Leviticus 25 30

Leviticus 25:30 kjv

And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubilee.

Leviticus 25:30 nkjv

But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee.

Leviticus 25:30 niv

If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer's descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee.

Leviticus 25:30 esv

If it is not redeemed within a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong in perpetuity to the buyer, throughout his generations; it shall not be released in the jubilee.

Leviticus 25:30 nlt

But if it is not bought back within a year, the sale of the house within the walled town cannot be reversed. It will become the permanent property of the buyer. It will not be returned to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee.

Leviticus 25 verses

Leviticus 25 30 Meaning

Leviticus 25:30 details a specific legal provision regarding houses located within walled cities in ancient Israel. It states that if such a house, sold by its original owner, is not repurchased within a fixed period of one full year from its sale, then its ownership becomes permanently transferred to the buyer and their descendants. Crucially, unlike agricultural land or houses in unwalled villages, this type of property does not revert to its original owner during the Year of Jubilee. This establishes a unique exception to the general principle of land returning to its ancestral owners at Jubilee.

Leviticus 25 30 Context

Leviticus chapter 25 details the Mosaic Law's regulations concerning the Sabbatical Year (every seventh year, land lies fallow) and the Jubilee Year (every fiftieth year, land reverts to its ancestral owners, and Israelite slaves are freed). The core principle is that the land ultimately belongs to Yahweh (Lev 25:23), and therefore permanent alienation of family land is not permissible. This ensured the preservation of tribal and family inheritances, preventing a permanent class of landless poor and promoting social equity.

Verses 29-31, however, present a specific nuanced distinction for the redemption of houses. While land and houses in unwalled villages were fundamentally tied to the Jubilee return, houses within walled cities were treated differently. This distinction acknowledges the unique economic and social function of urban properties, which served as places of commerce, trade, and residency, rather than directly supporting agrarian livelihoods tied to ancestral land plots. The immediate preceding verse (29) sets up the one-year redemption period, and verse 30 delivers the consequence if that period passes without redemption. This regulation provided stability for commercial transactions in urban settings while upholding the overall divine principle for rural lands.

Leviticus 25 30 Word analysis

• And if it be not redeemed (וְאִם לֹא יִגָּאֵל - ve'im lo yigga'el): The verb yigga'el comes from the root גָּאַל (ga'al), which signifies "to redeem," "to ransom," or "to deliver." It implies recovery through payment or legal right. This term is central to the concept of the kinsman-redeemer (go'el), highlighting a system where property (and people) could be reclaimed, underscoring the sacredness of family heritage. Here, it denotes the opportunity for the original owner to buy back the house.

• within the space of a full year (עַד תֹּם לוֹ שָׁנָה תְּמִימָה - ad tom lo shanah temimah): This specifies a very strict, finite, and unextendable period for redemption. The term temimah (full/complete) emphasizes the exactness. This contrasts sharply with land sales, where redemption was possible at any point before Jubilee. The short window indicates the commercial nature and practical need for certainty in urban property transactions.

• then the house that is in the walled city (בַּבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר בְּעִיר הַחוֹמָה - babbayit asher be'ir hachomah): This phrase identifies the specific type of property subject to this exception.

  • Bayit (בַּיִת) is "house" or "dwelling."
  • Ir chomah (עִיר חוֹמָה) literally means "city of a wall" or "walled city." Walled cities served as centers for defense, administration, and commerce. Their permanence and importance meant property within them had different rules than open country or unwalled villages (chatzarim - open country villages). This distinction highlights a recognition within the Mosaic Law of urban commercial real estate versus agricultural family land.

• shall be established for ever (וְקָם לַצְּמִיתֻת - veqam latzemitut):

  • Qam (קָם) means "it shall stand" or "be established."
  • Latzemitut (לַצְּמִיתֻת) is a crucial term, meaning "permanently," "for cutting off," or "with finality." It implies the transfer is absolute within the human sphere of ownership. This phrase stands in direct opposition to the general Jubilee rule. It signifies an unredeemable, irreversible transfer. While 'forever' can often mean perpetual duration within a system, here it strongly means 'no future reversal, no Jubilee return'.

• to him that bought it throughout his generations (לַקֹּנֶה אֹתוֹ לְדֹרֹתָיו - laqqoneh oto ledorotayv): This reinforces the permanent nature of the transfer. The buyer's lineage gains perpetual title, underscoring the definitive change of ownership.

• it shall not go out in the jubilee (בַּיֹּבֵל לֹא יֵצֵא - bayovel lo yetzei): This is the decisive statement highlighting the unique exception. The house's ownership remains with the buyer even when the general redistribution of land occurs during the Jubilee Year. It signifies a complete severance from its ancestral line in the Jubilee framework.

Leviticus 25 30 Bonus section

The distinction for houses in walled cities versus those in unwalled villages or fields (Lev 25:31) reflects a clear understanding of the varying economic and social functions of these properties.

1. Economic Certainty: The finality of sale for urban houses, without Jubilee reversion, provided crucial economic certainty. This fostered a stable real estate market in cities, encouraging investment in commercial properties and allowing for permanent business establishments, which would not face the threat of repossession every 50 years.
2. Ancestral vs. Commercial Property: Land outside of walled cities was primarily agricultural and viewed as the ancestral inheritance tied to tribal identity and family sustenance. Houses within walled cities, however, often served commercial purposes or residences detached from agrarian heritage, facilitating trade, craftsmanship, and administrative functions. The law distinguishes between maintaining familial agricultural ties and allowing a flexible urban economy.
3. No "Poor" Implication: Unlike the sale of ancestral land, the sale of an urban house might not have been interpreted as an indicator of absolute poverty, or it was a more easily retrievable asset if the person recovered financially within a year. After that year, if not redeemed, it reflected a choice or permanent economic reality acknowledged by the law.
4. Polemics: This unique law implicitly counters any simplistic notion that all land or property within Israel was treated identically under divine law. It shows God's ordinances were intricate and considerate of practical socio-economic variations, rather than rigid universal applications that might stifle necessary urban development or commercial activity.

Leviticus 25 30 Commentary

Leviticus 25:30 stands as a remarkable carve-out within the otherwise overarching principles of land reversion in the Jubilee. While the Jubilee aimed to prevent the permanent alienation of Israelite tribal land, thereby protecting the patrimony and ensuring that families would always have a stake in the land of promise, houses in walled cities were exempt. This distinction reveals a nuanced and practical legal system designed to accommodate different types of property and economic realities.

The short one-year redemption period, contrasted with the indefinite redemption possibility for agricultural land, implies that urban properties were viewed more as commercial assets, subject to quicker and more final transactions. This rule likely facilitated trade and investment in cities by providing legal certainty to buyers, knowing that their property would not revert after decades. Without such certainty, urban development and a stable housing market might have been stifled, hindering economic activity crucial for thriving cities. This highlights divine wisdom in providing regulations that supported both agrarian-based social justice and urban economic development. Ultimately, while earthly possessions are temporary, the New Testament draws parallels with Christ's ultimate redemption, providing believers with an eternal inheritance and an everlasting city (Heb 13:14) not bound by temporary earthly laws or Jubilees.