39 'And when thy brother becometh poor with thee, and he hath been sold to thee, thou dost not lay on him servile service; 40 as an hireling, as a settler, he is with thee, till the year of the jubilee he doth serve with thee,— 41 then he hath gone out from thee, he and his sons with him, and hath turned back unto his family; even unto the possession of his fathers he doth turn back. 42 'For they 'are' My servants, whom I have brought out from the land of Egypt: they are not sold 'with' the sale of a servant; 43 thou rulest not over him with rigour, and thou hast been afraid of thy God. 44 'And thy man-servant and thy handmaid whom thou hast 'are' of the nations who 'are' round about you; of them ye buy man-servant and handmaid, 45 and also of the sons of the settlers who are sojourning with you, of them ye buy, and of their families who 'are' with you, which they have begotten in your land, and they have been to you for a possession; 46 and ye have taken them for inheritance to your sons after you, to occupy 'for' a possession; to the age ye lay service upon them, but upon your brethren, the sons of Israel, one with another, thou dost not rule over him with rigour. 47 'And when the hand of a sojourner or settler with thee attaineth 'riches', and thy brother with him hath become poor, and he hath been sold to a sojourner, a settler with thee, or to the root of the family of a sojourner, 48 after he hath been sold, there is a right of redemption to him; one of his brethren doth redeem him, 49 or his uncle, or a son of his uncle, doth redeem him, or any of the relations of his flesh, of his family, doth redeem him, or—his own hand hath attained—then he hath been redeemed. 50 'And he hath reckoned with his buyer from the year of his being sold to him till the year of jubilee, and the money of his sale hath been by the number of years; as the days of an hireling it is with him. 51 'If yet many years, according to them he giveth back his redemption 'money', from the money of his purchase. 52 'And if few are left of the years till the year of jubilee, then he hath reckoned with him, according to his years he doth give back his redemption 'money'; 53 as an hireling, year by year, he is with him, and he doth not rule him with rigour before thine eyes. 54 'And if he is not redeemed in these 'years', then he hath gone out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Leviticus 25:39-54
Commentary on Leviticus 25:39-55
(Read Leviticus 25:39-55)
A native Israelite, if sold for debt, or for a crime, was to serve but six years, and to go out the seventh. If he sold himself, through poverty, both his work and his usage must be such as were fitting for a son of Abraham. Masters are required to give to their servants that which is just and equal, John 8:32. We cannot ransom our fellow-sinners, but we may point out Christ to them; while by his grace our lives may adorn his gospel, express our love, show our gratitude, and glorify his holy name.