“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. keep: Heb. rest”
Cross references: : Exod. 23:10 Hebrew, shall rest a rest .
“Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;”
The Jews began the count of this year in September: for then all the fruits were gathered.
“That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land. of thy vine: Heb. of thy separation”
Or, which thou hast separated from thyself, and consecrated to God for the poor. By reason of the corn that fell out of the ears the year past.
“And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,”
That which the land bringeth forth in her rest.
“Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. of the jubile: Heb. loud of sound”
In the beginning of the 50th year was the Jubilee, so called, because the joyful tidings of liberty [were] publicly proclaimed by the sound of a cornet.
“And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.”
Which were in bondage. Because the tribes should neither have their possessions or families diminished nor confounded.
“According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:”
If the Jubilee to come be near, thou shalt sell better cheap: if it be far off, dearer.
“According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.”
And not the full possession of the land.
“The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. for ever: or, to be quite cut off: Heb. for cutting off”
It could not be sold forever, but must return to the family in the Jubilee.
“And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.”
Ye shall sell it on condition that it may be redeemed.
“And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; himself: Heb. his hand hath attained and found sufficiency”
Hebrew, his hand hath gotten .
“Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession.”
Abating the money of the years past, and paying for the rest of the years to come.
“And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile.”
That is, forever, read verse 23 .
“But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.”
Where the Levites kept their cattle.
“And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. fallen: Heb. his hand faileth relieve: Heb. strengthen”
In Hebrew it is, if his hand shake : meaning, if he stretch forth his hand for help as one in misery.
“Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.”
Exod. 22:25 ; Deut. 23:19 ; Prov. 28:8 ; Ezek. 18:8 ; Ezek. 22:12
“And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: compel: Heb. serve thyself with him with the service, etc”
Exod. 21:2 ; Deut. 15:12 ; Jer. 34:14
“Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.”
For they shall not be bought out at the Jubilee.
“And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.”
Which remain yet to the Jubilee.
“And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.”
Thou shalt not suffer him to entreat him rigorously, if thou know it.