Leviticus 25:48-55 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 25:39-55

We have here the laws concerning servitude, designed to preserve the honour of the Jewish nation as a free people, and rescued by a divine power out of the house of bondage, into the glorious liberty of God's sons, his first-born. Now the law is, I. That a native Israelite should never be made a bondman for perpetuity. If he was sold for debt, or for a crime, by the house of judgment, he was to serve but six years, and to go out the seventh; this was appointed, Exod. 21:2. But if he sold... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:48

After that he is sold he may be redeemed again ,.... Though an Heathen, sold to an Israelite, was to be a bondman for ever, and could not be released by the year of jubilee, yet an Israelite sold to an Heathen might be redeemed before, and if not, he was freed then. The Jewish writers understand this of an obligation upon the man, or his friends, or the congregation, to redeem him, and that immediately, as the Targum of Jonathan, and Jarchi, because of the danger he was in by being in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:49

Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him ,.... it is father's brother or his father's brother's son, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan: or any that is nigh kin unto him of his family may redeem him ; from whence it appears, that it must be a near kinsman that has to be the redeemer, as in another case, the redemption of inheritances; hence the same word "goel" signifies both a redeemer and a near kinsman: or if he be able he may redeem himself ; who either has... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:50

And he shall reckon with him that bought him ,.... That is, either the man himself should reckon with him, or whoever undertook to redeem him: from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubilee ; and so count how many years he had served, and how many were yet to come; and by this it appears, that one thus sold was not released at the end of six years, or the sabbatical year did not free him: and the price of his sale shall be according to the number of years ; whether... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:51

If there be yet many years behind ,.... To the year of jubilee, and more than he had served: according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption, out of the money that he was bought for ; suppose, for instance, when a man sold himself, there were twenty years to the year of jubilee, and he sold himself for twenty pieces of money, gold or silver, be the value what it will; and when he comes to treat with his master about his redemption, or a relation for him, and he has... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:52

And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee ,.... Fewer than what he has served, then the less is given for his redemption: thus, for instance, in the above supposed case, if he has served fifteen years, and there remain but five to the year of jubilee: then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption ; as in the fore mentioned case, he shall give him five pieces of money; and thus the law of justice and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:53

And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him ,.... Being redeemable every year, and upon his redemption might quit his master's service, as an hireling may; and the price of his redemption to be valued according to the years he served, and as if he had been hired for so much a year; as well as he was to be treated in a kind and gentle manner, not as a bondman, but as if he was an hired servant, as follows: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight ; the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:54

And if he be not redeemed in these years ,.... The Targum of Jonathan supplies the text as we do, in any of the years from the time of his sale to the year of jubilee; and so Aben Ezra interprets it, in the years that remain to the jubilee; but he observes there are others that say, by the means of those above mentioned, that is, by his nearest of kin, or by himself; for the word "years" is not in the text, which may be supplied, either with "years" or "relations"; and so the Vulgate... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:55

For unto me the children of Israel are servants ,.... And therefore not to be perpetual servants to men, as those who are bought and redeemed by the blood of Christ should not be, 1 Corinthians 7:23 ; The Targum of Jonathan is, servants to my law; see Romans 7:25 ; those that are redeemed by Christ are also servants to his Gospel, and obey from their heart the form and doctrine delivered to them; they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt : where they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Leviticus 25:50

The price of his sale shall be, etc. - This was a very equitable law, both for the sojourner to whom the man was sold, and to the Israelite who had been thus sold. The Israelite might redeem himself, or one of his kindred might redeem him; but this must not be done to the prejudice of his master, the sojourner. They were therefore to reckon the years he must have served from that time till the jubilee; and then, taking the current wages of a servant per year at that time, multiply the... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 25:39-55

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:48

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:49

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:50

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:51

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:52

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:53

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:54

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 25:55

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Leviticus 25:50

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