Leviticus 25:25 kjv

If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.

Leviticus 25:25 nkjv

'If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.

Leviticus 25:25 niv

"?'If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.

Leviticus 25:25 esv

"If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.

Leviticus 25:25 nlt

If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell some family land, then a close relative should buy it back for him.

Leviticus 25 verses

Leviticus 25 25 Meaning

Leviticus 25:25 establishes a divine mandate within the Israelite community for a system of land redemption. It outlines that if an Israelite, facing financial hardship, sells part of his hereditary land possession, a qualified close relative, known as the "redeemer" (go'el), has the right and obligation to purchase it back to restore it to the original family lineage. This law prevents the permanent loss of family patrimony and ensures land remains within its divinely allotted tribal inheritance until the Year of Jubilee.

Leviticus 25 25 Context

Leviticus 25 is dedicated to the laws governing the Sabbatical Year (Shemitah) and the Year of Jubilee (Yovel). These laws were fundamental to Israel's social, economic, and spiritual life, establishing God's sovereignty over the land and its people. The Sabbatical Year provided rest for the land and cancelled debts, while the Jubilee Year, every fiftieth year, decreed the release of slaves and the return of ancestral land to its original families, preventing permanent accumulation of wealth by a few and permanent destitution for others. Verse 25 fits within a sequence of regulations addressing the plight of an Israelite who becomes poor and is forced to sell their inheritance. It highlights God's provision for social welfare and family preservation, underscoring that all land ultimately belongs to God (Lev 25:23). This contrasts sharply with prevailing land ownership practices in ancient Near Eastern societies, where perpetual sale of land and permanent debt-slavery were common, reinforcing Israel's unique covenant relationship with Yahweh and His concern for justice and equity.

Leviticus 25 25 Word analysis

• If one of your brothers: This phrase emphasizes the internal, communal responsibility within the covenant people. The law applies specifically to Israelites, highlighting their shared brotherhood and mutual obligation under God. This community focus promotes cohesion and support.
• becomes poor (מוּךְ - muwk): Refers to a state of destitution, a severe lack of means. It implies hardship beyond a temporary setback, indicating a need that forces the sale of land, which was a last resort and central to an Israelite family's livelihood and identity.
• and sells (מָכַר - makar): While generally meaning "to sell," in this context of Israelite land, it does not imply absolute, permanent transfer of ownership. Given the overarching law of Jubilee (Lev 25:10, 23), land was not truly sold but rather the right to its produce or use for a determined period, until the next Jubilee. This distinction is critical to understanding the law's protective intent.
• some of his property (אֲחֻזָּה - achuzzah): Refers specifically to a hereditary, allotted possession, usually agricultural land. This was not just any asset but the fundamental economic base and familial inheritance established during the conquest and division of the land (e.g., Num 36). Its loss could mean existential threat to a family's future and identity.
• his close relative (גֹּאֵל - go'el): This is a pivotal term. The go'el is a kinsman-redeemer, a male relative who had a legal and moral obligation to act on behalf of a family member in distress. His duties included: avenging bloodshed, levirate marriage, and here, redeeming property. This role reflects the strong tribal and family bonds within Israel, tasked with protecting family lineage, integrity, and economic stability.
• is to come and redeem (גָּאַל - ga'al): The verb ga'al means "to redeem," "to buy back," "to reclaim." It's a foundational theological term referring to restoration to an original state or freedom. Here, it denotes the action of buying back the land sold due to poverty, thereby restoring it to the original owner or family before the Jubilee. The "come" (bo) signifies the active responsibility of the go'el to initiate and perform this duty.
• what his brother has sold: This reiterates the object of redemption—the specific piece of hereditary land that was temporarily transferred out of necessity. It underscores the emphasis on restoring patrimony.

Leviticus 25 25 Bonus section

The institution of the go'el in Israel, as highlighted in Lev 25:25, provided a divinely ordained mechanism for social welfare long before modern concepts of state-sponsored support. It ensured that family wealth, primarily in land, did not become permanently concentrated in a few hands, preventing the rise of a powerful land-owning aristocracy that could oppress the poor. This system of checks and balances aimed to maintain economic equality as much as possible, emphasizing God's concern that His people would live in freedom and dignity within their allotted inheritance. The go'el was not just a legal figure but a figure of grace and restoration, reflecting a key attribute of God Himself as the ultimate Redeemer of His people from various forms of bondage.

Leviticus 25 25 Commentary

Leviticus 25:25 is a cornerstone of Israel's economic and social justice system, reflecting God's compassion for the poor and His design for societal equity. It mandates the kinsman-redeemer (go'el) to ensure that hereditary land, the primary source of an Israelite family's security and identity, could not be permanently alienated due to poverty. This law actively prevented the formation of a landless, impoverished class, reinforcing God's ultimate ownership of the land and the temporary nature of human stewardship. It transformed a potential crisis of poverty into an opportunity for familial solidarity and the manifestation of covenant faithfulness, pointing to the importance of brotherhood, responsibility, and the principle of restoration. Practically, this encouraged vigilance among relatives and provided a safety net for those who faced destitution, preventing societal collapse.