Leviticus 25:13 kjv

In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.

Leviticus 25:13 nkjv

'In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession.

Leviticus 25:13 niv

"?'In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property.

Leviticus 25:13 esv

"In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property.

Leviticus 25:13 nlt

In the Year of Jubilee each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors.

Leviticus 25 verses

Leviticus 25 13 Meaning

Leviticus 25:13 decrees that in the Year of Jubilee, which occurred every fiftieth year, every Israelite who had sold or lost their ancestral property due to hardship or debt was to return to reclaim their original inheritance. This divine ordinance served as a profound economic and social reset, ensuring the perpetual preservation of family land allotments and preventing the accumulation of vast wealth by a few, thereby safeguarding the covenant community's social fabric and economic stability.

Leviticus 25 13 Context

Leviticus chapter 25 provides a detailed exposition of the laws concerning the Sabbatical Year (every seven years) and the Year of Jubilee (every fifty years). These divine statutes were foundational to Israel's social, economic, and spiritual life. Given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai before their entry into the Promised Land, these laws were designed to ensure that the distribution of land, as divinely allocated, would remain largely intact across generations. The context highlights God's sovereignty over the land and His desire for equity and justice within the community, preventing the development of permanent socio-economic disparities, hereditary poverty, or a landless underclass.

Leviticus 25 13 Word analysis

• "In this Year of Jubilee" (וּבִשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל – ū-ḇiše-naṯ ha-yōḇêl):
  • "Jubilee" (יוֹבֵל – yōḇêl): Derived from the Hebrew word for a ram's horn (שׁוֹפָר, shofar), which was sounded to proclaim the start of this holy year. It occurred in the fiftieth year, following a cycle of seven Sabbatical years. The sounding of the shofar itself symbolized the declaration of freedom and the breaking of bondage. The Jubilee was not merely an agricultural or economic observance; it carried significant spiritual weight, signifying a return to an ideal state of affairs where all covenant members enjoyed their full divine inheritance.
• "everyone" (אִישׁ – ’îš):
  • Literally "a man" or "each man." However, in this collective legislative context, it applies universally to every individual Israelite, household, or family within the community. It underscores the broad, community-wide application and benefit of the Jubilee, ensuring that the entire nation participates in and benefits from this act of restoration. This prevents discrimination and upholds the covenant's inclusivity for its members regarding their fundamental right to inheritance.
• "is to return" (תָּשֻׁבוּ – tāšuḇū):
  • This is a plural verb, meaning "you (all) shall return." It is a divine command to the entire congregation, indicating that returning to their property is not an option but a mandatory, covenantal obligation and privilege. The concept of "return" (שׁוּב, shuv) is central in Hebrew thought, often carrying implications of repentance, restoration, or a turning back to a previous, often ideal, state. In this context, it signifies the reversal of socio-economic decline and the restoration of a family's rightful position within the community and its land.
• "to their own property" (אֶל־אֲחֻזָּתוֹ – ’el-’aḥuzzāṯōw):
  • "property" (אֲחֻזָּתוֹ – ’aḥuzzāṯōw): Refers specifically to inherited ancestral land or family holdings. This was the portion of the Promised Land initially allotted to each tribe and family when Israel settled in Canaan, which formed the bedrock of their identity, economic sustenance, and connection to the covenant. The Jubilee ensured that this God-given, tribal, and familial land inheritance could not be permanently alienated. It protected families from chronic destitution and homelessness, upholding God's original distribution of the land.

Leviticus 25 13 Bonus section

• The Jubilee Year served as a living reminder of God's sovereignty over creation and humanity. It challenged the common ancient Near Eastern practices of permanent land sale and enslavement, presenting a unique, divinely ordained system that emphasized mercy, restoration, and equality within the covenant community.
• While some scholars debate the extent of its full implementation throughout Israel's history, the Jubilee remained an aspirational ideal, continually testifying to God's heart for justice and economic fairness. It represents a paradigm of proactive legislation designed to prevent the deep societal divisions that inevitably arise from unchecked economic accumulation and the loss of foundational assets.
• The principles of the Jubilee can be seen as echoing the broader covenant idea of "rest" and release – from the Sabbath for individuals, the Sabbatical Year for the land and debts, to the comprehensive societal rest and renewal in the Jubilee. These rhythms underscored that true prosperity and peace are found in obedience to God's liberating laws.
• The re-establishment of every family to their land reinforced the tribal and familial structures which were essential to Israel's identity and governance, maintaining the integrity of the inheritances passed down since the time of Joshua's distribution of the land.

Leviticus 25 13 Commentary

Leviticus 25:13 succinctly articulates the core principle of the Jubilee Year: the radical reversal of land sales and the universal return to ancestral property. This law went beyond simple charity; it was a structural safeguard against systemic poverty and extreme wealth disparity, reminding Israel that all land belonged to God (Lev 25:23). By necessitating a fifty-year economic reset, the Jubilee fostered a communal reliance on God's provision and a proactive commitment to social justice. It aimed to preserve family lineages and their God-given heritage, emphasizing that their identity and blessing were tied to their inheritance in the land. This cyclical restoration pointed forward to a greater spiritual Jubilee: the liberation from sin and spiritual debt offered through Jesus Christ, who proclaimed release and recovery (Lk 4:18-19).