Leviticus 25 Study Notes
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25:1-7 These verses give instructions concerning what is called the sabbatical year.
25:4 The expression a Sabbath of complete rest occurs only with the sabbatical year, the Sabbath (23:3), and the Day of Atonement (23:32). These are the only times in which abstinence from all work was prescribed.
25:8-22 These verses concern the Jubilee year. In addition to the regulations related to the Sabbath year, debts were to be canceled and properties returned to their original owners.
yovel
| Hebrew pronunciation | [yoh VEIL] |
| CSB translation | ram, ram’s horn, Jubilee |
| Uses in Leviticus | 20 |
| Uses in the OT | 27 |
| Focus passage | Leviticus 25:10-13,15,28,30-31,33,40 |
The word yovel, related to a verb yoviyl meaning “bring,” appears once in Exodus, twenty times in Leviticus, once in Numbers, and five times in Joshua. In Ex 19:13 it indicates a ram’s horn. Yovel, though not explicit in translation because of previous mention in Jos 6:4, modifies qeren (“horn”) as “of a ram” in Jos 6:5. Joshua 6:4 mentions “trumpets of the yovelim” (plural form), where yovel may imply rams or rams’ horns. In Numbers and Leviticus yovel always means Jubilee in reference to every fiftieth year, which was to involve cessation from labor (Lv 25:11-12), return of ancestral land (Lv 25:10,28,33), and release from slavery (Lv 25:39-41,54-55). Other texts mention the year of release (Is 61:1-2; Ezk 46:17). The assumption is that the Jubilee would be inaugurated by blowing ram’s-horn trumpets. The root may occur in Jubal, the father of harp and flute players (Gn 4:21).
25:8 The number seven is sacred, so the expression seven times seven years points to a most sacred time which ushered in the Year of Jubilee. While amnesties in the ancient Near East occurred at the discretion of a particular king or ruler, in Israel the Year of Jubilee was fixed and ordained by God, who did not leave it to human discretion. Failure to obey this law was one factor leading to Israel’s exile (26:34-25,43; 2Ch 36:21).
25:10 Israel was asked to consecrate or sanctify only the Sabbath (Ex 20:8,11; Dt 5:12; Jr 17:22,24,27; Ezk 20:20; 44:24) and the Year of Jubilee. The verb “consecrate” may be translated “to sanctify” or “to treat as holy.”
25:23-55 These verses concern the family redeemer in relation to the Jubilee year.
25:23 The land refers to the promised land. The notion of God’s ownership of the land occurs throughout the OT (Ex 15:17; Ps 10:16; 85:1; Is 14:2,25; Jr 2:7; Ezk 36:5; 38:16; Hs 9:3).
25:25 In order to keep property in the family, a well-off relative, known as a family redeemer, was allowed to buy it. This law was applied when Ruth was redeemed by Boaz after her closest family redeemer refused to marry her.
25:32-34 Even though the Levites were not allotted permanent property in the promised land (Nm 18:23; 26:62), they were provided permanent residences and pastureland. These consisted of forty-eight towns and their surrounding fields (Nm 35:1-8). Sacred cities similar to these Levitical cities have been found in Ugarit and Mesopotamia.
25:35-38 A destitute Israelite who became impoverished was supposed to be supported by his fellow Israelites, who were not allowed to profit from the needs of the poor. The text implies that if a person took advantage of his impoverished brother, he did not fear . . . God.
25:39-55 God provided for the poor who had to sell themselves as indentured servants. However, slavery for an Israelite could only be a temporary condition, and the law prohibited harsh treatment and provided for release in the Year of Jubilee. Proslavery movements in recent history have misused passages in Leviticus by ignoring their provisions and limitations.
25:55 Although most English versions read servants rather than “slaves” here and in v. 42, the Hebrew word is the same as that rendered “slaves” elsewhere in the chapter (‘ebed).