Focused Passage

Leviticus 25:39-43

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

39 If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor.

40 Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee.

41 Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers.

42 Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves.

43 You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 39

Cross-references

Exodus 21:2 Classic cross-references Matthew 18:25 Classic cross-references 1 Kings 9:22 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 15:12 Classic cross-references Nehemiah 5:5 Classic cross-references

Original words

If וְכִֽי־ H3588 Conjunction a countryman אָחִ֛יךָ H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular among you עִמָּ֖ךְ H5973 Preposition | second person feminine singular becomes destitute יָמ֥וּךְ H4134 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and sells himself וְנִמְכַּר־ H4376 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular to you לָ֑ךְ Preposition | second person feminine singular then you must not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle force him תַעֲבֹ֥ד H5647 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular into בּ֖וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular slave עָֽבֶד׃ H5650 Noun - masculine singular labor עֲבֹ֥דַת H5656 Noun - feminine singular construct

Verse 40

Cross-references

Exodus 21:2 Classic cross-references Exodus 21:6 Classic cross-references

Original words

Let him stay יִהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with you עִמָּ֑ךְ H5973 Preposition | second person feminine singular as a hired worker כְּשָׂכִ֥יר H7916 Preposition-k | Adjective - masculine singular or temporary resident כְּתוֹשָׁ֖ב H8453 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular he is to work יַעֲבֹ֥ד H5647 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular for עִמָּֽךְ׃ H5973 Preposition | second person feminine singular you until עַד־ H5704 Preposition the Year שְׁנַ֥ת H8141 Noun - feminine singular construct of Jubilee הַיֹּבֵ֖ל H3104 Article | Noun - masculine singular

Verse 41

Cross-references

Leviticus 25:28 Classic cross-references Exodus 21:3 Classic cross-references

Original words

Then he ה֖וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular and his children וּבָנָ֣יו H1121 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular . . . עִמּ֑וֹ H5973 Preposition | third person masculine singular are to be released וְיָצָא֙ H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular - מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ H5973 Preposition-m | second person feminine singular and he may return וְשָׁב֙ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his clan מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ H4940 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular and to וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition . . . יָשֽׁוּב׃ H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the property אֲחֻזַּ֥ת H272 Noun - feminine singular construct of his fathers אֲבֹתָ֖יו H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 42

Cross-references

1 Corinthians 7:23 Classic cross-references Leviticus 25:55 Classic cross-references Romans 6:22 Classic cross-references Isaiah 41:8 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 7:21 Classic cross-references

Original words

Because כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction [the Israelites are] הֵ֔ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural My servants עֲבָדַ֣י H5650 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular whom אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative I brought הוֹצֵ֥אתִי H3318 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular - אֹתָ֖ם H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural out of the land מֵאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרָ֑יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular they are not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to be sold יִמָּכְר֖וּ H4376 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . מִמְכֶּ֥רֶת H4466 Noun - feminine singular construct as slaves עָֽבֶד׃ H5650 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 43

Cross-references

Genesis 42:18 Classic cross-references Colossians 4:1 Classic cross-references Leviticus 25:17 Classic cross-references Exodus 1:13 Classic cross-references Leviticus 25:46 Classic cross-references

Original words

You are not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to rule תִרְדֶּ֥ה H7287 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular over them ב֖וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular harshly בְּפָ֑רֶךְ H6531 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular but you shall fear וְיָרֵ֖אתָ H3372 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular your God מֵאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ H430 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular

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