A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Verſ. 2. WHen ye come into the land which I give you, then ſhall the land keep a Sabbath unto the Lord, &c.]
That is, every ſeventh year the land ſhall lie at reſt, ye ſhall neither plow it nor ſow it, &c. Concerning this Sabbaticall year, and the grounds thereof, ſee the notes upon Exod. 23. 11. This year alſo they did forbear exacting their debts of thoſe that were indebted to them, becauſe that year there was no tillage nor harveſt to make money of: of which ſee alſo the notes upon Deut. 15. 1. It is alſo commonly held by Expoſitours that this year all Hebrew ſervants were ſet free, of which ſee Exod. 21. 2. for of this I find no clear ground in the Scriptures, but rather the contrary. When the firſt Sabbaticall year was kept by the Iſraelites it is hard to determine, and yet ſure we are that it was not till they came into the land of Canaan. The moſt probable opinion is, that it was the fourteenth year of Joſhua's government: for if the land was firſt divided among the Iſraelites in the ſeventh year of Joſhua, as may be gathered from Calebs age, Joſh. 14. 10. then the ſeventh year after that, when they had tilled the land, and reaped the crop of it ſix years, was doubtleſſe their firſt Sabbaticall year.
Verſ. 5. That which groweth of it own accord of thy harveſt thou ſhalt not r…ap, &c.]
That is, as in other years, by a peculiar right and intereſt, but in common as others did, onelyonly taking what might ſerve for food.
Verſ. 8. And thou ſhalt number ſeven Sabbaths of years unto thee, &c.]
Here direction is given for the year of Jubile, ſo called, as it is moſt generally held, from an Hebrew word Jovel, which ſignifies a ramme, becauſe it was proclaimed with trumpets or cornets made of rammes horns. A great queſtion there is amongſt Expoſitours, nor is it eaſily to be reſolved, concerning the numbring of this year of Jubile, as likewiſe at what time of the year it did begin. Some conceive that the fourtyninth year, which was the laſt of the ſeven times ſeven years, was the year of Jubile: and whereas it is ſaid, ver 10. Ye ſhall hallow the fifti…th year, they ſay it is called the fiftieth year by reckoning from the year before incluſively, and ſo conceive that the year of Jubile did alwayes concurre with the ſeventh Sabbaticall year. But againſt this manner of accounting the year Jubile, there may be ſerall ſtrong objections made, which cannot well be anſwered: as 1. that the Jews do conſtantly reckon otherwiſe, making the Jubile every fiftieth year, not concurring with the Sabbaticall year: 2. that according to this manner of accounting every year of Jubile was then to be counted twice, as the laſt of one fifty years, and the firſt of another; and beſides, in the computation for the firſt fifty years, there was no Jubile before to be included: and 3. that it had been ſuperfluous to forbid, as ver 11. all ſowing and reaping in the year of Jubile, if it had alwayes concurred with the ſeventh Sabbaticall year, ſince all ſuch works had then been unlawfull, even in regard that it was a ſeventh year. And therefore I conceive that the more probable opinion is that, which is commonly held by Expoſitours, namely, that they did reckon ſeven times ſeven years, which was nine and fourty years, and then the next year after, to wit, the fiftieth year, was the year of Jubile: and this year was not reckoned in the Sabbath of years following, but the one and fiftieth year was the firſt of the next ſeven years; for elſe they ſhould not have ſowed and reaped ſix years in this week of years.
Verſ. 9. Then ſhalt thou …auſe the trumpet of the Jubile to ſound on the tenth day of the ſeventh monethmonth, &c.]
