How does Leviticus 25 limit the sale of land and the service of an impoverished Israelite?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The land belongs to God and must remain subject to redemption, with prices tied to the years of produce. The chapter gives different rules for fields, houses and Levite property. An impoverished Israelite who sells himself has stated protections, ways to be redeemed, and release with his children at jubilee.

Chapter breakdown

Leviticus 25 gives the law of the seventh year and the fiftieth year of jubilee. On Mount Sinai, the Lord tells Moses to instruct Israel: when they enter the land he will give them, they must observe the Lord’s sabbath rest. For six years they may sow their fields, prune their vineyards, and gather the fruits. In the seventh year the land must rest to the Lord. They must not sow the field or prune the vineyard, reap what the ground brings forth by itself, or gather grapes or firstfruits as a vintage, because it is a year of rest for the land.

What grows is food for the owner, his manservant, maidservant, hired worker, and strangers living with him. Everything that grows is also food for his beasts and cattle.

Israel must count seven weeks of years: seven times seven, or forty-nine years. On the tenth day of the seventh month, at the time of expiation, they must sound the trumpet throughout their land. They must sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim remission to all its inhabitants, because it is the year of jubilee. Every man must return to his possession, and everyone must go back to his former family.

Challoner’s note explains remission as a general release and discharge from debts and bondage, and a return of every man to his former possessions. This is the annotation’s explanation of the word.

Because it is the jubilee and the fiftieth year, they must not sow, reap what grows in the field by itself, or gather the firstfruits of the vines. Because the jubilee is sanctified, they may eat these things as they grow. In the jubilee year, all must return to their possessions.

When selling to or buying from a neighbour, a person must not grieve his brother. The buying must be according to the number of years from the jubilee, and the selling according to the reckoning of the fruits. More years remaining mean a higher price; less time means a lower cost, because what is sold is the time of the fruits. They must not afflict their countrymen. Each must fear his God, because he is the Lord their God.

They must do God’s precepts, keep his judgments and carry them out so they may live in the land without fear. The ground will yield its fruits, they may eat their fill, and they need not fear invasion. If they ask what they will eat in the seventh year without sowing or gathering fruit, God answers that his blessing in the sixth year will yield the fruits of three years. They will sow in the eighth year and eat the old fruits until the ninth year. Until new produce grows, they will eat the old store.

The land must not be sold for ever because it belongs to God, and the people are strangers and sojourners with him. All the land of their possession must therefore be subject to redemption. If an impoverished brother sells his little possession, a willing kinsman may redeem what he sold. If he has no kinsman but can himself find the price, the value of the fruits must be counted from the time of sale. He must return the surplus to the buyer and receive his possession again. If he cannot find the means to repay, the buyer may hold what he bought until jubilee. In that year what was sold returns to its owner and former possessor.

A person selling a house inside a walled city has one year to redeem it. If he does not redeem it and the whole year has passed, the buyer and his descendants possess it for ever; it cannot be redeemed even at jubilee. A house in a village without walls follows the law for fields: if not redeemed earlier, it returns to the owner at jubilee. Houses of Levites in cities may always be redeemed. If not redeemed, they all return to their owners at jubilee because these houses are the Levites’ possessions among the children of Israel. Their suburbs must not be sold because they are a perpetual possession.

If a brother is impoverished and weak of hand, and is received as a stranger and sojourner to live with someone, that person must not take interest from him or more than he gave. He must fear God so his brother may live with him. He must not lend money at interest or demand an increase of fruits. The Lord says he brought Israel out of Egypt to give them the land of Chanaan and to be their God.

If a brother, driven by poverty, sells himself to another Israelite, he must not be oppressed with the service of bondservants. He must be treated as a hired worker and sojourner and work with that person until jubilee. Afterwards he must leave with his children and return to his kindred and his fathers’ possession. God says they are his servants, whom he brought out of Egypt, and must not be sold as bondmen. The person with whom he serves must not afflict him by force but must fear God.

The chapter says bondmen and bondwomen may be from the surrounding nations, from strangers living among Israel, or from those born of them in the land. These may be held as servants, left to descendants by inheritance, and possessed for ever. But the children of Israel must not oppress their Israelite brethren by force.

