¹耶和华 在西乃 山 对 摩西 说 ：

¹And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

¹ CHAPTER XXV

The law concerning the Sabbatical or seventh year repeated,

1-7.

The law relative to the jubilee, or fiftieth year, and the

hallowing of the fiftieth, 8-12.

In the year of jubilee every one to return unto his

possessions, 13.

None to oppress another in buying and selling, 14.

Purchases to be rated from jubilee to jubilee, according to the

number of years unexpired, 15-17.

Promises to obedience, 18,19.

Promises relative to the Sabbatical year, 20-22.

No inheritance must be finally alienated, 23, 24.

No advantage to be taken of a man's poverty in buying his land,

25-28.

Ordinances relative to the selling of a house in a walled city,

29, 30;

in a village, 31.

Houses of the Levites may be redeemed at any time, 32, 33.

The fields of the Levites in the suburbs must not be sold, 34.

No usury to be taken from a poor brother, 35-38.

If an Israelite be sold to an Israelite, he must not be obliged

to serve as a slave, 39,

but be as a hired servant or as a sojourner, till the year of

jubilee, 40,

when he and his family shall have liberty to depart, 41;

because God claims all Israelites as his servants, having

redeemed them from bondage in Egypt, 42, 43.

The Israelites are permitted to have bond-men and bond-women of

the heathens, who, being bought with their money, shall be

considered as their property, 44-46.

If an Israelite, grown poor, be sold to a sojourner who has

waxed rich, he may be redeemed by one of his relatives, an

uncle or uncle's son, 47-49.

In the interim between the jubilees, he may be redeemed; but if

not redeemed, he shall go free in the jubilee, 50-54.

Obedience enforced by God's right over them as his servants,

55.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXV

²你晓谕 以色列 人 说 ：你们到了 我所赐 你们那地 的时候，地 就要向耶和华 守 安息 。

²Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.^a

² Verse 2. The land keep a Sabbath] See this ordinance

explained, See Clarke on Ex 23:11. It may be asked here: if

it required all the annual produce of the field to support the

inhabitants, how could the people be nourished the seventh year,

when no produce was received from the fields? To this it may be

answered, that God sent his blessing in an especial manner on

the sixth year, (see Le 25:21, 22,) and it brought forth fruit

for three years. How astonishing and convincing was this

miracle! Could there possibly be any deception here? NO! The

miracle speaks for itself, proves the Divine authenticity of the

law, and takes every prop and stay from the system that wishes

to convict the Mosaic ordinances of imposture. See Ex 23:11.

It is evident from this that the Mosaic law must have had a

Divine origin, as no man in his senses, without God's authority,

could have made such an ordinance as this; for the sixth year,

from its promulgation, would have amply refuted his pretensions

to a Divine mission.

³六 年 要耕种 田地 ，也要修理 葡萄园 ，收藏 地的出产 。

³Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

⁴第七 年 ，地 要守圣安息 ，就是向耶和华 守的安息 ，不可耕种 田地 ，也不可修理 葡萄园 。

⁴But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

⁵遗落自长的 庄稼 不可收割 ；没有修理的葡萄树 也不可摘取 葡萄 。这年 ，地 要守圣安息 。

⁵That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.^b

⁶地 在安息年 所出的，要给你和你的仆人 、婢女 、雇工人 ，并寄居的 外人 当食物 。

⁶And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,

⁷这年的土产 也要给你的牲畜 和你地上 的走兽 当食物 。

⁷And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

⁸你要计算 七个 安息 年 ，就是七 七 年 。这便为你成了七个 安息 年 ，共是四十 九 年 。

⁸ ¶ And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

⁸ Verse 8. Thou shalt number seven Sabbaths of years] This

seems to state that the jubilee was to be celebrated on the

forty-ninth year; but in Le 25:10, 11 it is said,

Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and, A jubilee shall this

fiftieth year be. Probably in this verse Moses either includes

the preceding jubilee, and thus with the forty-ninth makes up the

number fifty; or he speaks of proclaiming the jubilee on the

forty-ninth, and celebrating it on the fiftieth year current.