That is, on the tenth day of the ſeventh monethmonth in the year following the ſeventh Sabbath of years thou ſhalt throughout all the land with the ſound of a trumpet or cornet proclaim that to be the year of Jubile. It was proclaimed on the ſeventh monethmonth, becauſe it was the firſt monethmonth of the civil year, and ſo then the year of Jubile began: and it was proclaimed on the tenth day of that monethmonth, which was the day of atonement, and a publick faſt-day for all the people, 1. to ſhew that our freedome from the ſpirituall bondage, wherein we lie by nature, is through the atonement made by Chriſts death, according to that of the Apoſtle, Heb. 2. 12, 15. For as much then as the children ar… partakers of fleſh and bloud, he alſo himſelf likewiſe took part of the ſame, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime ſubject to bondage: and 2. to teach us that the way to attain ſpirituall joy and comfort (whereof the Jubile was a ſigne) is to humble and afflict our ſouls, as the Jews on this day did: and 3. to teach us that if we expect mercy from God in the pardon of our ſinnes (which was aſſured to them on this day of expiation) we ought to ſhew mercy to our brethren, as they did this day by releaſing their ſervants, and reſtoring to every man their poſſeſſions again. A great diſpute there is amongſt Expoſitours, when the year of Jubile began: Some hold that though it were proclaimed on the ſeventh monethmonth, the monethmonth Tiſri, yet it began not till the ſpring following, in the monethmonth Niſan: but this is no way probable; for the time of ſowing was about the ſeventh monethmonth, and it is not likely they ſowed that which becauſe of the following Jubile they might not reap. I make no queſtion therefore but the year of Jubile began on this ſeventh monethmonth, but whether it began on the firſt day of this monethmonth, as the Jews generally hold, or not till the tenth day, is ſomewhat queſtionable; yet the laſt ſeems to me moſt probable, becauſe it may ſeem ſtrange, that it ſhould begin ten dayes before it was proclaimed.
Verſ. 10. And ye ſhall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land, &c.]
That is, ye ſhall ſet it apart to be an holy year, and ſhall proclaim liberty throughout all the land, to wit, to your brethren that had been ſold to you for ſervants, who ſhall hereupon be ſet at liberty. Now the year of Jubile was called an holy year, becauſe it was ſeparated from the ordinary imployments of other years in tilling and ſowing their land, &c. that they might be at more leiſure to ſpend it in holy imployments, and that it might be to them a year of holy rejoycing before the Lord; and withall becauſe it was to be a type of that evangelicall Jubile at the coming of Chriſt, when by the trumpet of the Goſpel, firſt ſounded by the Baptiſt, and after by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, there ſhould be great joy proclaimed unto all nations; whence it is that the time of the Goſpel is called the year of Gods redeemed, Eſa. 63. 4. and the acceptable year of the Lord, Eſa. 61. 2. the accepted time, and the day of ſalvation, 2. Cor. 6. 2. One of the main priviledges of this year was that which is here mentioned, that all their ſervants were ſet at liberty. Ordinarily when their brethren were ſold to them for ſervants, they were to ſerve them ſix years; but if the year of Jubile came after the firſt or ſecond year, they were preſently ſet free: yea even thoſe that at other ordinary times did refuſe to be ſet free, and ſo had their ears bored through, and were by the Law thereupon to ſerve for ever, Exod. 21. 16. were yet ſet free at the year of Jubile. And herein was the year of Jubile, a notable type of the evangelicall Jubile at the coming of Chriſt, when all Gods redeemed ones were ſet free from the bondage of the Law, Satan, ſinne, and death, Joh. 8. 36. If the ſonne ſhall make you free, you ſhall be free indeed.
It ſhall be a Jubile unto you, and ye ſhall return every man to his poſſeſſion.]
This was another priviledge of the year of Jubile, That when that year came all the land that had been ſold returned to the owners that had ſold it, or to their heirs: for no man might ſell his land for ever, ver. 23. but onelyonly for ſo many years as were behind from the ſale to the year of Jubile, and then the owners entred upon the land again. And this was the reaſon why Naboth would not ſell his vineyard to Ahab, to wit, for ever. 1. King. 21. 3. The Lord forbid it me, ſaith he, that I ſhould give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. Now the reaſons of this Law were, 1. that it might prevent the confuſion of the tribes by the alienation of their ſeverall portions in the land of Canaan from one to another; 2. that it might be a barre in the way of the rich, that they might not hope to ſwallow up the inheritance of their poore brethren, and ſo to enlarge their own; 3. that it might be a perpetuall memoriall to them that God had planted them in the land, becauſe they might not ſell it, the Lord challenging the land to be ſtill his by a peculiar right, and willing them onelyonly to eſteem themſelves as ſojourners therein with him, whence it is called the Lords land, Hoſ. 9. 3. They ſhall not dwell in the Lords land; and Eſai. 8. 8. The ſtretching out of his wings ſhall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. And fourthly, That it might be a figure of our recovering by Chriſt, at the evangelicall Jubile, that heavenly inheritance which we had loſt by ſinne; and that the heavenly Canaan which God had prepared for his in Chriſt c…nnot be utterly alienated from them but is ſurely confirmed in his bloud, and reſerved in heaven for them, ſo that though by their ſinnes they may for a time deprive themſelves of the comfortable uſe of this their inheritance in the Church, yet they ſhall return thereto at the great Jubile of Chriſts ſecond appearing, when the trumpet of God ſhall ſound, 1. Theſſ. 4. 16, 17. The Lord himſ…lf ſhall deſcend from heaven with a ſhout, with the voice of the Archangell, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Chriſt shall riſe firſt; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the aire, and ſo shall we be for ever with the Lord.
