Leviticus 25 55

Leviticus 25:55 kjv

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.

Leviticus 25:55 nkjv

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

Leviticus 25:55 niv

for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 25:55 esv

For it is to me that the people of Israel are servants. They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 25:55 nlt

For the people of Israel belong to me. They are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 25 verses

Leviticus 25 55 Meaning

Leviticus 25:55 states the fundamental theological reason why an Israelite, even if impoverished and sold into service, could not become the permanent property of another person: because all Israelites are ultimately God’s servants, whom He Himself redeemed from slavery in Egypt. This verse underpins the Jubilee laws and mandates temporary servitude, preventing permanent chattel slavery among fellow Israelites.

Leviticus 25 55 Context

Leviticus 25:55 concludes a section of laws governing Israelite servitude, particularly to those of foreign resident status. The preceding verses (Lev 25:47-54) detail the process by which an impoverished Israelite sold into such service could be redeemed by a kinsman or by self-redemption before the Jubilee year. Verse 55 provides the ultimate theological justification for all these laws of release: Israel's status as God's exclusive servants, a status established through their foundational deliverance from Egypt. The entire chapter revolves around the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, laws designed by God to ensure the periodic redistribution of land, the release of debts, and the freeing of servants, thereby preventing the permanent disenfranchisement of any Israelite family and upholding the principle that God is the true owner of both the land and its people. This specific verse solidifies that Israel’s liberty is not merely a social courtesy but a theological imperative rooted in God’s direct intervention in their history.

Leviticus 25 55 Word analysis

• For (כִּי - ki): This particle introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding regulations regarding the redemption of an Israelite servant. It highlights that the laws of release are not arbitrary but based on a fundamental divine truth.
• they are My servants (עֲבָדַי הֵם - ‘avadai hem):
  • ‘avadai: The possessive form of עֶבֶד (‘eved), meaning "servant," "slave," or "worshipper." In this context, it underscores their special relationship with God as those dedicated to Him.
  • hem: "they."
  • Significance: This declarative statement asserts God’s absolute claim over the Israelites. Their primary allegiance and identity are defined by their status as God’s property, not man’s. This elevates their dignity beyond mere labor and fundamentally limits human claims of ownership.
• whom I brought out of the land of Egypt (אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם - ’asher hotz’eti ‘otam me’eretz Mitzrayim):
  • ’asher hotz’eti: "whom I brought out." The verb highlights God’s decisive and active role as the redeemer.
  • me’eretz Mitzrayim: "from the land of Egypt." This refers to the pivotal Exodus event, the central redemptive act in Israel's history.
  • Significance: The Exodus serves as the irrefutable historical and theological basis for God's claim. Having redeemed them from ultimate slavery (to Pharaoh), God maintains their freedom, forbidding perpetual human enslavement among His covenant people. It reinforces the covenant relationship born from this act of deliverance.
• they shall not be sold as slaves (לֹא יִמָּכְרוּ מִמְכֶּרֶת עָבֶד - lo yimakeru mimkeret ‘aved):
  • lo: "not."
  • yimakeru: Passive form of "to be sold." This emphasizes the prohibited action: Israelites are not to be subjected to this kind of sale.
  • mimkeret ‘aved: Literally, "the selling of a slave" or "a slave sale." This clarifies the specific type of prohibited transaction—a permanent, unredeemable transfer of human property common elsewhere.
  • Significance: This is the explicit command derived from God's ownership and redemption. It distinguishes the temporary "bond-service" of an Israelite from the permanent chattel slavery practiced by other nations, which considered slaves as absolute property with no prospect of freedom. It underlines the boundaries of human proprietorship within the covenant community.

Words-group analysis:

• "For they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt": This profound statement provides the divine rationale for the entire system of social justice and economic protection embedded in the Jubilee and sabbatical laws concerning servitude. It establishes that Israel’s identity is first and foremost defined by God’s gracious redemption and ownership. Their service is eternally pledged to God, rendering permanent human servitude impossible.
• "they shall not be sold as slaves": This is the direct implication and commandment flowing from God's ultimate claim. It defines the practical limit of Israelite servitude, ensuring that while an Israelite might temporarily sell themselves or be sold into service due to economic hardship, their status could never devolve into the absolute and hereditary chattel slavery typical of pagan cultures. This protection reflected God's valuing of human dignity and liberty, stemming from His own act of liberating them.

Leviticus 25 55 Bonus section

This divine declaration fundamentally distinguishes Israel’s social structure from contemporary Near Eastern societies like Egypt or Mesopotamia, where chattel slavery was often hereditary, brutal, and permanent. The law functions as a direct polemic against the dehumanizing aspects of pagan systems of slavery, proclaiming Yahweh’s superior justice and care for His people. It implicitly critiques any human system that would claim absolute ownership over another person, as true ownership ultimately resides with the Creator and Redeemer. In the New Testament, this concept of belonging to God through redemption is spiritually magnified. Believers, bought by the precious blood of Christ (1 Cor 7:23), are no longer slaves to sin, death, or worldly systems, but are now servants of Christ (Rom 6:18, 22), thereby experiencing true freedom and a new identity rooted in His redemption.

Leviticus 25 55 Commentary

Leviticus 25:55 serves as the profound theological capstone for the regulations on Israelite bond-servants. It asserts that God’s unique redemption of Israel from Egypt means they perpetually belong to Him alone as His "servants." This divine proprietorship categorically restricts human beings from treating fellow Israelites as permanent chattel property. Though temporary service contracts were permitted for economic relief, these were fundamentally distinct from permanent slavery. The underlying principle is God’s absolute sovereignty and loving concern for His covenant people, safeguarding their dignity and perpetual freedom. This concept highlights that any temporary servitude was ultimately a form of "borrowed" labor that could not usurp God’s claim, perpetually aiming toward freedom and release in the Jubilee. This ensured that no Israelite was ever forgotten by the Lord or stripped of their ultimate inheritance in Him.