Some think it was celebrated on the forty-ninth year, as is

stated in Le 25:8;

and this prevented the Sabbatical year, or seventh year of rest,

from being confounded with the jubilee, which it must otherwise

have been, had the celebration of this great solemnity taken place

on the fiftieth year; but it is most likely that the fiftieth was

the real jubilee.

⁹当年七 月 初十日 ，你要大发 角 声 ；这日就是赎罪 日 ，要在遍地 发出 角 声。

⁹Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.^c

¹⁰第五十 年 ，你们要当作圣年 ，在遍地 给一切的居民 宣告 自由 。这年必为你们的禧年 ，各人 要归 自己的产业 ，各 归 本家 。

¹⁰And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

¹¹第五十 年 要作为你们的禧年 。这年不可耕种 ；地中自长的 ，不可收割 ；没有修理的葡萄树 也不可摘取 葡萄。

¹¹A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.

¹¹ Verse 11. A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be] The literal

meaning of the word jubilee, yobel in Hebrew, and

yobil in the Samaritan, has not been well ascertained.

Josephus and the rabbins have caused many to err; the former says

the word signifies liberty; ελευθεριανδεσημαινειτουνομα,

Antiq., l. 3, cap. 12, edit. Haverc., vol. 1., p. 184; but the

word liberty signifies rather the intention of the institution,

than the meaning of the Hebrew term. The rabbins say it signifies

a ram's horn, because the trumpets which were used in proclaiming

this solemnity were made out of ram's horns. This meaning is

adopted in a few places in our translation, but none of the

ancient versions acknowledge this sense of the term, the Chaldee

excepted. Some derive it from yabal, to bring, carry away,

because the Israelites at this time carried away the right of

repossessing their inheritances which had been forfeited or

alienated. The most natural derivation is from hobil, to

cause to bring back, or recall, because estates, &c., which had

been alienated, were then brought back to their primitive

owners. This was a wise and excellent institution, but appears

to have been little regarded by the Jews after the Babylonish

captivity. Indeed, it is not mentioned under the second temple,

and the observance must have ceased among the Jews when they

were brought under a foreign yoke.



The jubilee seems to have been typical, 1. Of the great time

of release, the Gospel dispensation, when all who believe in

Christ Jesus are redeemed from the bondage of sin-repossess the

favour and image of God, the only inheritance of the human soul,

having all debts cancelled, and the right of inheritance

restored. To this the prophet Isaiah seems to allude, Isa 26:13,

and particularly Isa 61:1-3. 2. Of the general resurrection.

"It is," says Mr. Parkhurst, "a lively prefiguration of the grand

consummation of time, which will be introduced in like manner by

the trump of God, 1Co 15:52, when the children and heirs of

God shall be delivered from all their forfeitures, and restored

to the eternal inheritance allotted to them by their Father; and

thenceforth rest from their labours, and be supported in life and

happiness by what the field of God shall supply."



It is worthy of remark that the jubilee was not proclaimed

till the tenth day of the seventh month, on the very day when

the great annual atonement was made for the sins of the people;

and does not this prove that the great liberty or redemption

from thraldom, published under the Gospel, could not take place

till the great Atonement, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, had

been offered up? See Le 25:9.

¹²因为这是禧年 ，你们要当作圣年 ，吃 地中 自出的土产 。

¹²For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.

¹³这禧 年 ，你们各人 要归 自己的地业 。

¹³In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.

¹⁴你若卖 甚么 给邻舍 ，或是从邻舍 的手中 买 甚么，彼此 不可亏负 。

¹⁴And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:

¹⁴ Verse 14. Ye shall not oppress one another] Ye shall take no

advantage of each other's ignorance either in buying or selling;

for he that buys an article at less than it is worth, or sells

one for more than it is worth, taking advantage in both cases of

the ignorance of the vender or buyer, is no better than a

thief, as he actually robs his neighbour of as much property as he

has bought the article at below or sold it above its current

value.

