Calvin’s CommentariesLeviticus 25
John Calvin
Read Leviticus 25 in the BibleLeviticus 25:20
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. Numerabis quoque tibi septem hebdomadas armorum, id est septem annos septem vicibus; qui quidem dies septem Sabbathorum annorum efficient tibi quadraginta novem annos.
9. Then 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. 9. Tunc transire facies tubam jubilationis mense septimo die mensis, id est die expiationum: transire inquam, facietis tubam per universam terrain vestram.
10. And 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. 10. Sanctificabitisque annum quinquagesimum, et proclamabitis libertatem in terra cunctis habitatoribus ejus: Jobel ipse erit vobis: et revertemini quisque ad possessionem suam, et quisque ad familiam suam revertemini.
11. A 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. Jobel ipse annus quinquaginta annorum erit vobis: non seretis, neque metetis quae sponte produxerit terra: neque vindemiabitis separationes ejus.
12. For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. 12. Quia Jobel est, sanctus erit vobis, agri comedetis fructum.
13. In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession. 13. Anno Jobel isto revertemini singuli ad possessionem suam.
Leviticus 25:23
23. The land shall not be sold for ever. Since the reason for this law was peculiar to the children of Abraham, its provisions can hardly be applied to other nations; for so equal a partition of the land was made under Joshua, that the inheritance was distributed amongst the several tribes and families; nay, in order that each man’s possession should be more sacred, the land had been divided by lot, as if God by His own hand located them in their separate stations. In fact, that allotment was, as it were, an inviolable decree of God Himself, whereby the memory of the covenant should be maintained, by which the inheritance of the land had been promised to Abraham and his posterity; and thus the land of Canaan was an earnest, or symbol, or mirror, of the adoption on which their salvation was founded. Wherefore it is not to be wondered at that God was unwilling that this inestimable benefit should ever be lost; and, lest this should be the case, like a provident father of a family, He laid a restraint on His children, to prevent them from being too prodigal; for, when a man has any suspicions of his heir, he forbids him to alienate the patrimony he leaves him. Such, therefore, was the condition of the ancient people; yet it cannot be indiscriminately transferred to other nations who have had no common inheritance given them. Some vestige of it appears in the right of redemption; (“Redemptio in Law, a faculty or right of re-entering upon lands, etc., that have been sold and assigned, upon reimbursing the purchase-money with legal costs. Bargains wherein the faculty, or, as some call it, the equity of redemption is reserved, are only a kind of pignorative contracts. A certain time is limited, within which the faculty, of redemption shall be exercised; and beyond which it shall not extend. — Chambers’s Encyclopaedia.) but, because that depends on the consent of the parties, and is also a special mode of contract, it has nothing to do with the law of Moses, which entirely restored both men and lands, (in the year of jubilee, (Added from Fr.) ) That God should call the land of Canaan His, is, as it were, to assert His direct Lordship (“La seigneurie directe (qu’on appelle,) ou fonsiere.” — Fr.) (dominium,) as they call it, over it; as He immediately afterwards more clearly expresses His meaning, where He says that the children of Israel sojourn in it as His guests. (Addition in Fr., “Ou fermiers, ou grangiers.”) For although their condition was the best in which just and perpetual owners can be placed, still, as respected God, they were but His tenants (coloni,) only living there at His will. In fine, God claims the freehold (fundum) for Himself, lest the recollection of tits having granted it to them should ever escape them.
Leviticus 25:24
Leviticus 25:29
Leviticus 25:32
19. When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down, (for the tree of the field is man’s life,) to employ them in the siege: 19. Si obsederis urbem, diebus multis pugnando adversus eam, ut capias eam, non disperdes arbores ejus, impellendo in eas securim: quia ex illarum fructibus vesceris, propterea ipsas non succides: (quia an homo arbor agri ut ingrediatur a facie tua in munitionem?)
20. Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued. 20. Veruntamen arbores quas noveris non esse fructiferas, disperdes, et succides: et aedificabis munitionem adversus urbem illam quae tecum dimicat, donec descendat ipsa.
