Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Leviticus 25:47-55
An Israelite Member of the Covenant Must Always Be Able to Buy His Freedom At Any Time (Leviticus 25:47).
“And if a stranger or sojourner with you be grown rich, and your brother be grown poor beside him, and sell himself to the stranger or sojourner with you, or to the stock of the stranger's family; after he is sold he may be redeemed: one of his brothers may redeem him; or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any who is of near kin to him of his family may redeem him; or if he is grown rich, he may redeem himself.”
There was here a recognition that foreigners and resident aliens and their families in Israel might grow rich. They might even grow so rich that they took poor Israelites as bondmen. But it was always open for the bonds of those bondmen to be redeemed at any time. It could be by a relative, a near kinsman, or even by themselves. Even a bondman could grow rich. But whatever happened he became free in the year of Yubile.
“And he shall reckon with him who bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the year of jubilee, and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years; according to the time of a hired servant shall he be with him.”
Thus the price to be paid for his freedom took into account the number of years to yubile, just as the price he had received had taken it into account. For in the end he was with him as a hired servant, not as a permanent bondman, and must be treated as such.
“If there be yet many years, according to them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. And if there remain but few years to the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according to his years shall he give back the price of his redemption.”
Thus prices of sale and redemption of bonds could be high or low depending on the number of years to yubile. If the bond was for many years' service the price could be high, if only for a few the price could be low.
“As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him: he shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight.”
But in any case the Israelite must be treated like a servant hired year by year, not as a bondman. He was not to be treated harshly.
“And if he be not redeemed by these means, then he shall go out in the year of yubile, he, and his children with him.”
And whatever happened he and his family went free in the year of Yubile.
“For to me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.”
And the basis behind all this was that the people of His covenant, ‘the children of Israel', were His servants. He was their Master. Thus all other relationships were subject to that. And He, as Yahweh their God, had delivered them from the land of Egypt. He was the One Who was there with them and held the future in His hands.
We are reminded in all this that we too have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19) by One Who is our brother and Redeemer. He has paid a great price, for ‘you were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold -- but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot' (1 Peter 1:18). He gave Himself a redemption price on behalf of many (Mark 10:45). And through Him we are in bondage no longer.