¹⁵你要按禧年 以后 的年 数 向邻舍 买 ；他也要按年 数 的收成 卖 给你。

¹⁵According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:

¹⁵ Verse 15. According to the number of years] The purchases

that were to be made of lands were to be regulated by the number

of years unelapsed of the current jubilee. This was something

like buying the unexpired term of a lease among us; the purchase

is always regulated by the number of years between the time of

purchase and the expiration of the term.

¹⁶年岁 若多 ，要照 数加添 价值 ；年岁 若少 ，要照 数减去 价值 ，因为他照收成 的数目 卖 给你。

¹⁶According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.

¹⁷你们彼此 不可亏负 ，只要敬畏 你们的神 ，因为我是耶和华 ―你们的神 。

¹⁷Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.

¹⁸我的律例 ，你们要遵行 ，我的典章 ，你们要谨守 ，就可以在那地上 安然 居住 。

¹⁸ ¶ Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

¹⁹地 必出 土产 ，你们就要吃 饱 ，在那地上安然 居住 。

¹⁹And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

²⁰你们若说 ：这第七 年 我们不耕种 ，也不收藏 土产 ，吃 甚么呢？

²⁰And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:

²⁰ Verse 20. What shall we eat the seventh year?] A very

natural question, which could only be laid at rest by the

sovereign promise in the next verse: I will COMMAND my BLESSING

upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for

THREE YEARS. See Clarke on Le 25:2.

²¹我必在第六 年 将我所命的 福 赐给你们，地便生 三 年 的土产 。

²¹Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

²²第八 年 ，你们要耕种 ，也要吃 陈 粮 ，等到第九 年 出产 收来 的时候，你们还吃 陈 粮。

²²And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.

²³地 不可永 卖 ，因为地 是我的；你们在我面前是客旅 ，是寄居的 。

²³ ¶ The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.^d

²³ Verse 23. The land shall not be sold for ever-the land is

mine] As God in a miraculous manner gave them possession of

this land, they were therefore to consider themselves merely as

tenants to him; and on this ground he, as the great landholder

or lord of the soil, prescribes to them all the conditions on

which they shall hold it. This one circumstance was peculiarly

favourable to their advancement in religion, in righteousness,

and true holiness; for feeling that they had nothing which they

could call their own upon earth, they must frequently, by this,

be put in mind of the necessity of having a permanent dwelling

in the heavenly inheritance, and of that preparation without

which it could not be possessed.

²⁴在你们所得为业 的全地 ，也要准人 将地 赎回 。

²⁴And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

²⁵你的弟兄 （弟兄是指本国人说；下同）若渐渐穷乏 ，卖了 几分地业 ，他至近的亲属 就要来 把弟兄 所卖的 赎回 。

²⁵ ¶ 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.

²⁵ Verse 25. Any of his kin come to redeem it] The land that

was sold might be redeemed, in the interim between jubilee and

jubilee, by the former owner or by one of his kinsmen or

relatives. This kinsman is called in the text goel or

redeemer; and was not this a lively emblem of the redemption of

man by Christ Jesus? That he might have a right to redeem man,

he took upon him human nature, and thus became a kinsman of the

great family of the human race, and thereby possessed the right of

redeeming that fallen nature of which he took part, and of buying

back to man that inheritance which had been forfeited by

transgression.

²⁶若没有能给他赎回 的，他自己 渐渐富足 ，能够 赎回 ，

²⁶And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it;^e

²⁷就要算出 卖地的 年数 ，把余剩 年数的价值还 那买主，自己便归回 自己的地业 。

²⁷Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession.

