Commentary - Leviticus 25:47-55

Bird's-eye view

In this closing section of Leviticus 25, the Lord provides for a very specific, and what must have been a very humbling, circumstance. What happens when an Israelite becomes so impoverished that he must sell himself into servitude, not to another Israelite, but to a wealthy foreigner living in the land? The law of God, in its intricate wisdom, addresses this scenario with grace, dignity, and a constant reminder of a far greater reality. The entire chapter is built around the Sabbath principle, culminating in the Year of Jubilee, a grand reset button for the nation's economy and social structure. This final passage serves as a crucial capstone, demonstrating that even in the most dire of personal economic disasters, God's covenantal ownership and redemptive purposes remain firmly in place. The central theme is redemption, both familial and eschatological, pointing forward to the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer who would purchase His people not with silver or gold, but with His own precious blood.

The passage meticulously outlines the rights of the impoverished Israelite. Even though he has sold himself, he is not abandoned. A right of redemption exists immediately. The responsibility falls to his closest kin, his goel, or kinsman-redeemer. If no family member can act, and if the man's own fortunes turn, he can even redeem himself. The financial calculations are fair, based on the time remaining until the Jubilee. And through it all, the man is to be treated not as a slave under brutal dominion, but as a hired hand. The ultimate backstop, the final hope, is the Jubilee itself. No matter what, freedom comes in the Jubilee. Why? The chapter concludes with the foundational reason for all these provisions: Israel belongs to God. They are His servants, redeemed from Egypt. Their ultimate identity is not defined by their economic status but by their relationship to Yahweh, their God.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Leviticus 25 is the pinnacle of the Sabbath laws in the Pentateuch. It expands the principle of resting one day in seven (Ex. 20:8-11) and the resting of the land every seventh year (Lev. 25:1-7) to its ultimate conclusion: the Year of Jubilee in the fiftieth year. This was a wholesale release from debts and a return of all property to its original tribal owners. The chapter is a radical statement about economics, grounded entirely in theology. God owns the land (Lev. 25:23), and therefore He sets the terms for its use. The Israelites are merely stewards, sojourners with Him.

These final verses (47-55) are the last case study in this chapter, and they deal with the most extreme form of property loss, the loss of one's own labor and person. Having just laid out the rules for an Israelite serving another Israelite (vv. 39-46), the law now turns to the even more precarious situation of an Israelite serving a foreigner. This placement underscores the comprehensive nature of God's law. It anticipates difficult situations and provides a framework of justice and mercy, always reminding Israel of their true identity as the redeemed people of God.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 47 ‘Now if the means of a sojourner or of a foreign resident with you becomes sufficient, and a brother of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a sojourner who resides with you or to the descendants of a sojourner’s family,

The scenario begins with a striking reversal of fortunes. The sojourner, the foreigner living among Israel, has prospered. This was not a theoretical possibility; the law made provision for the fair treatment of aliens (Lev. 19:34). At the same time, an Israelite, a "brother," has fallen on hard times and become destitute. The poverty is so severe that he sells the only thing he has left: himself, his own labor. Notice the shame inherent in the situation. He sells himself to the foreigner. This is a step below selling himself to a fellow Israelite. He is now in servitude to an outsider, someone not of the covenant people. This law anticipates the messy realities of a fallen world, where covenant members sometimes fail and outsiders sometimes thrive.

v. 48 then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him,

Immediately, the gospel principle of redemption is introduced. There is no waiting period. The moment he is sold, the right of redemption is active. This isn't about earning his way out; it's about a gracious provision for his release. The first line of responsibility falls to his "brothers." This is the principle of the kinsman-redeemer, the goel. Family has the first obligation. This is not just a financial transaction; it is a covenantal duty. It is a picture of how the church ought to function, bearing one another's burdens, especially the most crushing ones.

v. 49 or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.

The net of responsibility is cast wide. If the immediate brother cannot or will not act, the duty extends to the wider family circle: uncle, cousin, any blood relative. The law provides multiple avenues for this redemption to occur, ensuring the man is not left without hope. And then, a final provision is made for the man's own agency. Should his circumstances change, should he "prosper," he has the right to buy back his own freedom. This upholds the dignity of the man. Even in servitude, he is not a helpless object but a man made in God's image who might, by God's providence, be enabled to redeem himself.

v. 50 He then with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be with him.

