Lev. 25 The land not to be tilled, but rest the seventh year; and that which grew of itself in the field or vineyard to be meat for them and their cattle, Lev. 25:1–7.

1491 i.e. Near Mount Sinai. So the Hebrew particle beth is sometimes used, as Gen. 27:13, Josh. 5:13, Judg. 8:5, 2 Chron. 33:20, compared with 2 Kings 21:18. So there is no need to disturb the order of the history in this place.

When ye come into the land, so as to be settled in it; for the tithe of the wars was not to be accounted, nor the time before Joshua’s distribution of the land among them, Josh. 14:7, Josh. 14:10. Keep a sabbath, i.e. enjoy rest and freedom from ploughing, tilling, &c. Unto the Lord, i.e.

Of its own accord; from the grains that fell out of the ears the last reaping time. Thou shalt not reap, i.e. as thy own peculiarly, but only so as others may reap it with thee, for present food. The grapes of thy vine undressed, Heb. the grapes of thy separation, i.e.

The sabbath, i.e. the growth of the sabbath, or that fruit which groweth in the sabbatical year. See on Lev. 23:38, where the word sabbath is taken in the like sense. For thee, and for thy servant; for all promiscuously, to take food from thence as they need it.

The jubilee signified the true liberty from our spiritual debts and slaveries, to be purchased by Christ, and to be published to the world by the sound of the gospel.

By which it seems most probable that the year of jubilee was not the forty and ninth year, as some learned men think, but precisely the fiftieth year; which may appear, 1.

Though it come immediately after a seventh year, wherein also this was forbidden to you.

It shall be holy unto you: so it was, because it was sequestered in great part from worldly employments, and dedicated to God, and to the exercise of holy joy and thankfulness; and because it was a type of that holy and happy jubilee which they were to expect and enjoy by and under the Messias.

Neither the seller by requiring more, nor the buyer by taking the advantage from his brother’s necessities to give him less than the worth of it.

Or, of years of fruits, or, of fruitful years; for there were some unfruitful years, to wit, such wherein they were not allowed to sow or reap, &c.

Or, for the number of the fruits. The meaning is, he selleth not the land, but only the fruits thereof, and that for a certain time.

A like objection, see Ex. 34:23–24.

i.e. Give my blessing. Commanding is oft used in Scripture either for the performance of promised blessings, as Deut. 28:8, Ps. 111:9, Ps. 133:3, or for the execution of threatened judgments, as Isa.

Of old fruit; of the sixth year principally, if not solely. Until her fruits, i.e. the fruits of the eighth year.

For ever, or, absolutely and properly, so as to become the propriety of the buyer; or to the extermination or utter cutting off, to wit, of the seller, from all hopes and possibility of redemption.

i.e. A right of redemption in the time and manner following.

Some of his possession, to wit, in the fields, but not in cities, Lev. 25:29. If any of his kin come to redeem it; or, if the redeemer come, being near akin to him, to whom the right of redemption belonged, Ruth 3:2, Ruth 3:9, Ruth 3:12, Jer.

The years of the sale thereof, i.e. from the time of the sale to the jubilee. See Poole “Lev. 25:15” See Poole “Lev. 25:16”. The overplus, i.e. a convenient price for the years from this redemption to the jubilee.

It shall go out, i.e. out of the buyer’s hand, without any redemption money.

The reason is from the great difference between such houses and lands. The reasons before alleged for lands do not hold in such houses; there was no danger of confusion in tribes or families by the alienation of houses.

The houses of the villages belonged to and were necessary or very convenient for the management of the lands.

Or thus, But he that shall redeem it shall be or must be of the Levites, i.e. no person of another tribe, though by marriage near akin to the selling Levite, shall redeem it, but Levites only, and any of them shall have the same power to redeem it, which in other tribes only the nearest kindred…

Of the suburbs of the cities, See Poole “Num. 35:4”. May not be sold; not sold at all, partly because it was of absolute necessity for them for the keeping of their cattle, and partly because these were no enclosures, but common fields, in which all the Levites that lived in such a city had an…

Fallen in decay, Heb. his hand wavereth, of faileth or is decayed so that he hath not power to get or keep wealth, as the phrase is, Deut. 8:18; as on the contrary, when a man is able, his hand is said to attain and find sufficiency, as here above, Lev. 25:26. Relieve him, Heb.

i.e. Of thy brother, whether he be Israelite or proselyte. Increase: this some conceive relates to the fruits of the earth, food, &c., as usury doth to money.

Neither for the time, for ever, nor for the manner, with the hardest and vilest kinds of service, rigorously and severely exacted from him.

Then shall he depart from thee; thou shalt not suffer him or his to abide longer in thy service, as thou mightest do in the year of release, Ex. 21:2, Ex. 21:6.

They are my servants; they, no less than you, are members of my church and people; such as I have chosen out of all the world to serve me here, and to enjoy me hereafter, and therefore are not to be oppressed or abused, neither are you absolute lords over them, to deal with them as you please.

Though thou dost not fear them who are in thy power, and unable to right themselves, yet fear that God who hath commanded thee to use them kindly, and who can and will avenge their cause, if thou dost oppress them.

The stock, Heb. root, i.e. one of the root or stock. So the word root is elsewhere used for the branch or progeny growing from it, as Num. 13:28, 2 Chron. 22:10.

Allowance shall be made for the time wherein he hath served, proportionable to that which is given to a hired servant for so long service, because his condition is in this like theirs; that it is not properly his person, but his work and labour that was sold.

Thou shalt not suffer this to be done, but whether thou art a magistrate, or a private person, thou shalt take care according to thy capacity to get it remedied.