²⁸倘若不能 为自己 得回 所卖的 ，仍要存在买主 的手里 直到禧 年 ；到了禧年 ，地业要出 买主的手，自己便归回 自己的地业 。

²⁸But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

²⁹人 若卖 城内 的住 宅 ，卖了 以后，一年 之内可以赎回 ；在一整 年 ，必有赎回 的权柄。

²⁹And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.

²⁹ Verse 29. Sell a dwelling house in a walled city] A very

proper difference is put between houses in a city and houses in

the country. If a man sold his house in the city, he might

redeem it any time in the course of a year; but if it were not

redeemed within that time, it could no more be redeemed, nor did

it go out even in the jubilee. It was not so with a house in

the country; such a house might be redeemed during any part of

the interim; and if not redeemed, must go out at the jubilee.

The reason in both cases is sufficiently evident; the house in

the city might be built for purposes of trade or traffic merely,

the house in the country was built on or attached to the

inheritance which God had divided to the respective families,

and it was therefore absolutely necessary that the same law

should apply to the house as to the inheritance. But the same

necessity did not hold good with respect to the house in the

city: and as we may presume the house in the city was merely for

the purpose of trade, when a man bought such a house, and got

his business established there, it would have been very

inconvenient for him to have removed; but as it was possible

that the former owner might have sold the house rashly, or

through the pressure of some very urgent necessity, a year was

allowed him, that during that time he might have leisure to

reconsider his rash act, or so to get through his pressing

necessity as to be able to get back his dwelling. This time was

sufficiently long in either of the above cases; and as such

occurrences might have been the cause of his selling his house,

it was necessary that he might have the opportunity of redeeming

his pledge. Again, as the purchaser, having bought the house

merely for the purpose of trade, manufacture, &c., must have

been at great pains and expense to fit the place for his work,

and establish his business, in which himself, his children, and

his children's children, were to labour and get their bread;

hence it was necessary that he should have some certainty of

permanent possession, without which, we may naturally

conjecture, no such purchases ever would be made. This seems to

be the simple reason of the law in both cases.

³⁰若在一整 年 之内 不赎回 ，这城内 的房屋 就定准 永 归买主 ，世世代代 为业；在禧年 也不得出 买主的手。

³⁰And 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 jubile.

³¹但房屋 在无城墙 的村庄 里，要看如 乡下 的田地 一样，可以赎回 ；到了禧年 ，都要出 买主的手。

³¹But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile.^f

³²然而利未人 所得为业 的城邑 ，其中的房屋 ，利未人 可以随时 赎回 。

³²Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

³² Verse 32. The cities of the Levites] The law in this and the

following verses was also a very wise one. A Levite could not

ultimately sell his house: if sold he could redeem it at any

time tn the interim between the two jubilees; but if not

redeemed, it must go out at the following jubilee. And why?

"Because Moses framed his laws so much in favour of the

priesthood, that they had peculiar privileges?" &c. Just the

reverse: they were so far from being peculiarly favoured that

they had no inheritance in Israel, only their cities, to dwell

in: and because their houses in these cities were the whole that

they could call their own, therefore these houses could not be

ultimately alienated. All that they had to live on besides was

from that most precarious source of support, the

freewill-offerings of the people, which depended on the

prevalence of pure religion in the land.

³³若是一个利未人 不将所卖 的房屋 赎回 ，是在所得为业 的城内 ，到了禧年 就要出 买主的手，因为利未人 城邑 的房屋 是他们在以色列 人 中 的产业 。

³³And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.^g

³⁴只是他们各城 郊野 之地 不可卖 ，因为是他们永远 的产业 。

³⁴But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

³⁵你的弟兄 在你那里若渐渐贫穷 ，手中 缺乏 ，你就要帮补 他，使他与你同住 ，象外人 和寄居的 一样。

³⁵ ¶ And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.^{h, i}

³⁶不可向 他取利 ，也不可向他多要 ；只要敬畏 你的神 ，使你的弟兄 与你同住 。

³⁶Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

³⁶ Verse 36. Take thou no usury of him] Usury, at present,

signifies unlawful interest for money. Properly, it means the

reward or compensation given for the use of a thing, but is

principally spoken of money. For the definition of the original

term, See Clarke on Ex 22:25.