Verſ. 12. Ye ſhall eat the increaſe thereof out of the field.]
And not out of the barn. The meaning is, that they might not gather and lay up the encreaſe that grew of the land in the year of Jubile, but what they did eat hereof in common together with others, they muſt take it immediately out of the field.
Verſ. 14. And if thou ſell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbours hand, ye ſhall not oppreſſe one another.]
That is, the ſeller ſhall not exact more of him that buyes then the uſe of the land is truly worth from the time of the ſale to the year of Jubile, nor ſhall the buyer ſeek to get the land for leſſe then it is truly worth, taking advantage of the neceſſity of him that is forced to ſell.
Verſ. 20. And if ye ſhall ſay, What ſhall we eat the ſeventh year, &c.]
An objection is here made and anſwered, concerning the reſt of the Sabbaticall year enjoyned verſ. 4. The objection is, how they ſhould live the ſeventh year if they ſhould therein neither ſow nor reap: And the anſwer is, verſ. 21, 22. That God would command ſuch a bleſſing upon the ſixth year, that it ſhould bring forth fruit for three years, that is, from the ſixth to the ninth, not for three years compleat, but for part of three years, (as Chriſt is ſaid to have been three dayes in th… grave, becauſe he was in the grave part of three dayes (for the increaſe of the ſixth year ſerved them, firſt, for part of the ſixth year; to wit, from barly-harveſt that year, which was about the Paſſeover, till the ſeventh monethmonth, when the Sabbaticall year began; ſecondly, for all the Sabbaticall year; thirdly, for the eighth year, till both barly and wheat harveſt of that they had ſown that year was fully gathered and made ready for uſe, which was not till the ninth year was wellnigh come: and thus the increaſe of the ſixth year ſerved for three years. Now for the year of Jubile (concerning which they had more reaſon to doubt, becauſe then they did neither ſow nor reap for two years toge…her, to wit the fourtyninth year, which was the ſeventh Sabbaticall year, and the fiftieth, which was the year of Jubile) by what is ſaid concerning the ſeventh year, …e like muſt be conceived concerning that too, namely that then God would give ſuch a bleſſing to the ſixth year, that the increaſe thereof ſhould ſerve for foure years, that is, for part of foure years.
Verſ. 23. The land ſhall not …e ſ…d for ever, &c.]
See the note upon verſ. 10.
Verſ. 25. If any of hi… kin come to redeem it, then ſhall he redeem that which his brother ſold.]
This kinſman that was allowed to redeem the poſſeſſion which his poore brother had ſold was a figure of Chriſt, who being near to us, and allyed in the fleſh, is called our God, that is, our redeemer or deliverer, Eſai. 59. 20. and our brother, Heb. 2. 11. He is not aſhamed to call them brethrew: and he it is that hath redeemed us, and our heavenly inheritance unto us, in our low depreſſed and poore eſtate, Hoſ. 13. 14. I will ranſome them from the power of the gr…ve, and will redeem them from death. 2. Cor. 8. 9. Though he was rich, yet for your ſakes he became poore, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Verſ. 29. And if a man ſell a dwelling-houſe in a walled city, &c.]
