Focused Passage

Leviticus 25:8-17

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

8 And you shall count off seven Sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven Sabbaths of years amount to forty-nine years.

9 Then you are to sound the horn far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. You shall sound it throughout your land.

10 So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan.

11 The fiftieth year will be a Jubilee for you; you are not to sow the land or reap its aftergrowth or harvest the untended vines.

12 For it is a Jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You may eat only the crops taken directly from the field.

13 In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his own property.

14 If you make a sale to your neighbor or a purchase from him, you must not take advantage of each other.

15 You are to buy from your neighbor according to the number of years since the last Jubilee; he is to sell to you according to the number of harvest years remaining.

16 You shall increase the price in proportion to a greater number of years, or decrease it in proportion to a lesser number of years; for he is selling you a given number of harvests.

17 Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

And you לְךָ֗ Preposition | second person masculine singular shall count off וְסָפַרְתָּ֣ H5608 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular seven שֶׁ֚בַע H7651 Number - feminine singular Sabbaths שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת H7676 Noun - common plural construct of years שָׁנִ֔ים H8141 Noun - feminine plural seven שֶׁ֥בַע H7651 Number - feminine singular times פְּעָמִ֑ים H6471 Noun - feminine plural . . . וְהָי֣וּ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural - לְךָ֗ Preposition | second person masculine singular seven שֶׁ֣בַע H7651 Number - feminine singular years שָׁנִ֖ים H8141 Noun - feminine plural vvv יְמֵי֙ H3117 Noun - masculine plural construct so that the seven שֶׁ֚בַע H7651 Number - feminine singular Sabbaths שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת H7676 Noun - common plural construct of years הַשָּׁנִ֔ים H8141 Article | Noun - feminine plural amount to forty-nine וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים H705 Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural . . . תֵּ֥שַׁע H8672 Number - feminine singular years שָׁנָֽה׃ H8141 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

Then you are to sound וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֞ H5674 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular the horn שׁוֹפַ֤ר H7782 Noun - masculine singular construct far and wide תְּרוּעָה֙ H8643 Noun - feminine singular on the tenth day בֶּעָשׂ֖וֹר H6218 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular - לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ H2320 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular of the seventh הַשְּׁבִעִ֔י H7637 Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular month בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ H2320 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular the Day בְּיוֹם֙ H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of Atonement הַכִּפֻּרִ֔ים H3725 Article | Noun - masculine plural You shall sound תַּעֲבִ֥ירוּ H5674 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural [it] שׁוֹפָ֖ר H7782 Noun - masculine singular throughout בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct your land אַרְצְכֶֽם׃ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 10

Original words

So you are to consecrate וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּ֗ם H6942 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural - אֵ֣ת H853 Direct object marker the fiftieth הַחֲמִשִּׁים֙ H2572 Article | Number - common plural . . . שָׁנָ֔ה H8141 Noun - feminine singular year שְׁנַ֤ת H8141 Noun - feminine singular construct and proclaim וּקְרָאתֶ֥ם H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural liberty דְּר֛וֹר H1865 Noun - masculine singular in the land בָּאָ֖רֶץ H776 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular for all לְכָל־ H3605 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct its inhabitants יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular It הִוא֙ H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular shall be תִּהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular your לָכֶ֔ם Preposition | second person masculine plural Jubilee יוֹבֵ֥ל H3104 Noun - masculine singular when each אִ֚ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular of you is to return וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his property אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ H272 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular [and] וְאִ֥ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his clan מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ H4940 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . תָּשֻֽׁבוּ׃ H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Verse 11

Original words

The fiftieth הַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים H2572 Article | Number - common plural . . . שָׁנָ֖ה H8141 Noun - feminine singular year שְׁנַ֛ת H8141 Noun - feminine singular construct will be תִּהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular a Jubilee יוֹבֵ֣ל H3104 Noun - masculine singular . . . הִ֗וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular for you לָכֶ֑ם Preposition | second person masculine plural you are not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to sow [the land] תִזְרָ֔עוּ H2232 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural or וְלֹ֤א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle reap תִקְצְרוּ֙ H7114 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Preposition its aftergrowth סְפִיחֶ֔יהָ H5599 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular . . . וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle or harvest תִבְצְר֖וּ H1219 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the untended vines נְזִרֶֽיהָ׃ H5139 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 12

Original words

For כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction it [is] הִ֔וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular a Jubilee יוֹבֵ֣ל H3104 Noun - masculine singular it shall be תִּהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular holy קֹ֖דֶשׁ H6944 Noun - masculine singular to you לָכֶ֑ם Preposition | second person masculine plural You may eat only תֹּאכְל֖וּ H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the crops taken תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃ H8393 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular directly from מִן־ H4480 Preposition the field הַ֨שָּׂדֶ֔ה H7704 Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

In this הַזֹּ֑את H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular Year בִּשְׁנַ֥ת H8141 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of Jubilee הַיּוֹבֵ֖ל H3104 Article | Noun - masculine singular each אִ֖ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular of you shall return תָּשֻׁ֕בוּ H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his own property אֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃ H272 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

If וְכִֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you make a sale תִמְכְּר֤וּ H4376 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural . . . מִמְכָּר֙ H4465 Noun - masculine singular to your neighbor לַעֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ H5997 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or א֥וֹ H176 Conjunction a purchase קָנֹ֖ה H7069 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute from מִיַּ֣ד H3027 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct him עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ H5997 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular you must not אַל־ H408 Adverb take advantage תּוֹנ֖וּ H3238 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural of each אִ֥ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker other אָחִֽיו׃ H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

You are to buy תִּקְנֶ֖ה H7069 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular from מֵאֵ֣ת H854 Preposition-m | Direct object marker your neighbor עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ H5997 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular according to the number בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר H4557 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of years שָׁנִים֙ H8141 Noun - feminine plural since אַחַ֣ר H310 Adverb the last Jubilee הַיּוֹבֵ֔ל H3104 Article | Noun - masculine singular he is to sell יִמְכָּר־ H4376 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to you לָֽךְ׃ Preposition | second person feminine singular according to the number בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר H4557 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of harvest תְבוּאֹ֖ת H8393 Noun - feminine plural years {remaining} שְׁנֵֽי־ H8141 Noun - feminine plural construct
Verse 16

Original words

You shall increase תַּרְבֶּה֙ H7235 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular the price מִקְנָת֔וֹ H4736 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular in proportion לְפִ֣י׀ H6310 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct to a greater number רֹ֣ב H7230 Noun - masculine singular construct of years הַשָּׁנִ֗ים H8141 Article | Noun - feminine plural or decrease מְעֹ֣ט H4591 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct [it] מִקְנָת֑וֹ H4736 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular in proportion to וּלְפִי֙ H6310 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct a lesser תַּמְעִ֖יט H4591 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular number of years הַשָּׁנִ֔ים H8141 Article | Noun - feminine plural for כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction he ה֥וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is selling מֹכֵ֖ר H4376 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular you לָֽךְ׃ Preposition | second person feminine singular a given number of מִסְפַּ֣ר H4557 Noun - masculine singular construct harvests תְּבוּאֹ֔ת H8393 Noun - feminine plural
Verse 17

Original words

Do not וְלֹ֤א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle take advantage תוֹנוּ֙ H3238 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural of each אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker other עֲמִית֔וֹ H5997 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular but fear וְיָרֵ֖אתָ H3372 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular your God מֵֽאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ H430 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular for כִּ֛י H3588 Conjunction I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am the LORD יְהֹוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural

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.