³⁷你借 钱 给他，不可向他取利 ；借 粮 给他，也不可向他多要 。

³⁷Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

³⁸我是耶和华 ―你们的神 ，曾领 你们从埃及 地 出来，为要把迦南 地 赐给 你们，要作你们的神 。

³⁸I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

³⁹你的弟兄 若在你那里渐渐穷乏 ，将自己卖给 你，不可叫他象奴仆 服事 你。

³⁹ ¶ And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:^j

⁴⁰他要在你那里象雇工人 和寄居的 一样，要服事 你直到禧 年 。

⁴⁰But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:

⁴¹到了禧年，他和他儿女 要离开 你，一同出去归回 本家 ，到他祖宗 的地业 那里去 。

⁴¹And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

⁴²因为他们是我的仆人 ，是我从埃及 地 领 出来的，不可卖 为 奴仆 。

⁴²For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.^k

⁴² Verse 42. For they are my servants] As God redeemed every

Israelite out of Egyptian bondage, they were therefore to

consider themselves as his property, and that consequently they

should not alienate themselves from him. It was in being his

servants, and devoted to his work, that both their religious and

political service consisted. And although their political

liberty might be lost, they knew that their spiritual liberty

never could be forfeited except by an utter alienation from God.

God therefore claims the same right to their persons which he

does to their lands; See Clarke on Le 25:23.

⁴³不可严严的 辖管 他，只要敬畏 你的神 。

⁴³Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

⁴³ Verse 43. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour] What is

rigorous service? "Service which is not determined, and service

whereof there is no need." This is the definition given by the

Jews; but much more is implied in this command than is expressed

here. Labour beyond the person's strength, or labour too long

continued, or in unhealthy or uncomfortable places and

circumstances, or without sufficient food, &c., is labour

exacted with rigour, and consequently inhuman; and this law is

made, not for the Mosaic dispensation and the Jewish people, but

for every dispensation and for every people under heaven.

⁴⁴至于你的奴仆 、婢女 ，可以从你四围 的国中 买 。

⁴⁴Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

⁴⁵并且那寄居 在你们中间的外人 和他们的家属 ，在你们地上 所生的 ，你们也可以从其中买 人；他们要作你们的产业 。

⁴⁵Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.

⁴⁶你们要将他们遗留 给你们的子孙 为产业 ，要永远 从他们中间拣出奴仆 ；只是你们的弟兄 以色列 人 ，你们不可严严的 辖管 。

⁴⁶And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.^l

⁴⁷住在你 那里的外人 ，或是寄居的 ，若渐渐富足 ，你的弟兄 却渐渐穷乏 ，将自己卖给 那外人 ，或是寄居的 ，或是外人 的宗族 ，

⁴⁷ ¶ And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:^m

⁴⁸卖了 以后 ，可以将他赎回 。无论 是他的弟兄 ，

⁴⁸After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

⁴⁹或伯叔 、伯叔 的儿子 ，本家 的近 支 ，都可以赎 他。他自己若渐渐富足 ，也可以自 赎 。

⁴⁹Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

⁵⁰他要和买主 计算 ，从卖 自己的那年 起，算到禧 年 ；所卖的 价值 照着年 数 多少，好象工人 每年 的工价。

⁵⁰And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.

⁵⁰ Verse 50. The price of his sale shall be, &c.] This was a

very equitable law, both for the sojourner to whom the man was

sold, and to the Israelite who had been thus sold. The

Israelite might redeem himself, or one of his kindred might

redeem him; but this must not be done to the prejudice of his

master, the sojourner. They were therefore to reckon the years

he must have served from that time till the jubilee; and then,

taking the current wages of a servant per year at that time,

multiply the remaining years by that sum, and the aggregate was

the sum to be given to his master for his redemption. The Jews

hold that the kindred of such a person were bound, if in their

power, to redeem him, lest he should be swallowed up among the

heathen; and we find, from Ne 5:8, that this was done by the

Jews on their return from the Babylonish captivity: We, after our

ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold unto

the heathen.

