Leviticus 25:1
In mount Sinai — That is, near mount Sinai. So the Hebrew particle beth is sometimes used. So there is no need to disturb the history in this place.... [ Continue Reading ]
In mount Sinai — That is, near mount Sinai. So the Hebrew particle beth is sometimes used. So there is no need to disturb the history in this place.... [ Continue Reading ]
When ye come into the land — So as to be settled in it; for the time of the wars was not to be accounted, nor the time before Joshua's distribution of the land among them. Keep a sabbath — That is, enjoy rest and freedom from plowing, and tilling. Unto the Lord — In obedience and unto the honour of... [ Continue Reading ]
A sabbath of rest to the land — They were neither to do any work about it, nor expect any harvest from it. All yearly labours were to be intermitted in the seventh year, as much as daily labours on the seventh day.... [ Continue Reading ]
Of its own accord — From the grains that fell out of the ears the last reaping time. Thou shalt not reap — That is, as thy own peculiarly, but only so as others may reap it with thee, for present food. Undressed — Not cut off by thee, but suffered to grow for the use of the poor.... [ Continue Reading ]
The sabbath of the land — That is, the growth of the sabbath, or that fruit which groweth in the sabbatical year. For thy servant — For all promiscuously, to take food from thence as they need it.... [ Continue Reading ]
The jubilee — Signified the true liberty from our spiritual debts and slaveries to be purchased by Christ, and to be published to the world by the sound of the gospel. The seventh month — Which was the first month of the year for civil affairs; the jubilee therefore began in that month; and, as it s... [ Continue Reading ]
The fiftieth year — The year of jubilee was not the forty and ninth year, as some learned men think, but precisely the fiftieth. The old weekly sabbath is called the seventh day, because it truly was so, being next after the six days of the week and distinct from them all: and the year of release is... [ Continue Reading ]
It shall be holy — So it was, because it was sequestered in great part from worldly employments and dedicated to God, and to the exercise of holy joy and thankfulness; and because it was a type of that holy and happy jubilee which they were to expect and enjoy under the Messiah. The increase thereof... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye shall not oppress — Neither the seller by requiring more, nor the buyer by taking the advantage from his brother's necessities to give him less than the worth of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Years of fruits — Or, fruitful years; for there were some unfruitful years; those wherein they were not allowed to sow or reap.... [ Continue Reading ]
Years of fruits — Or, For the number of the fruits. The meaning is, he selleth not the land, but only the fruits thereof, and that for a certain time.... [ Continue Reading ]
For three years — Not compleatly, but in great part, namely, for that part of the 6th year which was between the beginning of harvest and the beginning of the 7th year, for the whole 7th year, and for that part of the 8th year which was before the harvest, which reached almost until the beginning of... [ Continue Reading ]
Old fruit — Of the sixth year principally, if not solely.... [ Continue Reading ]
For ever — So as to be for ever alienated from the family of him that sells it. Or, absolutely and properly, so as to become the property of the buyer: Or, to the extermination or utter cutting off, namely, of the seller, from all hopes and possibility of redemption. The land is mine — Procured for... [ Continue Reading ]
A redemption — A right of redemption in the time and manner following.... [ Continue Reading ]
If any of his kin come — Or, If the redeemer come, being near akin to him, who in this was an eminent type of Christ, who was made near akin to us by taking our flesh, that he might perform the work of redemption for us.... [ Continue Reading ]
The years of the sale — That is, from the time of the sale to the jubilee. See above, Leviticus 25:15. The overplus — That is, a convenient price for the years from this redemption to the jubilee.... [ Continue Reading ]
Go out — That is, out of the buyer's hand, without any redemption money.... [ Continue Reading ]
It shall not go out — The reasons before alledged for lands do not hold in such houses; there was no danger of confusion in tribes or families by the alienation of houses. The seller also had a greater propriety in houses than in lands, as being commonly built by the owner's cost and diligence, and... [ Continue Reading ]
In the villages — Because they belonged to and were necessary for the management of the lands.... [ Continue Reading ]
May not be sold — Not sold at all, partly, because it was of absolute necessity for them for the keeping of their cattle, and partly because these were no enclosures, but common fields, in which all the Levites that lived in such a city had an interest, and therefore no particular Levite could dispo... [ Continue Reading ]
A sojourner — Understand it of proselytes only, for of other strangers they were permitted to take usury, Deuteronomy 23:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
Of him — That is, of thy brother, whether he be Israelite, or proselyte. Or increase — All kinds of usury are in this case forbidden, whether of money, or of victuals, or of any thing that is commonly lent by one man to another upon usury, or upon condition of receiving the thing lent with advantage... [ Continue Reading ]
As a bond — man — Neither for the time, for ever, nor for the manner, with the hardest and vilest kinds of service, rigorously and severely exacted.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shall he depart — Thou shalt not suffer him or his to abide longer in thy service, as thou mightest do in the year of release, Exodus 21:2, Exodus 21:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
They are my servants — They, no less than you, are members of my church and people; such as I have chosen out of all the world to serve me here, and to enjoy me hereafter, and therefore are not to be oppressed, neither are you absolute lords over them to deal with them as you please.... [ Continue Reading ]
Fear thy God — Though thou dost not fear them who are in thy power, and unable to right themselves, yet fear that God who hath commanded thee to use them kindly, and who can and will avenge their cause, if thou oppress them.... [ Continue Reading ]
The flock — Heb. root, that is, one of the root or flock. So the word root is elsewhere used for the branch or progeny growing from it. He seems to note one of a foreign race and country, transplanted into the land of Israel, and there having taken root amongst the people of God, yet even such an on... [ Continue Reading ]
According to the time of an hired servant — Allowance shall be made for the time wherein he hath served, proportionable to that which is given to an hired servant for so long service, because his condition is in this like theirs; it is not properly his person, but his work and labour that was sold.... [ Continue Reading ]
In thy sight — Thou shalt not suffer this to be done, but whethe thou art a magistrate, or a private person, thou shalt take care according to thy capacity to get it remedied.... [ Continue Reading ]