebrew slave, he continued in servitude till the year of Jubilee, when, as a matter of course, he regained his liberty, as well as his inheritance. Viewed in the various aspects in which it is presented in this chapter, the Jubilee was an admirable institution, and subservient in an eminent degree to uphold the interests of religion, social order, and freedom among the Israelites.