Leviticus 25:15 kjv

According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:

Leviticus 25:15 nkjv

According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you.

Leviticus 25:15 niv

You are to buy from your own people on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And they are to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops.

Leviticus 25:15 esv

You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops.

Leviticus 25:15 nlt

When you buy land from your neighbor, the price you pay must be based on the number of years since the last jubilee. The seller must set the price by taking into account the number of years remaining until the next Year of Jubilee.

Leviticus 25 verses

Leviticus 25 15 Meaning

Leviticus 25:15 details the method for pricing land transactions in ancient Israel within the framework of the Jubilee system. The cost of purchasing land (or more accurately, the right to use its produce) was directly proportionate to the number of years remaining until the next Jubilee year. Similarly, the seller received compensation based on the anticipated years of crops that could be harvested before the land automatically reverted to its original family ownership in the Jubilee. This system emphasized the temporary nature of land tenure and God's ultimate ownership.

Leviticus 25 15 Context

Leviticus Chapter 25 is dedicated to establishing the laws of the Sabbath Year (every seventh year, for land to rest) and the Jubilee Year (every fiftieth year). These laws served to regulate Israel's agricultural and social life, ensuring regular periods of rest for the land, economic equity, and social justice. The core principle behind these regulations is God's ultimate ownership of the land and His desire for His people to live in a way that reflects His justice and compassion. Leviticus 25:15 specifically deals with transactions concerning land during the intervening years between Jubilees, reinforcing the concept that any sale was merely a lease of the land's produce until the next Jubilee, when all land would revert to its original family, thus preventing permanent dispossession and economic stratification. This historical context reveals a societal structure built upon divine directives to safeguard inheritance and prevent perpetual poverty among the Israelite tribes.

Word Analysis

• According to the number of years: This phrase, Umispar shanim (וּמִסְפַּ֣ר שְׁנִ֗ים), signifies a precise, arithmetical basis for valuation, removing ambiguity and ensuring fairness. It points to a temporal, not qualitative, metric.
• after the Jubilee: achar hayovel (אַחַ֤ר הַיֹּובֵל֙) anchors the valuation to this divinely appointed event. All economic dealings related to land were provisional and temporary, counting down to the return of property at the Jubilee.
• you shall buy from your neighbor: tikneh me'eit amit'echa (תִּקְנֶ֖ה מֵאֵ֣ת עֲמִתֶּ֑ךָ). The term "neighbor" (amit) emphasizes the transaction taking place within the Israelite community, implying an obligation of righteous and equitable dealing between brethren, devoid of exploitation.
• and according to the number of years of crops: kefiy sh'nei t'vuot (כְּפִ֥י שְׁנֵי֙ תְּבוּאֹ֖ת). This is crucial. The Hebrew word tĕbuʾah (תְּבוּאָה) means "produce," "yield," or "fruit." This clarifies that the transaction was not an outright sale of the land itself but rather the purchase or sale of the expected output or use of the land for the specified remaining years. It reflects the agrarian nature of Israel's economy, where land value was primarily tied to its agricultural productivity.
• he shall sell to you: yimkor lach (יִמְכֹּר־לָֽךְ׃). This completes the bilateral nature of the transaction, where the valuation is equally applied to both buyer and seller, ensuring mutual fairness.

Words-group analysis:

• "According to the number of years after the Jubilee": This phrase highlights the central principle of the Jubilee law: all land tenure was temporary, managed, and contingent upon God's ownership, resetting every fifty years. It mandates a standardized, objective calculation rather than arbitrary pricing based on market speculation or personal gain.
• "years of crops he shall sell to you": This clarifies that what was being transacted was not the physical land in perpetuity, but rather the anticipated future yield or benefit from the land for a limited duration. It reinforces the theological point that the land belonged to God and was merely being leased or managed by the Israelites. This also prevents families from being permanently dispossessed of their tribal inheritance, which was key to Israelite social and economic stability.

Leviticus 25 15 Commentary

Leviticus 25:15 outlines a revolutionary economic principle for land transactions in ancient Israel. Unlike conventional markets where land value fluctuates based on various factors, here, the price was fixed and transparent, determined solely by the number of remaining agricultural seasons until the Jubilee. This meticulous system underscored two profound theological truths: first, God's absolute ownership of the land (Lev 25:23), reducing the Israelites to mere stewards, and second, His provision for social justice, preventing the permanent disenfranchisement of any family. It safeguarded the tribal inheritances granted at the time of the conquest, ensuring no Israelite family would fall into irreversible poverty by being dispossessed of their primary source of livelihood. This structure mandated integrity and trust in community dealings, as profit margins were dictated by divine law, not human manipulation. For example, if the Jubilee was 10 years away, a field would cost half as much as if it were 20 years away, regardless of other factors, focusing solely on the "years of crops."

Bonus SectionThe detailed land valuation method in Lev 25:15 ensured that the concept of "fair market value" was divinely established and objective, rather than subjective and potentially exploitative. This was crucial for an agrarian society where land was life. This also subtly encouraged timely redemptions of land (Lev 25:24-28), as the longer one waited, the lower the cost of redeeming one's lost property would be due to fewer years remaining until the Jubilee. Spiritually, this law foreshadows the ultimate "Jubilee" in Christ, where believers are truly redeemed, set free from spiritual debts, and restored to an eternal inheritance (Eph 1:7; Col 1:13-14) that will never revert. Just as the earthly land returned to its rightful owners, in Christ, humanity is offered restoration to its rightful place with God.