1. Leviticus 25:15 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

How is integrity maintained within Israel in light of the Jubilee?

Leviticus 25:15 (ESV)

15 You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops.

The importance of maintaining economic integrity is spelled out more fully. First, it is not the land that is being sold, but what is grown on the land. Thus, the value of the land is proportional to the number of years to the next Jubilee. At the Jubilee, the land reverts to its original owner. If left unchecked, this process could lead to great social division, with a class of rich landowners exploiting a mass of landless Hebrews.