Here we see the justice and equity of God's law. The redemption is not arbitrary. It's a simple, fair calculation. You determine the number of years left until the Jubilee, and that is the basis for the price. The original sale price was, in effect, the purchase of his labor until the Jubilee. So, as the years pass, the "value" of his remaining servitude decreases. The key phrase is that he is to be considered "like the days of a hired man." This is crucial. He is not chattel property. He is a laborer who has been paid in advance. His time is owned, but his person is not. This distinction is fundamental and points to the inherent dignity of the man as an Israelite.

v. 51-52 If there are still many years, he shall return part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; and if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he shall return the amount for his redemption.

These verses simply elaborate on the calculation. It's a straightforward prorated system. If he was sold for 50 shekels with 25 years until the Jubilee, his labor is valued at 2 shekels per year. If a redeemer comes after 10 years, there are 15 years of labor left, and the redemption price would be 30 shekels. This is businesslike and fair. It prevents the foreign master from exploiting the situation by demanding an exorbitant price. The law protects the poor and provides a clear, righteous standard for the transaction.

v. 53 Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not have dominion over him with brutality in your sight.

The status of a "hired man" is repeated for emphasis. This is the central protection afforded to him. And then comes the explicit command against abuse: "he shall not have dominion over him with brutality." This is a public matter. The abuse must not happen "in your sight." The community of Israel had a responsibility to see that this law was upheld. They were to be the guardians of their brother's welfare, even when he was under the authority of a foreigner. This anticipates the New Testament command to do good to all, but especially to the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). The well-being of a covenant brother is the concern of the entire covenant community.

v. 54 Even if he is not redeemed by these means, he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him.

This is the great safety net, the ultimate hope. What if the family fails? What if the man never prospers himself? Is he lost? No. The Jubilee is God's guarantee of freedom. When the trumpet sounds on the Day of Atonement in the fiftieth year, he walks free. No negotiation, no payment. His servitude is canceled. And notice, "he and his sons with him." This is a generational release. The consequences of his poverty do not extend to his children in perpetuity. The Jubilee is a powerful type of the final, eschatological freedom that Christ brings. It is a freedom that comes by divine decree, not by human effort.

v. 55 For the sons of Israel are My slaves; they are My slaves whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.

Here is the bedrock, the theological foundation for everything that has preceded. Why all these elaborate rules? Why the Jubilee? Because an Israelite cannot truly be another man's slave, for he is already God's slave. The word here is servant, but the point is one of ultimate ownership. God says, "They are Mine." He purchased them, He redeemed them "out from the land of Egypt." That was the ultimate redemption, and it redefined their identity forever. Their service to a human master is temporary and provisional. Their service to God is ultimate and definitional. An Israelite sold to a sojourner has not changed owners in the ultimate sense. He has simply been leased out by his true Master. The passage ends with the covenantal signature: "I am Yahweh your God." This is the God who speaks, who owns, who redeems, and who guarantees the freedom of His people.

Application

This passage, while dealing with ancient agrarian laws, is saturated with the gospel. It teaches us about the nature of our own bondage and redemption. We, like the impoverished Israelite, sold ourselves into a slavery far worse than economic debt. We sold ourselves to sin, and we were utterly unable to redeem ourselves. Our situation was hopeless.

But God provided a Kinsman-Redeemer, one who was our brother, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ was not obligated to redeem us, but out of love, He stepped in. He calculated the price, not with a sliding scale of silver and gold, but with the infinite value of His own blood. He paid the debt in full.

And now, we belong to Him. "For the sons of Israel are My slaves." This is our glorious identity. We are not our own; we were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). This is not a burdensome slavery, but a liberating one. To be a slave of Christ is to be truly free from the brutal dominion of sin. We are now treated not with brutality, but as sons and daughters. And we look forward to our own great Jubilee, when the trumpet will sound, and we will be released from this body of death into the glorious freedom of the children of God, forever.