⁵¹若缺少的年 数多 ，就要按着 年数从买 价 中偿还 他的赎 价

⁵¹If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

⁵²若到禧 年 只缺少 几 年 ，就要按着 年数 和买主计算 ，偿还 他的赎价 。

⁵²And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.

⁵³他和买主同住，要象每年 雇的工人 ，买主不可严严的 辖管 他。

⁵³And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.

⁵⁴他若不这样被赎 ，到了禧 年 ，要和他的儿女 一同出去 。

⁵⁴And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him.ⁿ

⁵⁵因为以色列 人 都是我的仆人 ，是我从埃及 地 领出来的 。我是耶和华 ―你们的神 。

⁵⁵For 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.

⁵⁵ Verse 55. For unto me the children of Israel are servants]

The reason of this law we have already seen,

(See Clarke on Le 25:42,)

but we must look farther to see the great end of it. The

Israelites were a typical people; they represented those under

the Gospel dispensation who are children of God by faith in

Christ Jesus. But these last have a peculiarity of blessing:

they are not merely servants, but they are SONS; though they

also serve God, yet it is in the newness of the spirit, and not

in the oldness of the letter. And to this difference of state

the apostle seems evidently to allude, Ga 4:6, &c.:

And because ye are SONS, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son

into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more

a SERVANT, but a SON; and if a SON, then an HEIR of God

through Christ; genuine believers in Christ not being heirs of an

earthly inheritance, nor merely of a heavenly one, for they are

heirs of God. God himself therefore is their portion, without

whom even heaven itself would not be a state of consummate

blessedness to an immortal spirit.



THE jubilee was a wonderful institution, and was of very great

service to the religion, freedom, and independence of the Jewish

people. "The motive of this law," says Calmet, "was to prevent

the rich from oppressing the poor, and reducing them to perpetual

slavery; and that they should not get possession of all the lands

by way of purchase, mortgage, or, lastly, usurpation. That debts

should not be multiplied too much, lest thereby the poor should be

entirely ruined; and that slaves should not continue always, they,

their wives and children, in servitude. Besides, Moses intended

to preserve, as much as possible, personal liberty, an equality of

property, and the regular order of families, among the Hebrews.

Lastly, he designed that the people should be strongly attached to

their country, lands, and inheritances; that they should have an

affection for them, and consider them as estates which descended

to them from their ancestors which they were to leave to their

posterity, without any fear of their going ultimately out of their

families."



But this institution especially pointed out the redemption of

man by Christ Jesus: 1. Through him, he who was in debt to God's

justice had his debt discharged, and his sin forgiven. 2. He

who sold himself for naught, who was a bondslave of sin and

Satan, regains his liberty and becomes a son of God through

faith in his blood. 3. He who by transgression had forfeited

all right and title to the kingdom of God, becomes an heir of

God, and a joint heir with Christ. Heaven, his forfeited

inheritance, is restored, for the kingdom of heaven is open to

all believers; and thus, redeemed from his debt, restored to his

liberty, united to the heavenly family, and re-entitled to his

inheritance, he goes on his way rejoicing, till he enters the

paradise of his Maker, and is for ever with the Lord. Reader,

hast thou applied for this redemption? Does not the trumpet of

the jubilee, the glad tidings of salvation by Christ Jesus, sound

in the land? Surely it does. Why then continue a bond-slave of

sin, a child of wrath, and an heir of hell, when such a salvation

is offered unto thee without money and without price? O suffer

not this provision to be made ultimately in vain for thee! For

what art thou advantaged if thou gain the whole world and lose thy

soul?