Leviticus 25:27 is part of a larger section in the book of Leviticus that deals with the Year of Jubilee, a special year that occurred every fifty years in ancient Israel. The Year of Jubilee was a time of economic and social reset, during which all land that had been sold was to be returned to its original owners, and all Israelite slaves were to be set free. This was a radical economic system designed to prevent the concentration of wealth and land in the hands of a few, and to ensure that every family in Israel remained economically viable.
The verse itself addresses the situation where a person has sold their land due to economic hardship. The buyer and seller are to calculate the number of years that have passed since the sale, and if there are any years remaining until the next Year of Jubilee, the seller is to be compensated for those years, effectively receiving a refund for the unused portion of the sale period. This provision ensured that the seller did not lose out on the full value of their land and could reclaim their ancestral inheritance during the Year of Jubilee.
The themes present in this verse include divine justice, economic fairness, and the sanctity of family property. Historically, this law would have been a significant safeguard for the poor and would have helped maintain social stability by preventing the development of a landless underclass. It reflects the broader concern of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) for the welfare of the disadvantaged and the regulation of economic life in accordance with divine principles.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
Strong's Number: H2803 There are 122 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: חָשַׁב Transliteration: châshab Pronunciation: khaw-shab' Description: a primitive root; properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively, to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute; (make) account (of), conceive, consider, count, cunning (man, work, workman), devise, esteem, find out, forecast, hold, imagine, impute, invent, be like, mean, purpose, reckon(-ing be made), regard, think.
Strong's Number: H8141 There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שָׁנֶה Transliteration: shâneh Pronunciation: shaw-neh' Description: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).
Strong's Number: H4465 There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: מִמְכָּר Transliteration: mimkâr Pronunciation: mim-kawr' Description: from מָכַר; merchandise; abstractly, a selling; [idiom] ought, (that which cometh of) sale, that which...sold, ware.
Strong's Number: H7725 There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שׁוּב Transliteration: shûwb Pronunciation: shoob Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
Strong's Number: H5736 There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: עֲדַף Transliteration: ʻădaph Pronunciation: aw-daf' Description: a primitive root; to be (causatively, have) redundant; be more, odd number, be (have) over (and above), overplus, remain.
Strong's Number: H376 There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אִישׁ Transliteration: ʼîysh Pronunciation: eesh Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
Strong's Number: H4376 There are 74 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: מָכַר Transliteration: mâkar Pronunciation: maw-kar' Description: a primitive root; to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender); [idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).
Strong's Number: H272 There are 190 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אֲחֻזָּה Transliteration: ʼăchuzzâh Pronunciation: akh-ooz-zaw' Description: feminine passive participle from אָחַז; something seized, i.e. a possession (especially of land); possession.