Leviticus 25:32

Leviticus 25:32 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns, which they possess.
• English Standard Version (ESV)As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem at any time the houses in the cities they possess.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, and the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.

Context of Leviticus 25:32

30But if it is not bought back for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not revert in the jubilee. 31The houses of the villages, however, which have no surrounding wall, shall be regarded as open fields; they have redemption rights and revert in the jubilee. As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities which are their possession. 33What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may be redeemed, and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the jubilee, because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel. 34But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their permanent possession.

Leviticus 25:32 word by word

וְעָרֵי֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בָּתֵּ֖י עָרֵ֣י אֲחֻזָּתָ֑ם גְּאֻלַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַלְוִיִּֽם׃Read the interlinear

• citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• of the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• haveהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• a permanentעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: any timeH5769
• rightגְּאֻלָּהge'ûllâh · redemptionH1353
• for the housesבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• which are their possessionאֲחֻזָּה'ăchûzzâh · possessionH272

Cross-references for Leviticus 25:32

• Numbers 35:2“Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities.
• Joshua 21:1Then the heads of fathers’ households of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of fathers’ households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

Commentaries on Leviticus 25:32

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32The 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 in 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 favor of the priesthood, that they had peculiar privileges?" etc. Just the reverse: they were so far from being peculiarly…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 32Rather, And concerning the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession, etc. If one of the Levites redeems a house in the city, etc. The meaning appears to be, if a Levite redeemed a house which had been sold to a person of a different tribe by another Levite, it was to revert in the Jubilee to the latter Levite as its original possessor. The purchaser of a Levite‘s house was in fact only in the condition of a tenant at will, while…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-34Verses 23-34 If the land were not redeemed before the year of jubilee, it then returned to him that sold or mortgaged it. This was a figure of the free grace of God in Christ; by which, and not by any price or merit of our own, we are restored to the favour of God. Houses in walled cities were more the fruits of their own industry than land in the country, which was the direct gift of God's bounty; therefore if a man sold a house in a city, he might…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 32-34The tribe of Levi did not inherit land like other tribes. As the priestly tribe, they lived throughout the land (Deuteronomy 18:1; see Genesis 49:5–7; Numbers 35:1–8; Josh 21:1–42). The Levites could only inherit specific cities and the surrounding pasturelands (Numbers 35:2). The Levites were an exception to land ownership rules. They carefully protected their small holdings. They could redeem their houses even in walled cities. They could not sell the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 32-3432-34. Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, &c.--The Levites, having no possessions but their towns and their houses, the law conferred on them the same privileges that were granted to the lands of the other Israelites. A certain portion of the lands surrounding the Levitical cities was appropriated to them for the pasturage of their cattle and flocks (Nu 35:4, 5). This was a permanent endowment for the support of the ministry and could not be…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 25:32

• Debtor
• Homestead
• House
• Jubilee
• Land
• Levites
• Priest
• Property
• Redemption

In the dictionaries

• Accord
• Compel
• Debtor
• Decay
• Fill
• Increase
• Levite
• Redeem
• Redemption
• Rest

Commentaries on Leviticus 25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings