25:10 fiftieth year. Some would identify this as the same as the seventh sabbatical year in the cycle, while others would see it as the year after the seventh sabbatical year. liberty. Verses 11–34 detail this. There is a good deal of background information for similar kinds of release from debts in the ancient Near Eastern world surrounding Israel. The goal was to relieve economic pressures that built up over time. Isa 61:1–2 uses some of the concepts from the Jubilee in Lev 25, and these come through into the NT as well in Luke 4:18–19. jubilee. Probably means “ram” and can refer to a “ram’s horn.” So the fiftieth year was called the “Jubilee” because of the associated sounding of the “ram’s horn” (v. 9). return . . . family property. As originally distributed to the various tribes when they first conquered the land (Josh 13–21; cf. Ruth 2:3; 4:3, 5).
25:15 years since the Jubilee. The purchaser was actually buying only the crops that the land would produce until the next Jubilee, since the land would revert to the original owner at that time. The purchaser was not actually buying the land itself.
25:17 take advantage. To purchase the land permanently would be to “take advantage” of the people and families to whom God had granted it.
25:23 foreigners. Israel was attached to the Lord’s household. They did not own the land and, in this regard, were like foreigners in the land (see note on 19:10).
25:24–55 The subject shifts from the Jubilee to the related subject of redemption of land (vv. 25–28), houses (vv. 29–34), and debt-slaves (vv. 35–53) during the time between Jubilee years. This “redemption” was about the right to buy (i.e., “redeem”) these back when the money was available to do so (cf. Ruth 4:1–10). If the money to redeem them did not become available to the family before the next Jubilee, then they generally went free in the Jubilee year (vv. 28, 31, 33, 40–41, 54–55). The exception is the sale of houses in walled cities (v. 30). The same basic terminology is used for the Lord’s redeeming Israel out of Egypt (e.g., Exod 6:6; 15:13), and this usage extends through the rest of the OT (e.g., Pss 74:2; 77:15) and into the NT for our “redemption” in Christ Jesus (Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 1:18–19).
25:25 redeem. There were multiple potential redeemers in the family, but only one was the nearest and responsible to do this if he had the resources to do so (Jer 32:6–15). In the case of Naomi and Ruth, the obligation to marry the widow and raise up a family in the deceased husband’s name also applied (Deut 25:5–10; cf. Ruth 2:20; 3:12; 4:3, 6, 9–10).
25:36 Do not take interest or any profit from them. They were to avoid taking advantage of another person’s misfortune. See note on v. 38.
25:38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. This had implications for all of life in the land, including how Israelites treated one another. Rather than take advantage of others, they were to take care of each other, especially through difficult circumstances.
25:39 sell themselves. As “debt-slaves” for a period of time. Some Israelites did this if they became destitute (cf. Exod 21:2–11; Deut 15:12–18). It was a way to pay off their debt and, in the meantime, they and their family were provided for by the master. When it was time to go free, the master was to make sure he gave them a good start on their own (Deut 15:13–15).
25:40 treated as hired workers. Israelite debt-slaves were to be treated not as permanent slaves but as hired workers (contrast vv. 44–46). until the Year of Jubilee. Even if the regular six years for the debt-slave were not yet completed (cf. Exod 21:2; Deut 15:12), when the Jubilee year came around, all debt-slaves were to return to their original family land (see vv. 8–11 and note on v. 10).
25:42 servants. See note on v. 55. brought out of Egypt. See note on 11:45.
25:44 Your male and female slaves. The Israelites could have permanent slaves (“chattel”) like all the other peoples of the ancient Near Eastern world, but they could not take their fellow Israelites as such slaves (see vv. 39–43 and the rationale in vv. 54–55). The two sources for permanent slaves in Israel were the nations around them (v. 44) and the non-Israelite temporary residents who lived among them (v. 45; see note on 19:10). Neither of these could own land permanently in ancient Israel, so they would not be included in the Jubilee return to the ancestral family land (see note on v. 10). Slaves were often refugees of war, for whom this was their only means of survival. The law includes protection for slaves (e.g., Exod 21:20–21; Deut 21:10–14; 23:15–16). The NT does not prohibit slavery either, but it instructs Christian slave owners to treat their Christian slaves as beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, not as slaves (Phlm 16). And the NT urges Christian slaves to be faithful to their masters and even be willing to suffer unjustly as Christ did on the cross as God’s suffering servant (1 Pet 2:18–25; cf. Isa 53). This in no way justifies slavery as an institution, but it helped Christians know how to live well even in the midst of the fallen corrupt conditions of this world.
