Proclaim liberty (25:10). The Hebrew word for “liberty” here is derôr (see also Isa. 61:1; Jer. 34:8, etc.). It is related to the Akkadian word andurāru, which refers to various kinds of release, including remission of commercial debts and manumission of private slaves.262 Especially near the beginnings of their reigns, several Mesopotamian kings proclaimed releases similar to the biblical Jubilee in that they provided relief for debtors and return of “land and persons pledged, sold, or enslaved in direct consequence of debt.”263 The purpose of such legislation was to restore some economic and social equilibrium.264
The main unique feature of the Israelite Jubilee release was its regular recurrence, which gave it predictability and independence from the arbitrary will of an absolute human ruler.265 Also, whereas exceptions to releases in Mesopotamia could be specified by royal edicts or by contracts,266 the Israelite Jubilee was designed to benefit all Israelites (but not non-Israelites; Lev. 25:44–46).
To his family property . . . to his own clan (25:10). Basic to the Israelite economic system was the concept that God was the ultimate owner of all land and granted to each family an inalienable right to use (but not permanently sell) a piece of agricultural real estate. Some Ugaritic real estate documents show similar concern for permanence of land grants.267 In Egypt, the pharaoh, who was regarded as divine, was the overall owner of land and assigned it to his subjects. Whatever the situation for commoners may have been in actual practice, an Egyptian treatise on kingship recognizes the ideal of free people with use of their own land: Such people are more likely to be contented, unified, and loyal than if their situation is otherwise.268 Unlike Israel and Egypt, Mesopotamia lacked a unified system of land ownership.269
If an Israelite farmer fell on hard times and had to sell (really lease) temporary use of his land, he would have no way to support himself and could be forced into slavery, along with his family members, whether by selling himself (and them) or by being seized as collateral for a debt in default.270 Other ancient Near Easterners could fall into slavery for similar reasons,271 and also through defeat in warfare (Deut. 20:10–11; 2 Sam. 12:31).
In Babylonia, debt slaves were theoretically “to be kept in bondage until the debt had been worked off. In practice, however, unless they were redeemed, they remained in the possession of the creditor as long as they lived.”272 The Laws of Hammurabi remedied this grim scenario by limiting the service of a wife and children to three years.273 Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 15 went further, extending amnesty to the debtor himself and limiting service to six years, regardless of the size of the debt. Leviticus 25 adds crucial elements: An insolvent Israelite forced to sell his land is to be treated as a hired worker, and release of such servants is coordinated with release of their land, which is essential for their independent survival.274
His nearest relative is to come and redeem (25:25). The Laws of Eshnunna contain the provision: “If a man becomes impoverished and then sells his house, whenever the buyer offers it for sale, the owner of the house shall have the right to redeem it.”275 Leviticus 25 provides a higher level of protection for the original owner: An Israelite can redeem his ancestral property anytime, not just when the other party decides to put it up for sale, and even if he is unable to redeem it, his kinsman should step in to keep the property in the extended family (cf. Ruth 4:1–12; Jer. 32:6–15). A kinsman can also redeem an Israelite who has fallen into servitude (Lev. 25:48). Redemption of persons was also practiced in Mesopotamia. In a Sumerian text from Umma, the person who redeems slaves is their mother.276
Do not take interest of any kind from him (25:36). Agreements to pay interest were common in the ancient Near East,277 but the need for avoiding exploitation was well recognized. The Laws of Hammurabi limit the amount of interest that can be charged and cancel interest payments for a year in which a farmer’s crop is devastated by an “act of god” (storm, flood, drought).278 So, as in Israelite law, a creditor was to show mercy to (rather than receiving profit from) an individual beset by unfortunate circumstances.