In two particulars the Law here given for the ſale of houſes in walled towns differs from that before given for the ſale of their land: firſt, whereas they might redeem their land at all times, their houſes in walled towns they might not redeem unleſſe they did it within a year; ſecondly, whereas their lands did alwayes return to the firſt owners at the year of Jubile, their houſes in walled towns did not return to thoſe that ſold them at the year of Jubile, but if the owners redeemed them not within a year they were alie…ated from them for ever. Of which differences theſe reaſons are probably given: Firſt, becauſe …pon theſe houſes, if not redeemed within ſo ſhort a time, much coſt might be beſtowed by him that had bought them, for the altering, repairing or enlarging of them; and therefore it was not fit they ſhould be redeemed as lands were: and on the otherſide in many years they might be much decayed, and ſo not be reſtored in the ſame condition they were in, when they were ſold, as lands might: Secondly, becauſe the perpetuall alienating of theſe houſes in walled cities did not make ſuch confuſion in the tribes, as the alienating of their lands, ſince it cannot be thought that in populous cities, onelyonly men of one and the ſame tribe inhabited: Thirdly, becauſe men might better part with their houſes then their ground, that ſhould yield them food and ſuſtenance, yea theſe houſes might be burthenſome to the owners becoming poore, rather then uſefull.
Verſ. 31. They may be redeemed, and they ſhall go out in the Jubile.]
That is, the houſes in villages, to wit, becauſe the lands could not be without farmhouſes, ſtables, &c.
Verſ. 33. For the houſes of the cities of the Levites are their poſſeſſion, &c.]
Therefore as the Iſraelites had liberty to redeem their poſſeſſions of lands, and enjoyed the priviledge of receiving them back again at the year of Jubile; ſo it was fit the Levites ſhould have the ſame priviledges concerning their houſes in the cities allotted them, becauſe they had no other poſſeſſion in the land.
Verſ. 34. But the field of the ſuburbs of their cities may not be ſold, &c.]
The field of the ſuburbs (of which ſee Numb. 35. 4, 5.) appointed for the keeping of their cattel might not be ſold at all, left wanting that neceſſary help, they ſhould be forced to leave their dwellings, to the great damage of the whole people, God having thus diſperſed them in ſeverall cities in every tribe, that they might watch over the ſouls of the people. This continued during the politie of the Jews, what was after done ſee Acts 4. 36, 37. Joſes a Levite, having land ſold it, and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet.
Verſ. 36. Take thou no uſury of him nor increaſe.]
That is, of thy poore decayed brother, whether he be an Iſraelite born, or a ſtranger that is become a proſelyte; for to both theſe they are commanded to lend in the foregoing verſe, and therefore from both theſe they are here forbidden to take uſury or increaſe.
Verſ. 39. Thou ſhalt not compell him to ſerve as a bond-ſervant.]
That is, thou ſhalt not compell him to ſerve for ever, nor uſe him baſely and hardly, but as a brother.
Verſ. 40. And ſhall ſerve thee unto the year of Jubile.]
The ordinary time of their ſervice was but for ſix years, Exod. 21. 2. but in ſome caſes their ears were bored, and they were to ſerve for ever, Exod. 21. 6. But in the firſt, if not in both theſe caſes, the Jubile was to put an end unto their ſervice, and they were to be ſet free. And as their ſerving for ever had an end at the year of Jubile, ſo alſo all their other legall ordinances, which were ordained to continue for ever, had their period at the evangelicall Jubile, of which this was a type.
Verſ. 41. And then ſhall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, &c.]
And ſo alſo his wife, Exod. 21. 3. If he came in by himſelf, he ſhall go out by himſelf: if he were married then his wife ſhall go out with him.
Verſ. 46. They ſhall be your bond-men for ever.]
That is, thoſe ſervants which you buy, that are of other nations; for theſe, yea though they were proſelytes, were not ſet at liberty at the year of Jubile.
But over your brethren the children of Iſrael, ye ſhall not rule one over another with rigour.]
Namely firſt, they muſt not be put to ſuch vile works and baſe imployments as their bondmen of the Gentiles: ſecondly, they muſt not be held in perpetuall bondage, but muſt go out free,, they, their wives, and children, at the year of Jubile; thirdly, they muſt not be ſold to others for bondmen as the Gentiles were: theſe things are meant here by ruling over them with rigour; for cruelly they might not deal with their bondmen that were of the Gentiles.