Bibelkommentare

The land not to be tilled, but rest the seventh year; and that which grew of itself in the field or vineyard to be meat for them and their cattle, Leviticus 25:1-7. The jubilee on the day of atonement; a year of liberty and restoration; a year of rest to the land; of the peculiar blessing of God on it, Leviticus 25:8-22. Sold inheritances to be redeemed at any time; but now to be restored; a dwelling-house in a walled city only excepted, Leviticus 25:23-34. Kindness to the poor; usury forbidden; an Israelite must not be a bond-man or maid, but a hired servant till the year of jubilee; bond-men or maids to be taken from the heathen; an inheritance for ever, Leviticus 25:35-46 Of an Israelite that should sell himself to a stranger, Leviticus 25:47-55.

1491

i.e. Near Mount Sinai. So the Hebrew particle beth is sometimes used, as Genesis 27:13 Joshua 5:13 Judges 8:5 2 Chronicles 33:20, compared with 2 Kings 21:18. So there is no need to disturb the order of the history in this place.

When ye come into the land, so as to be settled in it; for the tithe of the wars was not to be accounted, nor the time before Joshua’s distribution of the land among them, Joshua 14:7,10.

Keep a sabbath, i.e. enjoy rest and freedom from ploughing, tilling, &c.

Unto the Lord, i.e. in obedience and unto the honour of God. This was instituted partly for the assertion of God’s sovereign right to the land, . in which the Israelites were but tenants at God’s will; partly for the trial and exercise of their obedience; partly for the demonstration of his providence as well in the general towards men, as more especially towards his own people, of which see below, Leviticus 25:20-22; partly to wean them from inordinate love, and pursuit of or trust to worldly advantages, and to inure them to depend upon God alone, and upon God’s blessing for their subsistence; partly to put them in the mind of that blessed and eternal rest provided for all good men, wherein they should be perfectly freed from all worldly labours and troubles, and wholly devoted to the service and enjoyment God; see on Exodus 23:11; and lastly, that by their own straits in that year they might learn more compassion to the poor, who were under the same straits every year.

No text from Poole on this verse.

No text from Poole on this verse.

Of its own accord; from the grains that fell out of the ears the last reaping time.

Thou shalt not reap, i.e. as thy own peculiarly, but only so as others may reap it with thee, for present food.

The grapes of thy vine undressed, Heb. the grapes of thy separation, i.e. the grapes which thou hast separated or set apart to the honour of God, and to the ends and uses appointed by God; or the grapes of that year, which are in this like the Nazarites’ hair, not cut off by thee, but suffered to grow to the use of the poor.

The sabbath, i.e. the growth of the sabbath, or that fruit which groweth in the sabbatical year. See on Leviticus 23:38, where the word sabbath is taken in the like sense.

For thee, and for thy servant; for all promiscuously, to take food from thence as they need it.

No text from Poole on this verse.

No text from Poole on this verse.