Focused Passage

Leviticus 25:1-7

Sabbath for the Land, Jubilee Release, and the LORD's Ownership of Israel

The LORD speaks to Moses at Mount Sinai and commands that the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD every seventh year. After seven Sabbath years, the fiftieth year is consecrated as Jubilee, announced with the trumpet on the Day of Atonement. Property is returned, liberty is proclaimed, and economic transactions are governed by the number of harvest years remaining until Jubilee. The chapter then provides laws for trusting the LORD's provision during the Sabbath year, redeeming land, selling houses, protecting Levitical towns, helping poor Israelites, prohibiting interest exploitation, regulating Israelite servitude, and redeeming Israelites sold to resident foreigners. The chapter closes by grounding everything in the exodus: Israelites belong to the LORD as His servants.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Then the LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai,

2 “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.

3 For six years you may sow your field and prune your vineyard and gather its crops.

4 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.

5 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.

6 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,

7 and for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. All its growth may serve as food.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Cross-references

Exodus 23:10 BSB references Deuteronomy 15 BSB references Galatians 4:24 Classic cross-references Leviticus 26:46 Classic cross-references

Original words

Then the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר H1696 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁ֔ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular on Mount בְּהַ֥ר H2022 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Sinai סִינַ֖י H5514 Noun - proper - feminine singular - לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 2

Cross-references

Genesis 2:3 Classic cross-references 2 Chronicles 36:21 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 15:1 Classic cross-references Leviticus 26:34 Classic cross-references Exodus 23:10 Classic cross-references

Original words

Speak דַּבֵּ֞ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the Israelites בְּנֵ֤י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular and say to them וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular When כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction you enter תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition . . . אֲלֵהֶ֔ם H413 Preposition | third person masculine plural the land הָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular that אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative I אֲנִ֖י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am giving נֹתֵ֣ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular you לָכֶ֑ם Preposition | second person masculine plural the land itself הָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular must observe וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה H7673 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular a Sabbath שַׁבָּ֖ת H7676 Noun - common singular to the LORD לַיהוָֽה׃ H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 3

Cross-references

Exodus 23:10 Classic cross-references

Original words

For six שֵׁ֤שׁ H8337 Number - feminine singular construct years שָׁנִים֙ H8141 Noun - feminine plural you may sow תִּזְרַ֣ע H2232 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular your field שָׂדֶ֔ךָ H7704 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and prune תִּזְמֹ֣ר H2168 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular your vineyard כַּרְמֶ֑ךָ H3754 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and gather וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ H622 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker its crops תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃ H8393 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular - וְשֵׁ֥שׁ H8337 Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular construct - שָׁנִ֖ים H8141 Noun - feminine plural

Verse 4

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 36:21 Classic cross-references Leviticus 25:20 Classic cross-references Exodus 23:10 Classic cross-references Leviticus 25:21 Classic cross-references 2 Kings 19:29 Classic cross-references

Original words

But in the seventh הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת H7637 Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular year וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה H8141 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular {there shall} be יִהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular a Sabbath שַׁבַּ֤ת H7676 Noun - common singular construct of complete rest שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ H7677 Noun - masculine singular for the land לָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular a Sabbath שַׁבָּ֖ת H7676 Noun - common singular to the LORD לַיהוָ֑ה H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular You are not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to sow תִזְרָ֔ע H2232 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular your field שָֽׂדְךָ֙ H7704 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or prune תִזְמֹֽר׃ H2168 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular your vineyard וְכַרְמְךָ֖ H3754 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular . . . לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle

Verse 5

Cross-references

2 Kings 19:29 Classic cross-references Isaiah 37:30 Classic cross-references

Original words

- אֵ֣ת H853 Direct object marker You are not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to reap תִקְצ֔וֹר H7114 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker the aftergrowth סְפִ֤יחַ H5599 Noun - masculine singular construct of your harvest קְצִֽירְךָ֙ H7105 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or gather תִבְצֹ֑ר H1219 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular the grapes עִנְּבֵ֥י H6025 Noun - masculine plural construct of your untended vines נְזִירֶ֖ךָ H5139 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular . . . לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle The land לָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular must have יִהְיֶ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular a year שְׁנַ֥ת H8141 Noun - feminine singular construct of complete rest שַׁבָּת֖וֹן H7677 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 6

Cross-references

Leviticus 25:12 Classic cross-references Acts 2:44 Classic cross-references Acts 4:32 Classic cross-references Acts 4:34 Classic cross-references Exodus 23:11 Classic cross-references

Original words

Whatever the land הָאָ֤רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular yields לָכֶם֙ Preposition | second person masculine plural during the Sabbath year שַׁבַּ֨ת H7676 Noun - common singular construct shall be וְ֠הָיְתָה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular food for you לְאָכְלָ֔ה H402 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular for yourself לְךָ֖ Preposition | second person masculine singular your manservant וּלְעַבְדְּךָ֣ H5650 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and maidservant וְלַאֲמָתֶ֑ךָ H519 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular the hired hand וְלִשְׂכִֽירְךָ֙ H7916 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or foreigner וּלְתוֹשָׁ֣בְךָ֔ H8453 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular who stays הַגָּרִ֖ים H1481 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural with you עִמָּֽךְ׃ H5973 Preposition | second person feminine singular

Verse 7

Original words

and for your livestock וְלִ֨בְהֶמְתְּךָ֔ H929 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular and the wild animals וְלַֽחַיָּ֖ה H2416 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative in your land בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular All כָל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct its growth תְּבוּאָתָ֖הּ H8393 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular may serve תִּהְיֶ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular as food לֶאֱכֹֽל׃ס H398 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

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