Leviticus 25 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter describes two special types of years and property rights:

1. The Sabbath Year (25:1–7)
2. The Year of Jubilee (25:8–22)
3. Laws about property redemption (25:23–34)
4. Laws about helping the poor (25:35–46)
5. Laws about Israelite slaves (25:47–55)

Special Translation Issues in This Chapter

Personification

The chapter often speaks of land as if it were a person:

• “The land shall rest”
• “The land shall give”
• Consider how your language expresses these concepts naturally

Idioms

The chapter uses several idioms that need careful translation:

• “His hand reaches” means “he becomes prosperous”
• “His hand wavers” means “he becomes poor”
• “To the mouth of” means “according to” or “based on”
• Use natural expressions in your language to convey the meaning

Generic terms

The chapter uses general terms that include everyone:

• “Brother” means “fellow Israelite”
• “A man” means “any person”
• “Sons” can include both men and women

(See: sabbath, and redeem)