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

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

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

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

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

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

28 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.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 23

Original words

The land וְהָאָ֗רֶץ H776 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular must not לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be sold תִמָּכֵר֙ H4376 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular permanently לִצְמִתֻ֔ת H6783 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular because כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction [it] הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular [is] Mine לִ֖י Preposition | first person common singular and כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you אַתֶּ֖ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural are but foreigners גֵרִ֧ים H1616 Noun - masculine plural and residents וְתוֹשָׁבִ֛ים H8453 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural with Me עִמָּדִֽי׃ H5978 Preposition | first person common singular
Verse 24

Original words

Thus for every וּבְכֹ֖ל H3605 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct piece of property אֶ֣רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct you possess אֲחֻזַּתְכֶ֑ם H272 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural you must provide for תִּתְּנ֥וּ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural the redemption גְּאֻלָּ֖ה H1353 Noun - feminine singular of the land לָאָֽרֶץ׃ס H776 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 25

Original words

If כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction your brother אָחִ֔יךָ H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular becomes impoverished יָמ֣וּךְ H4134 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and sells וּמָכַ֖ר H4376 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular some of his property מֵאֲחֻזָּת֑וֹ H272 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular his nearest הַקָּרֹ֣ב H7138 Article | Adjective - masculine singular . . . אֵלָ֔יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular of kin גֹֽאֲלוֹ֙ H1350 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular may come וּבָ֤א H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular and redeem וְגָאַ֕ל H1350 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular - אֵ֖ת H853 Direct object marker what his brother אָחִֽיו׃ H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular has sold מִמְכַּ֥ר H4465 Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 26

Original words

Or if כִּ֛י H3588 Conjunction a man וְאִ֕ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular has יִֽהְיֶה־ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular no one לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to redeem it גֹּאֵ֑ל H1350 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular for him לּ֖וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular but he prospers וְהִשִּׂ֣יגָה H5381 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular . . . יָד֔וֹ H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular and acquires וּמָצָ֖א H4672 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular enough כְּדֵ֥י H1767 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct to redeem his land גְאֻלָּתֽוֹ׃ H1353 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 27

Original words

he shall calculate וְחִשַּׁב֙ H2803 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the years שְׁנֵ֣י H8141 Noun - feminine plural construct since its sale מִמְכָּר֔וֹ H4465 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular repay וְהֵשִׁיב֙ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the balance הָ֣עֹדֵ֔ף H5736 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular to the man לָאִ֖ישׁ H376 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular to ל֑וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular whom אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative he sold it מָֽכַר־ H4376 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and return וְשָׁ֖ב H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular to his property לַאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃ H272 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 28

Original words

But if וְאִ֨ם H518 Conjunction he cannot לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle obtain מָֽצְאָ֜ה H4672 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular . . . יָד֗וֹ H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular enough דֵּי֮ H1767 Noun - masculine singular construct to repay הָשִׁ֣יב H7725 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct him לוֹ֒ Preposition | third person masculine singular what he sold מִמְכָּר֗וֹ H4465 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular will remain וְהָיָ֣ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular in possession בְּיַד֙ H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of the buyer הַקֹּנֶ֣ה H7069 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular - אֹת֔וֹ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine singular until עַ֖ד H5704 Preposition the Year שְׁנַ֣ת H8141 Noun - feminine singular construct of Jubilee הַיּוֹבֵ֑ל H3104 Article | Noun - masculine singular In the Jubilee בַּיֹּבֵ֔ל H3104 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular however, it is to be released וְיָצָא֙ H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular so that he may return וְשָׁ֖ב H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular to his property לַאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃ H272 Preposition-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.