Leviticus 27 24

Leviticus 27:24 kjv

In the year of the jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.

Leviticus 27:24 nkjv

In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, to the one who owned the land as a possession.

Leviticus 27:24 niv

In the Year of Jubilee the field will revert to the person from whom it was bought, the one whose land it was.

Leviticus 27:24 esv

In the year of jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, to whom the land belongs as a possession.

Leviticus 27:24 nlt

In the Year of Jubilee the field must be returned to the person from whom he purchased it, the one who inherited it as family property.

Leviticus 27 verses

Leviticus 27 24 Meaning

Leviticus 27:24 stipulates a fundamental principle of the Jubilee Year, which occurs every 50 years. It states that any field that was bought or temporarily alienated from its original owner must revert to that person, or their family, in the Jubilee year. This law reinforces the divinely established system of land distribution in Israel, where family inheritance was paramount, and prevents permanent alienation of land from its designated tribal and familial possessors. Land sales were, in effect, long-term leases, calculated according to the number of years remaining until the next Jubilee.

Leviticus 27 24 Context

Leviticus 27:24 is situated in the concluding chapter of the Book of Leviticus, which primarily deals with specific regulations concerning vows, dedications, and valuations of persons, animals, houses, and fields consecrated to the Lord. While chapter 27 is an addendum to the main legal corpus, it connects directly to the core themes of holiness, divine ownership, and the specific regulations for the Jubilee year introduced in Leviticus chapter 25.

Chapter 25 details the laws of the Sabbath Year (every 7th year) and the Jubilee Year (every 50th year). These laws were fundamental to Israel's economic and social structure, ensuring a reset of society. The Jubilee served as a powerful reminder that God alone owned the land (Lev 25:23), and the Israelites were merely stewards and sojourners. Its primary purpose was to prevent permanent economic hardship, return individuals to their family property and kinship ties, and prevent the formation of a permanent landless class. This was crucial for an agricultural society where land was the basis of livelihood and identity. Leviticus 27:16-25 specifically addresses the dedication of a field, and how its valuation is intrinsically linked to the Jubilee calendar. Verse 24 re-emphasizes that even a field dedicated to the Lord and not redeemed by the priest before the Jubilee would still revert to its original, divinely ordained owner upon the arrival of that special year, reinforcing the ultimate supremacy of the Jubilee law.

Leviticus 27 24 Word Analysis

• In the Year of Jubilee (בִּשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל - bi-shnat ha-yovel)

  • bi-shnat: "in the year of." Denotes the specific time marker.
  • ha-yovel: "the Jubilee." From yovel (יוֹבֵל), likely referencing the ram's horn (shofar) blown to proclaim this year. It symbolizes liberation, release, and return. The Jubilee year, occurring every 50th year (the year after seven cycles of seven years), was a monumental time of reset and restoration in ancient Israel's economic and social life. It was a visible manifestation of God's order and mercy.

• the field (הַשָּׂדֶה - ha-sadeh)

  • ha-sadeh: "the field." Refers to agricultural land, which was the primary form of wealth and sustenance in an agrarian society. It was the inheritance given by God to each family according to their tribal allotment.

• shall return (יָשׁוּב - yashuv)

  • yashuv: From the root shuv (שׁוּב), meaning "to turn back, return, restore." This word carries the sense of compulsory reversal, indicating a divinely mandated restoration to the original state. It is not an option but a certain and binding decree. This emphasizes God's sovereign hand over the land and its ownership.

• to the person from whom it was bought (לַאֲשֶׁר מִמֶּנּוּ קָנָה אֹתוֹ - la'asher mimenu qanah oto)

  • la'asher: "to whom, to the one who." Identifies the recipient.
  • mimenu: "from him." Indicates the original seller.
  • qanah: "bought." From qanah (קָנָה), meaning "to acquire, purchase." This highlights the temporary nature of the "purchase." A land sale in Israel was not an absolute transfer of ownership but rather a lease, with its value determined by the number of harvest years remaining until the Jubilee.

• to whom the ownership of the land belongs (לַאֲשֶׁר לוֹ מֹאחֻזַּת הָאָרֶץ - la'asher lo mo'ahuzat ha-aretz)

  • la'asher lo: "to whom it belongs." This phrase serves as an emphatic reiteration of the rightful owner.
  • mo'ahuzat ha-aretz: "the ownership/possession of the land." Mo'ahuzah (מֹאחֻזָה) means "possession, property, holding." It specifically refers to the inalienable, familial holding or inheritance established by God’s initial distribution of the land. It clarifies that the original familial right, given by God, supersedes any temporary transactional rights. This principle underscores that ultimate title rested with God, and families held their land as an enduring inheritance from Him.

• "In the Year of Jubilee... shall return": This phrase highlights the divine mechanism by which God ensures the cyclical reset of society and economy in Israel. It is an act of liberation and restoration embedded in the Mosaic Law.

• "to the person from whom it was bought, to whom the ownership of the land belongs": This double emphasis underscores both the contractual transaction (the temporary "sale") and the underlying, fundamental, inalienable right of original, familial inheritance. It serves to remove any ambiguity regarding ultimate ownership at the time of Jubilee.

Leviticus 27 24 Bonus Section

• Counter-Cultural Ethos: The Jubilee laws, including the principle stated in Leviticus 27:24, presented a stark contrast to land ownership practices prevalent in other ancient Near Eastern cultures. In many neighboring societies, land could be permanently alienated, leading to perpetual debt-slavery, widening gaps between rich and poor, and social instability. God's design for Israel protected the family unit and offered a radical safeguard against oppression and extreme economic disparity, showcasing divine justice and mercy.
• Foreshadowing Christ's Redemptive Work: The Jubilee principle of "liberty," "release," and "return" (Lev 25:10) serves as a profound Old Testament type or shadow for the ultimate spiritual Jubilee brought by Jesus Christ. In Him, spiritual captives are freed from sin and death, debts are forgiven, and humanity is offered restoration to a relationship with God—our original and true "possession" (Luke 4:18-19, quoting Isa 61:1-2). This physical restoration in the land prefigures the deeper spiritual and eternal restoration found in the Gospel.
• Consistency within Leviticus 27: While Leviticus 27 outlines various types of vows and the monetary valuation for redeeming dedicated persons, animals, houses, and fields, verse 24 highlights that the Jubilee's impact overrides even dedicated properties. If a field was dedicated to God but not redeemed by its original owner or a kinsman, it would still revert to the original owner during the Jubilee, reinforcing the foundational status of the Jubilee land laws over other vows and dedications. If no one redeemed it, it became sacred to the Lord, yet would revert at the Jubilee if it had been inherited. This points to the sacrosanct nature of God's land grants to His people.

Leviticus 27 24 Commentary

Leviticus 27:24 powerfully encapsulates a cornerstone of the Mosaic Law concerning land tenure. It affirms that the transfer of land, even when legally executed, was never permanent in Israel; ultimate ownership and title belonged to God (Lev 25:23). Every fifty years, the arrival of the Jubilee reset all land holdings to their original tribal and familial inheritors. This principle was designed to maintain social equality, prevent the perpetual impoverishment of families through debt, preserve family identity tied to the land, and prevent the accumulation of vast estates by a few. The field returning "to the person from whom it was bought" even in the case of a consecrated field not redeemed by the priest emphasizes that God's overarching land distribution law surpassed all temporary dedications or sales. This annual reminder reinforced Israel’s identity as God’s tenants, teaching them not to become overly attached to material wealth but to rely on God's provision and righteous societal structure.