Leviticus 25:39
39. And if thy brother. He now proceeds further, i e., that one who has bought his brother should treat him with humanity, and not otherwise than a hired servant. We have seen, indeed, just above, that the labor of a slave is estimated at twice as much, because the humanity of his master will never go so far as to indulge or spare his slave as if he were a hireling. It is not, therefore, without reason that God puts a restraint upon that rule, which experience shows to have been often tyrannical. Still He prescribes no more than heathen philosophers did, (Seneca de Benef. 3:22. “Servus (ut placet Chrysippo) perpetuus mercenarius est.” See also Sen. Epp. 6:47, in which the following beautiful sentiment occurs: “Haec tamen mei praecepti summa est, Sic cum inferiore vivas, quemadmodum tecum superiorem velis vivere.”) viz., that masters should treat their slaves like hired servants. And this principle of justice ought to prevail towards all without exception; but since it was difficult to prescribe the same rule respecting strangers as respecting their brethren, a special law is enacted, that at least they should observe moderation towards their brethren, with whom they had a common inheritance and condition. First:. therefore, it is provided as to Hebrew slaves that they should not be treated harshly and contemptuously like captives (mancipia;) and then that their slavery should come to an end in the year of jubilee. But here the question arises, since their liberty was before accorded to them in the, seventh year, why it is now postponed to the fiftieth? Some get over the difficulty by supposing that (So the Hebrew doctors, and Ainsworth, Caietan, and Willet. Michaelis supposes that servants were regularly restored to freedom after six years’ service, (not on the Sabbatical year, but on the seventh from the sale;) but supposing them bought less than six years before the jubilee, they received their freedom on that year. Laws of Moses, vol. 2 p. 176. — Brightwell.) if the jubilee occurred during the six years, they must then be set free, although they had not completed the whole term; but this is too forced a conjecture. The view that most approves itself to me is, that the word יבל, yobel, is extended to mean every seventh year, or, at any rate, that moderation towards those slaves is specially prescribed who were most exposed to violence and other injurious treatment. For they would not have dared to oppress at pleasure their slaves, who were soon afterwards to be free; but those who, by having their ears bored, had subjected themselves to the longer period of slavery, would have been more outrageously harassed, unless God had interposed. And this opinion I freely adopt, that although their slavery lasted to the jubilee, yet flint their masters were to treat them with moderation and humanity. This too is confirmed by what immediately follows, where it is enjoined that the children should be set free with their fathers, which did not take place in the seventh year.
Leviticus 25:42
Leviticus 25:44
Leviticus 25:47
23. The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. 23. Terra autem non vendetur absolute, quia mea est terra: vos enim peregrini, et advenae estis apud me.
24. And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. 24. In universa autem terra possessionis vestrae redemptionem dabitis terrae.
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. Quum attenuatus fuerit frater tuus, et vendiderit de possessione sua: tunc veniet redemptor ejus propinquus ipsi: et redimet venditionem fratris sui.
26. And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; 26. Et, si non fuerit viro redemptor, sed apprehenderit manus ejus, et invenerit quod sufficit ad ejus redemptionem;
27. Then 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. 27. Tunc supputabit annos venditionis suae, et restituet quod superest viro cui vendidit, et revertetur ad possessionem suam.
28. But 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 jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. 28. Si vero non invenerit manus ejus quod sufficiat ad reddendum illi, tum erit venditio ejus in manu ejus, qui emit illum, usque ad annum Jubilaei: at egredietur in Jubilaeo, reverteturque ad possessionem suam.
29. And 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. Vir autem quum vendiderit domum habitationis in urbe murata, erit redemptio ejus donec compleatur annus venditionis ejus: anno uno erit redemptio ejus.
30. 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. 30. Quod si non redimatur donec impleatur illi annus integer, remanebit domus quae fuerit in civitate cui est murus, absolute ementi illam in generationibus ejus: non egredietur in Jubilaeo.
31. But the houses of the villages, which have no walls round about them, shall be counted as the fields of the country; they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee. 31. Domus autem villarum quibus non est murus in circuitu, secundum agrum terrae aestimabitur, redemptio erit ei, et in Jubilaeo egredietur.
32. Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time. 32. Urbium autem Levitarum, et domorum urbium possessionis eorum, redemptio perpetua erit Levitis.
33. And 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 jubilee: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. 33. Qui autem emerit a Levitis, egredietur venditio domus, et urbis possessionis ejus in Jubilaeo, quia domus urbium Levitatum est possessio eorum in medio filiorum Israel.
34. But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession. 34. Ager autem suburbii urbium eorum non vendetur, quia possessio perpetua est illis.
Calvin’s Commentaries — John Calvin. Public domain
Leviticus 25:8
Leviticus 23:1-44
1. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 1. Loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. 2. Alloquere filios Israel, et die illis, Hae sunt feriae quas vocabitis convocationes sanctas, hae sunt solennitates meae.
3. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. 3. Sex diebus fiet opus, die autem septimo Sabbathum est quietis, convocatio sancta: nullum opus facietis: Sabbathum est Jehovae in cunctis habitationibus vestris.
4. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. 4. Hae sunt feriae quas celebrabitis: hae sunt feriae Jehovae sanctae, quas celebrabitis temporibus suis.
5. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover. 5. Mense primo, quartadecima mensis, ad vesperam Pesah Jehovae est.
6. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 6. Quintodecimo autem die mensis hujus, solennitas erit infermentatorum Jehovae, septem diebus infermentata comedetis.
7. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 7. Die primo convocatio sancta erit vobis: nullum opus servile facietis.
8. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 8. Offeretis autem oblationem ignitam Jehovae septem diebus: die septimo erit convocatio sancta, nullum opus servile facietis.
9. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 9. Adhaec loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:
10. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 10. Alloquere filios Israel, et dic eis, Quum ingressi fueritis terrain quam ego do vobis, et messueritis messem ejus, tunc offeretis omnes primitias messis vestrae ad sacerdotem.
11. And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 11. Qui offert omer coram Jehova, ut sit acceptum pro vobis: in crastino Sabbathi offerer illud sacerdos.
12. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. 12. Facietisque die quo offeretis omer, agnum integrum anniculum, in holocaustum Jehovae:
13. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. 13. Et minham ejus, duas decimas similae permistae oleo, oblationem ignitam Jehovae in odorem quietis: et libamen ejus vini quattam partem hin.
14. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 14. Panem vero et polentam, et spicam plenam non comedetis usque ad hunc ipsum diem, donec obtuleris munus Dei vestri: statutum perpetuum erit in generationibus vestris, in cunctis habitaculis vestris.
15. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 15. Numerabitis autem vobis dies a postero die Sabbathi, a die qua obtuleris omer elevationis, septem hebdomades plenae erunt.
16. Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 16. Usque ad posterum diem Sabbathi septimi numerabitis quinquaginta dies, et offeretis oblationem novam Jehovae.
17. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. 17. Ex habitaculis vestris offeretis panem oblationis: duae ex dunbus decimis similae erunt: cum fermento coquentur primitiae Jehovae.
18. And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD. 18. Offeretisque cum pane illo septem agnos integros anniculos, et juvencum filium bovis unum, et arietes duos, erunt holocaustum Jehovae: et oblatio eorum libaminaque eorum, oblatio ignita erit odoris quietis Jehovae.
19. Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 19. Facietis quoque hircum caprarum unum pro peccato, et duos agnos anniculos in sacrificium prosperitatum.
20. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits, for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 20. Offeretque sacerdos illa ultra panem primitiarum, elevationem coram Jehova cum duobus agnis, sanctitas erunt Jehovae sacerdoti.
21. And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 21. Et celebrabitis hoc ipso die celebritatem, convocatio sancta erit vobis: nullum opus servile facietis: statutum perpetuum erit in cunctis habitaculis vestris, in generationibus vestris.
22. And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: ... 22. Et cum messueritis messem terrae vestrae, non complebis angulum agri tui in messe tua: nec quod residuum erit in messe tua colliges.
23. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23. Loquutus est praeterea Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:
24. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. 24. Alloquere filios Israel, dicendo, Mense septimo, primo die ejusdem erit vobis Sabbathum monimentum clangoris, convocatio sancta.
25. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 25. Nullum opus servile facietis, et offeretis oblationem ignitam Jehovae.
26. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 26. Loquutus est quoque Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:
27. Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 27. Veruntamen (vel, utique) in decimo mensis hujus septimi, dies expiationum erit: convocatio sancta erit vobis, afiligetisque animas vestras, et offeretis sacrificium ignitum Jehovae.
28. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. 28. Nullum opus facietis hoc ipso die, quid dies expiationum est ad expiandum vos (vel, super vos, ant pro vobis) coram Jehova Deo vestro.
29. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. 29. Omnis enim anima quae non fuerit afflicta eo ipso die, excidetur e populis suis.
30. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. 30. Et quisquis fecerit quodcunque opus eo ipso die, perdam animam illam e medio populi.
31. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 31. Nullum opus facietis: statutum perpetuum erit in generationibus vestris, in cunctis habitationibus vestris.
32. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. 32. Sabbathum quietis est vobis, et affligetis animas vestras nona mensis in vespera: a vespera usque ad vesperam quiescetis in Sabbatho vestro.
33. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 33. Loquutus est et Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:
34. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. 34. Alloquere filios Israel, dicendo, Decimo quinto die mensis septimi hujus, solennitas tabernaculorum erit septem diebus Jehovah.
35. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 35. Die primo erit convocatio sancta, nullum opus servile facietis.
36. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. 36. Septem diebus offeretis sacrificium ignitum Jehovae, die octavo convocatio sancta erit vobis, et offeretis sacrificium ignitum Jehovah, solennitas est, nullum opus servile facietis.
37. These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: 37. Istae sunt festivitates Jehovae quas vocabitis convocationes sanctas, ut offeratis in els sacrificium ignitum Jehovae, holocaustum et oblationem, sacrificium et libamina suo quodque die.
38. Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. 38. Praeter Sabbatha Jehovae, et praeter dona vestra, praeterque omnia vota vestra, et praeter omnes spontaneas oblationes vestras, quas dabitis Jehovae.
39. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 39. Veruntamen (vel, utique) decimo quinto die mensis septimi, quando congregaveritis fructum terrae, celebrabitis celebritatem Jehovae septem diebus: die primo erit Sabbathum, die quoque octavo erit Sabbathum.
40. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 40. Sumetisque vobis die primo fructum arboris decorae, et ramos palmarum, et ramos arboris densarum frondium, et salices torrentis, et laetabimini coram Jehova Deo vestro septem diebus.
41. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 41. Celebrabitis, inquam, istam celebritatem Jehovae septem diebus quotannis: statutum perpetuum erit in generationibus vestris, mense septimo celebrabitis illam.
42. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 42. In tabernaculis habitabitis septem diebus: onmis indigena ex Israele habitabit in tabernaculis.
43. That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 43. Ut sciant generationes vestrae quod in tabernaculis habitare feci filios Israel quando eduxi eos e terra Aegypti: ego Jehova Deus vester.
44. And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD. 44. Loquutus est igitur Moses de solennitatibus Jehovae ad filios Israel.