25:46 inherited property . . . slaves for life. Permanent slaves did not go free in the seventh year like debt-slaves, and they could even be passed down to the next generation as family inheritance property.
25:55 servants. Or slaves.
26:1–46 Reward for Obedience and Punishment for Disobedience. Ch. 25 flows directly into 26; there is no new introduction or division between them. The Mosaic covenant was sealed in Exod 24:1–11, but then the Lord called Moses up on Sinai again (Exod 24:12–18) to give him further covenantal regulations regarding the construction of the tabernacle (Exod 25–31; 35–40), the functions within the tabernacle (Lev 1–16), and life in the community surrounding the tabernacle (chs. 17–27). It was normal in the ancient Near East to conclude covenants with blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience to the covenant stipulations. See Deut 28 for the blessings and curses of the covenant.
26:11–12 See Introduction: Major Theological Themes (The Lord’s Presence).
26:12 walk. The same word describes the Lord walking in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:8), Enoch walking with God (Gen 5:22, 24), Noah walking with God (Gen 6:9), and others walking with or before God (e.g., Gen 17:1; 24:40; Ps 56:13; Isa 38:3; cf. Deut 23:14). The Lord would “walk” right along with his people through life and history if they would remain faithful to their covenant commitments.
26:16–20 This neediness, warfare, and defeat contrasts with the prosperity, peace, and victory of vv. 4–12.
26:18 seven times over. Occurs four times in vv. 18–33 to emphasize the increasing intensity of punishments with which the Lord would afflict rebellious Israel (vv. 18, 21, 24, 28). Their sin and rebellion led ultimately to their exile from the land and dispersion (vv. 33–39), which is the main substance of the fourth of the “seven times over” afflictions (vv. 29–33).
26:19 break down your stubborn pride. This is the goal and rationale of the “seven times over” punishments (see note on v. 18).
26:21 If you remain hostile. If they continued to be hostile to the Lord, he would be hostile in turn until he broke down their stubbornness (vv. 21, 23–24, 27–28). Things would go from bad to worse: from infertility of the land (vv. 19–20), to being overrun by wild animals (v. 22), to enemy attacks, plague, and hunger (vv. 25–26), to starvation, defeat, and devastation of the land, leading to exile and dispersion (vv. 29–33).
26:22 Contrasts with the removal of the wild beasts from the land in v. 6.
26:34 Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years. Refers back to the sabbatical year plan for the land (25:2–7). Even though they did not give the land its sabbaths through the years, it would get its sabbaths all at once while the people were in exile. Since they would be out of the land, they would not be able to continually plant and harvest the land in violation of the sabbatical year regulation of rest for the land (v. 43).
26:40 if they will confess. Or “when they confess” or “they will confess.” their sins and the sins of their ancestors. Verses 40–45 contrast with v. 39. hostility. See note on v. 21.
26:41 when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled. For the covenantal background of circumcision, see Gen 17:9–14. As indicated here, the figurative use in applying it to the human heart would mean that their hearts would become humble rather than arrogant and rebellious. This is the first time this figurative use appears in the Bible, but it appears elsewhere in Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:25–26; Ezek 44:7, 9). Rom 2:28–29 says “circumcision of the heart” is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of true believers—those in Christ (cf. Col 2:11).
26:42 covenant. See Gen 15:8–21; 17:1–14; 26:3–5; 28:13–15; Exod 2:24; 3:6. The concept of God “remembering” a covenant means that he will be faithful to it; e.g., the covenant in Gen 6:18–20 is remembered in Gen 8:1; the covenant in Gen 9:8–13 is remembered whenever the rainbow appears; Exod 2:24; 6:5 are about God remembering the Abrahamic covenant. See “Covenant.” I will remember the land. Part of remembering the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 15:8–21). The land is especially significant here because of the importance of the sabbatical-year rest for the land.
26:44 I will not reject them . . . breaking my covenant with them. See note on v. 42. Although they would break their covenant with the Lord (which is why they would be exiled), the Lord would not break his side of the covenant. He would remain committed to them by virtue of his covenant with them.
26:45 covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations. Refers to the Mosaic covenant made at Sinai (not the Abrahamic covenant mentioned in v. 42 [see note there]), since that was the covenant God made with them when they came out of Egypt (Exod 3–24). The Lord was committed not only to the Abrahamic covenant but also to the Mosaic covenant. This corresponds to the fact that the people of Israel who came out of Egypt were the descendants of Abraham—the Abrahamic family had grown into a nation. So the Abrahamic promises anticipated this people and the theocratic nation they would become at Sinai (Gen 15:13–14) as well as the blessing of all the nations through the Abrahamic seed (Gen 17:4, 6). The “all Israel” of Rom 11:26 “are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:28–29).
27:1–34 Redeeming What Is the Lord’s. This section is a collection of regulations concerning the consecration and redemption of difficult vows and votive offerings (vv. 2–13), freewill offerings (vv. 14–25), firstborn animals (vv. 26–27), devoted things (vv. 28–29), and tithes (vv. 30–33).
27:2 special vow. Here, the special vow is the giving of a person as a special gift to God, arising out of special circumstances in the life of the worshiper. the equivalent value. As set forth in vv. 3–7. The money was given to God in place of the person dedicated.
27:16 dedicates. Consecrates; sets apart as holy. part of their family land. The rest of the field is not included in what the person dedicates.
27:20 if they have sold it to someone else. Probably the farmer decided not to redeem the (part of the) field he had dedicated to the Lord, but instead sold it to someone else.
27:21 devoted. See v. 28 and note. When the land was “released in the Jubilee” (see 25:25–34), that part of the field did not revert to the farmer who was the original owner but became permanently holy to the Lord.
27:27 one of the unclean animals. The firstborn of unclean animals also belonged to the Lord, but these could be redeemed by paying their value to the priests plus one-fifth its value. One-fifth was the regular compensation for buying back something that was consecrated to be holy to the Lord (see note on 5:16).
27:28 devotes. See NIV text note. most holy. Things that are “dedicated” (i.e., “consecrated” or “set apart as holy”) to the Lord are simply “holy” (e.g., vv. 30, 32), which makes them both saleable and redeemable, unlike things that are “most holy.”
27:29 devoted to destruction. Translates the same Hebrew term that v. 28 renders “devotes”; see NIV text note. The same Hebrew term is used when Saul sinned against the Lord by not totally destroying the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:3, 8–9, 15, 18, 20), and elsewhere it describes the complete destruction of the peoples who lived in the promised land when the Israelites entered it to conquer and inhabit it (e.g., Deut 3:6; 7:2; 20:17; Josh 2:10; 10:28; 11:12, 21).
27:30–33 On the tithe system in Israel, see Num 18:8–32; Deut 14:22–29.
27:30 tithe. One-tenth (see Num 18:25–32; Deut 12:6–19; 14:22–29; 26:12). In Israel, the Lord was the king, and his royal court was made up of the Levites, to whom people paid the tithe. The Aaronic priests also belonged to the tribe of Levi and received a tithe from the Levites out of the tithe they received—a tithe of the tithe (Num 18:25–29). Some think there were three tithes (one to the Levites, Num 18:21–32; one consumed at the sanctuary, Deut 14:22–27; and one given every third year for the poor, Deut 14:28–29). Others think there are only two (one to the Levites, and one every third year to the poor). Still others think there was only one (but distributed locally in the third year, Deut 14:28–29). grain . . . fruit. The tithe was taken from the crops as well as from the animals (v. 32).
27:32 every tenth animal. The tenth animal that passed “under the shepherd’s rod” as they were being counted. There was no latitude to “pick” the animal or substitute animals (v. 33). Since some animals were defective and, therefore, could not be offered on the altar (see note on 1:3), the herdsman might wish to add another animal to the tithe that was suitable to be offered on the altar as a substitute, but then both the substitute and the original animal still belonged to the tithe (v. 33).
27:34 commands. Cf. 26:46. Refers to all the regulations in Leviticus that Moses was commanded to mediate to the Israelites.