Back to Leviticus 25

Leviticus 25:47-55

“ ‘If an alien or temporary resident with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him has grown poor, and sells himself to the stranger or foreigner living among you, or to a member 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 a close relative to him of his family may redeem him; or if he has grown rich, he may redeem himself. He shall reckon with him who bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; he shall be with him according to the time of a hired servant. If there are yet many years, according to them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. If there remain but a few years to the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according to his years of service he shall give back the price of his redemption. As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him. He shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight. If he isn’t redeemed by these means, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee: he and his children with him. For to me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    “ ‘If an alien or temporary resident with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him has grown poor, and sells himself to the stranger or foreigner living among you, or to a member 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 a close relative to him of his family may redeem him; or if he has grown rich, he may redeem himself.

    He shall reckon with him who bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; he shall be with him according to the time of a hired servant.

    If there are yet many years, according to them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

    If there remain but a few years to the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according to his years of service he shall give back the price of his redemption.

    As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him. He shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight.

    If he isn’t redeemed by these means, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee: he and his children with him.

    For to me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.

  • KJV King James Version

    And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family:

    After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

    Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

    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.

    If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

    And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.

    And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.

    And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him.

    For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And if a stranger who is a settler with thee be waxen rich, and thy brother be waxen poor beside him, and sell himself unto the stranger who is a settler with thee, or to the offshoot of a stranger's family,

    after that he is sold he may be redeemed; one of his brethren may redeem him;

    or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be waxen rich, he may redeem himself.

    And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he sold himself to him unto 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.

    If there be yet many years, according unto 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 unto the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according unto his years shall he give back the price of his redemption.

    As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him; he shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.

    And if he be not redeemed by any of these means, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, he, and his children with him.

    For unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

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Examined in Scripture Analysis

Commandments (1)

The laws of the Torah, each cited and shown as a primary source.

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Cross-references (37)

  • Isaiah 16:14 (v50) But now Yahweh has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as a worker bound by contract would count them, the glory of Moab shall be brought…
  • Isaiah 21:16 (v50) For the Lord said to me, “Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, all the glory of Kedar will fail,
  • Leviticus 25:26 (vv47, 49) If a man has no one to redeem it, and he becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it,
  • Exodus 21:2-3 (v54) “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything. If he comes in by…
  • Leviticus 25:42 (v55) For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. They shall not be sold as slaves.
Show all 36 cross-references
  • Nehemiah 5:5 (v48) Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage…
  • Hebrews 2:11-13 (v48) For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,…
  • Exodus 13:3 (v55) Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Yahweh…
  • Exodus 20:2 (v55) “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
  • Leviticus 25:25 (v48) “ ‘If your brother becomes poor, and sells some of his possessions, then his kinsman who is next to him shall come, and redeem that which…
  • Leviticus 25:35 (v48) “ ‘If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you, then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an…
  • Leviticus 25:40 (v50) As a hired servant, and as a temporary resident, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee.
  • Leviticus 25:40-41 (v54) As a hired servant, and as a temporary resident, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee. Then he shall go…
  • Leviticus 25:43 (v53) You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your God.
  • Leviticus 25:46 (v53) You may make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession. Of them you may take your slaves forever, but over…
  • Leviticus 25:53 (v50) As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him. He shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight.
  • Deuteronomy 15:18 (v50) It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you; for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six…
  • 1 Samuel 2:7-8 (v47) Yahweh makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up. He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the…
  • Nehemiah 5:8 (v48) I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your…
  • Job 7:1-2 (v50) “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand? As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a…
  • Job 14:6 (v50) Look away from him, that he may rest, until he accomplishes, as a hireling, his day.
  • Psalms 116:16 (v55) Yahweh, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your servant girl. You have freed me from my chains.
  • Isaiah 43:3 (v55) For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
  • Isaiah 49:9 (v54) saying to those who are bound, ‘Come out!’; to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves!’ “They shall feed along the paths, and their…
  • Isaiah 49:25 (v54) But Yahweh says, “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the plunder retrieved from the fierce, for I will contend with…
  • Isaiah 52:3 (v54) For Yahweh says, “You were sold for nothing; and you will be redeemed without money.”
  • Luke 1:74-75 (v55) to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before…
  • Romans 6:14 (v55) For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
  • Romans 6:17-18 (v55) But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you…
  • Romans 6:22 (v55) But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification and the result of eternal life.
  • 1 Corinthians 7:22-23 (v55) For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s…
  • 1 Corinthians 9:19 (v55) For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
  • 1 Corinthians 9:21 (v55) to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who…
  • Galatians 4:4-5 (v48) But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were…
  • Galatians 5:13 (v55) For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.
  • James 2:5 (v47) Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he…

36 distinct cross-references across this passage (37 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (16 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv47, 49, 50, 53 Hebrew, his hand take hold.

Hebrew, his hand take hold.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv47, 50, 53 The stock, Heb. root, i.e. one of the root…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv47–55 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv47, 50, 53 The flock - Hebrew. root, that is, one of…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv50, 55 Verse 50. The price of his sale shall be,…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv47, 50, 53 Lev 25:47. The stock of the strangers — Hebrew,…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v47 A sojourner or stranger - Rather, a foreigner who…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv47, 49, 53 Stranger, or Gentile, who engages at least to keep…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 55 THE HEBREW SERVANT AND THE FOREIGN MASTER, Lev_25:47-55.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv47, 48, 53, 55 47–55. The case of Israelites who are slaves of…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 55 (47) And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On v47 Vers. 47-55. Rules are laid down for the case…
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain On v48
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On vv48, 49, 54 Heb. "goel," Redemp. (Kinsman type). (See Scofield "Isa 59:20").
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv47, 49, 51, 53 after your fellow Israelite has been bought, he may…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v47 25:47-55 An Israelite who sold himself or a family…
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