Focused Passage

Leviticus 25:23-28

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

23The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and residents with Me.

24Thus for every piece of property you possess, you must provide for the redemption of the land.

25If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his nearest of kin may come and redeem what his brother has sold.

26Or if a man has no one to redeem it for him, but he prospers and acquires enough to redeem his land,

27he shall calculate the years since its sale, repay the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and return to his property.

28But 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.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 23

Original words

The landוְהָאָ֗רֶץH776Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singularmust notלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particlebe soldתִמָּכֵר֙H4376Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularpermanentlyלִצְמִתֻ֔תH6783Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singularbecauseכִּי־H3588Conjunction[it]הָאָ֑רֶץH776Article | Noun - feminine singular[is] Mineלִ֖יPreposition | first person common singularandכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionyouאַתֶּ֖םH859Pronoun - second person masculine pluralare but foreignersגֵרִ֧יםH1616Noun - masculine pluraland residentsוְתוֹשָׁבִ֛יםH8453Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine pluralwith Meעִמָּדִֽי׃H5978Preposition | first person common singular
Verse 24

Original words

Thus for everyוּבְכֹ֖לH3605Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructpiece of propertyאֶ֣רֶץH776Noun - feminine singular constructyou possessאֲחֻזַּתְכֶ֑םH272Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine pluralyou must provide forתִּתְּנ֥וּH5414Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralthe redemptionגְּאֻלָּ֖הH1353Noun - feminine singularof the landלָאָֽרֶץ׃סH776Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 25

Original words

Ifכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionyour brotherאָחִ֔יךָH251Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularbecomes impoverishedיָמ֣וּךְH4134Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularand sellsוּמָכַ֖רH4376Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularsome of his propertyמֵאֲחֻזָּת֑וֹH272Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularhis nearestהַקָּרֹ֣בH7138Article | Adjective - masculine singular. . .אֵלָ֔יוH413Preposition | third person masculine singularof kinגֹֽאֲלוֹ֙H1350Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularmay comeוּבָ֤אH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularand redeemוְגָאַ֕לH1350Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular-אֵ֖תH853Direct object markerwhat his brotherאָחִֽיו׃H251Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularhas soldמִמְכַּ֥רH4465Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 26

Original words

Or ifכִּ֛יH3588Conjunctiona manוְאִ֕ישׁH376Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularhasיִֽהְיֶה־H1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularno oneלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleto redeem itגֹּאֵ֑לH1350Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularfor himלּ֖וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularbut he prospersוְהִשִּׂ֣יגָהH5381Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular. . .יָד֔וֹH3027Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularand acquiresוּמָצָ֖אH4672Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularenoughכְּדֵ֥יH1767Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular constructto redeem his landגְאֻלָּתֽוֹ׃H1353Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 27

Original words

he shall calculateוְחִשַּׁב֙H2803Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe yearsשְׁנֵ֣יH8141Noun - feminine plural constructsince its saleמִמְכָּר֔וֹH4465Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularrepayוְהֵשִׁיב֙H7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe balanceהָ֣עֹדֵ֔ףH5736Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularto the manלָאִ֖ישׁH376Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singulartoל֑וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularwhomאֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativehe sold itמָֽכַר־H4376Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularand returnוְשָׁ֖בH7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularto his propertyלַאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃H272Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 28

Original words

But ifוְאִ֨םH518Conjunctionhe cannotלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleobtainמָֽצְאָ֜הH4672Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular. . .יָד֗וֹH3027Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularenoughדֵּי֮H1767Noun - masculine singular constructto repayהָשִׁ֣יבH7725Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructhimלוֹ֒Preposition | third person masculine singularwhat he soldמִמְכָּר֗וֹH4465Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularwill remainוְהָיָ֣הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularin possessionבְּיַד֙H3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructof the buyerהַקֹּנֶ֣הH7069Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular-אֹת֔וֹH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singularuntilעַ֖דH5704Prepositionthe Yearשְׁנַ֣תH8141Noun - feminine singular constructof Jubileeהַיּוֹבֵ֑לH3104Article | Noun - masculine singularIn the Jubileeבַּיֹּבֵ֔לH3104Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularhowever, it is to be releasedוְיָצָא֙H3318Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularso that he may returnוְשָׁ֖בH7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularto his propertyלַאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃H272Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.