If a stranger or sojourner grows strong among them and an impoverished brother sells himself to him or someone of his race, that brother may be redeemed after the sale. A willing brother may redeem him, as may his uncle, his uncle’s son, or a kinsman by blood or marriage. If he is able, he may redeem himself. The reckoning must count the years from the sale until jubilee and the money he was sold for, according to the number of years and the reckoning of a hired servant.

If many years remain until jubilee, he must repay the price according to those years. If few remain, he must reckon with the buyer according to their number and repay for the years that remain. His wages for the service already given must be allowed, and he must not be afflicted violently in their sight. If he cannot be redeemed by these means, he must leave with his children in the jubilee year. God gives the reason: the children of Israel are his servants, whom he brought out of Egypt.

The story inside

The land-redemption instructions explain why a sale cannot simply be treated as permanent. God first states that the land is his and that the people are strangers and sojourners with him. A poor seller’s willing kinsman may then redeem the sold possession. When there is no kinsman and the seller can pay, the fruits since the sale are counted and the surplus is returned to the buyer. If the seller cannot repay, the buyer holds the land until jubilee, when it returns. The house rules set limits on this pattern: a walled-city house has a one-year redemption period, village houses follow the field rule, and Levite houses have their own continuing redemption and return rules. The chapter supplies these conditions as law; it does not narrate a particular sale or redemption.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Land prices depend on time and produce. More remaining years increase the price and fewer reduce it, because the time of the fruits is what is sold; the calculation is tied to the jubilee rules.
2
The property rules require their exceptions. Walled-city houses, village houses, Levite houses and Levite suburbs do not all follow one rule, so the general return of possessions cannot replace the chapter’s separate conditions.
3
An impoverished Israelite’s service has named protections. The chapter states the kinds of treatment, the people who may redeem him, the calculation of repayment, wages for past service, and departure with his children; each part matters to the rule it gives.

