Ver. 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses in Mount Sinai.] Posthuman, returning from the eastern parts, is, by Sulpitius, brought in thus speaking: I saw the Red Sea, I went up Mount Sinai, the very top whereof, reaching up almost to heaven, cannot be come at. Sulp., Dial i., cap. 2.
Ver. 2. Then shall the land keep a Sabbath.] By their weekly Sabbath they professed that themselves belonged to God, though Seneca jeers them for it, as those that cast away the seventh part of their time. By this seventh year Sabbath, they professed that their land belonged to God, and that they were only his hinds, his tenants, and tithemen. Hence it is called the Lord’s land, (Hosea 9:3) and Immanuel’s. (Isaiah 8:8)
Ver. 3. Six years.] Beginning at September, according to the Jews’ civil account.
Ver. 4. A Sabbath of rest unto the land.] This and the jubilee year shadowed our eternal rest. (Colossians 2:16,17 Hebrews 4:9) (l.) Every seventh day they rested from their labours. (2.) Every seventh year the ground rested. (3.) Every seventh seventh (as some reckon it) was the jubilean Sabbath: at which time all debts were remitted, prisoners released, mortgages restored to the right inheritors. The great and eternal Sabbath comprehends all these. How then should we breathe after it, and even go forth to meet it, as the Jews do their weekly Sabbath, beginning it an hour sooner than the law required? and this they called their Sabbatulum, or little Sabbath.
Ver. 5. Thou shalt not reap,] sc., All at once, as other years: but now some, and then some, for thy necessary food. Maimon., in Jobel.
Ver. 6. Shall be meat for you.] Thus God taught and inured them to depend upon his providence, and to feed on faith, as some read that text. (Psalms 37:3) For though the owner of the field might gather, even on that year, for the maintenance of himself and family, yet he was neither to sow his field, thereby to increase his harvest, nor to hedge his field, or lock up his vineyard, &c.
Ver. 8. Seven Sabbaths of years.] See on Leviticus 25:4.
Ver. 9. In the day of atonement.] Here began the jubilee: this feast was founded in a fast. “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy”: neither is there any such comfort as theirs that have soundly soaked themselves in godly sorrow. Pardon of sin is the only foundation of all jubilees: and when God hath pardoned us, our hearts are in fittest frame to pardon others.
Ver. 10. And proclaim liberty.] See this expounded by the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 61:1,2 Luke 4:21) A most joyful jubilee indeed. In the year of Christ, 1617, the Pope proclaimed a jubilee for the peace of Italy and Austria. The Protestants also of Germany did the like, in honour of God, and for joy of the Reformation begun by Luther in Germany, a just hundred of years before. Exactly a hundred years before.
Ver. 11. A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be.] Or, That jubilee shall be unto you the year of fifty years. This first Mosaical jubilee was in 1396 BC.
Ver. 12. Out of the field.] [See Trapp on “Le 25:6”]
Ver. 13. Ye shall return every man unto his possession.] So shall all saints to the paradise of God, at the sound of the last trumpet.
Ver. 14. Ye shall not oppress.] But proceed by that golden rule, “Whatever ye would that men should do to you, even so do ye to them.”
Ver. 15. Years of the fruits.] The land was not properly sold, but the fruits and revenues thereof.
Ver. 17. But thou shalt fear thy God.] And so depart from this evil also. (Genesis 42:18) Joseph said to his brethren, who feared he would roll himself upon them, “This do and live, for I fear God,” q.d., I dare do you no hurt, though ye be fallen into my danger. So his grandfather Isaac, seeing that he had done unwilling justice, durst not reverse the blessing, though he had some mind to it, for God had overawed him. (Genesis 27:33) And “ought ye not to have walked in the fear of the Lord?” said good Nehemiah to those merciless griping usurers. (Nehemiah 5:10)
Ver. 18. Ye shall do my statutes.] Ye shall do them, and do them: that is, ye shall do them diligently, [as Psalms 119:4] and then ye shall dwell in the land in safety; yea, ye shall dwell there in safety: that is, ye shall assuredly; take my word for it.
Ver. 20. And if ye shall say.] A clear answer to a carnal objection. Usually God conceals the objection in Scripture, and meets it with an answer, which is an act of grace.
Ver. 21. Command my blessing.] Now if God send his mandamus, who shall gainstand it?
Ver. 22. Ye shall eat of the old store.] Leave that care to me, who will cause you to have “all sufficiency in all things, that ye may abound to every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8,10)
Ver. 23. The land is mine.] See Leviticus 25:2.
Ver. 24. Ye shall grant a redemption,] i.e., Yield to it.
Ver. 25. And if any of his kin.] Christ is our near kinsman, and so by propinquity, as man, had the right of redemption. (Ruth 2:20 3:9,11,13)
Ver. 28. And he shall return unto his possession.] So do all God’s Israel to their heavenly inheritance. (Colossians 1:12-14 Ephesians 1:10,11,18 1 Peter 1:4)
Ver. 30. And if it be not redeemed.] This would make the owners the better husbands, and keep the houses in better repair.
Ver. 31. They may be redeemed.] Lands and homestall had need go together.
Ver. 32. May the Levites redeem at any time.] They were ever counted privileged persons: and it was but reason. See Leviticus 25:33,34.
Ver. 33. See previous verse.
Ver. 34. May not be sold.] This law lasted but during the paedagogy: for Joses, a Levite, sold his land, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:36,37)
Ver. 35. That he may live with thee,] i.e., Live in good fashion; for a necessitous life is a lifeless life. Thus shall ye say to him that liveth. (1 Samuel 25:6) So John 4:50, “Thy son liveth.”
Ver. 36. Take thou no usury.] God dispenseth with no usury, but condemns both Neshec the biting, and Tarbith the toothless. In Rome at this day, all usurers are excommunicated monthly. The Jews indeed are permitted to strain up their usury to 18 per cent upon the Christian, for among themselves they nowhere use it, which causeth many of the unconscionable Christians to use these Jews underhandly in improving their unlawful rents to the utmost proportion.
Ver. 38. I am the Lord your God.] Freely you have received, freely lend. You have had me your benefactor, you shall have me your debtor.
Ver. 39. Thou shalt not compel him.] To serve for ever, nor use him basely and hardly meanwhiles.
Ver. 41. And then shall he depart from thee.] Yea, and though he had been bored through the ear, in token of perpetual servitude. (Exodus 21:2,6)
Ver. 43. Rule over him with rigour.] As the Egyptians did over the Israelites. (Exodus 1:13) Thy servant is made of the same earth with thee, and hath right to the same heaven with thee. See Galatians 3:28. The servant paid the half shekel as well as the master. Stand not therefore on terms of inequality, but know that yourselves also have a Master in heaven. Do therefore to them “that which is right and equal.” (Colossians 4:1)
Ver. 44. Both thy bondmen.] Reprobates might be hereby figured.
Ver. 46. But over your brethren the children of Israel.] Tacitus observed of the Jews in his time, that to their own countrymen they were very kind: but toward all others, cursed and cruel.