Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 25

Verse 1

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

spake. See note on Leviticus 5:14 .

mount Sinai. See note in title "Leviticus"; not out of the tabernacle.

Verse 2

children. Hebrew sons.

When, &c. See note on Leviticus 14:34 .

keep a sabbath. Hebrew sabbath a sabbatizing. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6 . For emphasis = keep a sacred sabbath.

Verse 4

sabbath of rest. See note on Exodus 16:23 .

Verse 5

undressed = unpruned.

Verse 6

sabbath. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of the Adjunct), App-6 , for the fruits of the seventh year.

Verse 7

increase = gain or profit. Hebrew. tebu'ah. So in verses: Leviticus 25:12 , Leviticus 25:20 ; not in verses: Leviticus 25:16 , Leviticus 25:36 , Leviticus 25:37 .

Verse 8

seven sabbaths of years. 7 x 7 = 49. See App-10 .

Verse 9

trumpet = a curved horn of jubilee, i.e. of loud or joyful sound. Hebrew. yobel. First jubilee; the last at the Nativity (the 29th).

atonement. See note on Exodus 29:33 .

Verse 10

hallow-set apart. Hebrew. chadash. See note on Exodus 3:5 .

proclaim = cause public notice to be given.

Verse 12

holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .

Verse 13

man. Heb 'ish . App-14 .

Verse 14

oppress = overreach.

Verse 15

According = in proportion. The estimation of value regulated by nearness of the jubilee. (So our estimation of value of earthly things governed by our sense of the nearness of Christ's coming.)

Verse 18

safety = confidence.

Verse 20

What . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 . (A lesson for us. God's "I will" the answer to our "What? ").

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .

Verse 23

for ever. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole), App-6 , as we say "in perpetuity" = absolutely or beyond recovery.

the land is Mine. Compare Exodus 15:17 ; Isaiah 14:8 , Isaiah 14:25 ; Jeremiah 2:7 ; Psalms 10:16 ; Psalms 78:54 .

Verse 24

grant = give.

redemption = repurchase. Hebrew. g'aal. See note on Exodus 6:6 .

Verse 25

If. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Syriac, read "And if".

waxen poor = brought low.

any of his kin = his goel, or redeemer, next of kin. See note on Exodus 6:6 .

redeem = Hebrew. g'aal, buy back. See note on Exodus 6:6 .

Verse 26

none to redeem it = no redeemer.

Verse 28

return. The twelve loaves of Leviticus 2:0 4 were a witness as to the People; the jubilee (Leviticus 25:0 ) as to the Land.

Verse 29

within a whole year = within days, "days" being put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), for a whole year of days. App-6 .

Verse 30

the walled city = a city that hath walls.

Verse 32

the cities of the Levites. Compare the forty-eight cities, Numbers 35:1-8 . Joshua 21:1-8 .

Verse 33

if a man purchase of the Levites. Should be "if one of the Levites should not redeem".

Verse 34

their. Some codices, with Targum of Onkelos, have "your".

Verse 35

fallen in decay = "his hands have become shaky" or become feeble.

Verse 36

usury (Hebrew. nashak), is a charge on money.

increase (Hebrew. tarbith or marbith) is a charge on goods. See notes on Leviticus 25:7 with Leviticus 26:4 . These were the definitions of the authorities of the second temple.

Verse 38

and to be your God. Jehovah became their God, by giving them Canaan. Compare Leviticus 26:45 .

Verse 39

sold , as in 2 Kings 4:1 .

Verse 42

brought forth. Note the four occurrences of this expression in these two chapters: Leviticus 26:13 , brought out to be free men (in relation to the Egyptians); Leviticus 25:42 (in relation to fellow-Israelites); Leviticus 25:38 , to be inheritors; and Leviticus 25:55 , to be Jehovah ' s servants.

as bondmen. Hebrew "with the sale of a bondman": i.e. as "bondmen [are sold]".

Verse 49

may redeem. Compare Nehemiah 5:8 .