Test your recall

Why does the price rise or fall with the number of years remaining under the jubilee law?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 13407–13426
Leviticus Chapter 25 The law of the seventh and of the fiftieth year of jubilee. 25:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying: 25:2. Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: When you shall have entered into the land which I will give you, observe the rest of the sabbath of the Lord. 25:3. Six years thou shalt sow thy field and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and shalt gather the fruits thereof. 25:4. But in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath to the land, of the resting of the Lord. Thou shalt not sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. 25:5. What the ground shall bring forth of itself, thou shalt not reap: neither shalt thou gather the grapes or the firstfruits as a vintage. For it is a year of rest to the land.
Lines 13428–13433
25:6. But they shall be unto you for meat, to thee and to thy manservant, to thy maidservant and thy hireling, and to the strangers that sojourn with thee. 25:7. All things that grow shall be meat to thy beasts and to thy cattle.
Lines 13435–13444
25:8. Thou shalt also number to thee seven weeks of years: that is to say, seven times seven, which together make forty-nine years. 25:9. And thou shalt sound the trumpet in the seventh month, the tenth day of the month, in the time of the expiation in all your land. 25:10. And thou shalt sanctify the fiftieth year, and shalt proclaim remission to all the inhabitants of thy land: for it is the year of jubilee. Every man shall return to his possession, and every one shall go back to his former family:
Lines 13446–13447
Remission.... That is, a general release and discharge from debts and bondage, and a reinstating of every man in his former possessions.
Lines 13449–13457
25:11. Because it is the jubilee and the fiftieth year. You shall not sow, nor reap the things that grow in the field of their own accord, neither shall you gather the firstfruits of the vines, 25:12. Because of the sanctification of the jubilee. But as they grow you shall presently eat them. 25:13. In the year of the jubilee all shall return to their possessions.
Lines 13459–13471
25:14. When thou shalt sell any thing to thy neighbour, or shalt buy of him: grieve not thy brother. But thou shalt buy of him according to the number of years from the jubilee. 25:15. And he shall sell to thee according to the computation of the fruits. 25:16. The more years remain after the jubilee, the more shall the price increase: and the less time is counted, so much the less shall the purchase cost. For he shall sell to thee the time of the fruits. 25:17. Do not afflict your countrymen: but let every one fear his God. Because I am the Lord your God.
Lines 13473–13487
25:18. Do my precepts, and keep my judgments, and fulfil them: that you may dwell in the land without any fear. 25:19. And the ground may yield you its fruits, of which you may eat your fill, fearing no man’s invasion. 25:20. But if you say: What shall we eat the seventh year, if we sow not, nor gather our fruits? 25:21. I will give you my blessing the sixth year: and it shall yield the fruits of three years. 25:22. And the eighth year you shall sow, and shall eat of the old fruits, until the ninth year: till new grow up, you shall eat the old store.
Lines 13489–13508
25:23. The land also shall not be sold for ever: because it is mine, and you are strangers and sojourners with me. 25:24. For which cause all the country of your possession shall be under the condition of redemption. 25:25. If thy brother being impoverished sell his little possession, and his kinsman will: he may redeem what he had sold. 25:26. But if he have no kinsman, and he himself can find the price to redeem it: 25:27. The value of the fruits shall be counted from that time when he sold it. And the overplus he shall restore to the buyer, and so shall receive his possession again. 25:28. But if his hands find not the means to repay the price, the buyer shall have what he bought, until the year of the jubilee. For in that year all that is sold shall return to the owner, and to the ancient possessor.
Lines 13510–13529
25:29. He that selleth a house within the walls of a city, shall have the liberty to redeem it, until one year be expired. 25:30. If he redeem it not, and the whole year be fully out, the buyer shall possess it, and his posterity for ever, and it cannot be redeemed, not even in the jubilee. 25:31. But if the house be in a village, that hath no walls, it shall be sold according to the same law as the fields. If it be not redeemed before, in the jubilee it shall return to the owner. 25:32. The houses of Levites, which are in cities, may always be redeemed. 25:33. If they be not redeemed, in the jubilee they shall all return to the owners: because the houses of the cities of the Levites are for their possessions among the children of Israel. 25:34. But let not their suburbs be sold, because it is a perpetual possession.
Lines 13531–13542
25:35. If thy brother be impoverished, and weak of hand, and thou receive him as a stranger and sojourner, and he live with thee: 25:36. Take not usury of him nor more than thou gavest. Fear thy God, that thy brother may live with thee. 25:37. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury: nor exact of him any increase of fruits. 25:38. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that I might give you the land of Chanaan, and might be your God.
Lines 13544–13556
25:39. If thy brother constrained by poverty, sell himself to thee: thou shalt not oppress him with the service of bondservants. 25:40. But he shall be as a hireling, and a sojourner: he shall work with thee until the year of the jubilee. 25:41. And afterwards he shall go out with his children: and shall return to his kindred and to the possession of his fathers. 25:42. For they are my servants, and I brought them out of the land of Egypt: let them not be sold as bondmen. 25:43. Afflict him not by might: but fear thy God.
Lines 13558–13566
25:44. Let your bondmen, and your bondwomen, be of the nations that are round about you: 25:45. And of the strangers that sojourn among you, or that were born of them in your land. These you shall have for servants: 25:46. And by right of inheritance shall leave them to your posterity, and shall possess them for ever. But oppress not your brethren the children of Israel by might.
Lines 13568–13582
25:47. If the hand of a stranger or a sojourner grow strong among you, and thy brother being impoverished sell himself to him, or to any of his race: 25:48. After the sale he may be redeemed. He that will of his brethren shall redeem him: 25:49. Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, or his kinsman, by blood, or by affinity. But if he himself be able also, he shall redeem himself: 25:50. Counting only the years from the time of his selling unto the year of the jubilee: and counting the money that he was sold for, according to the number of the years and the reckoning of a hired servant.
Lines 13584–13600
25:51. If there be many years that remain until the jubilee, according to them shall he also repay the price. 25:52. If few, he shall make the reckoning with him according to the number of the years: and shall repay to the buyer of what remaineth of the years. 25:53. His wages being allowed for which he served before: he shall not afflict him violently in thy sight. 25:54. And if by these means he cannot be redeemed, in the year of the jubilee he shall go out with his children. 25:55. For the children of Israel are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt.