Leviticus 25:25
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This passage highlights that a family member's land could only be sold out of absolute necessity, not for speculation. It also introduces the concept of a "kinsman-redeemer," a relative with the responsibility and right to buy back land sold by a family member in dire straits, pointing to a deeper picture of Christ's redemptive work.
“If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In the midst of the laws governing the Promised Land, this verse addresses a dire situation: an Israelite falling into poverty and being forced to sell their inherited land. The preceding verses establish that land, God's gift, wasn't meant to be permanently sold, and this rule provides a specific mechanism for its recovery. This law highlights the community's responsibility to care for its members, ensuring that ancestral land could be bought back by a relative.
When financial hardship struck, a family member's land could be lost. But there was a safeguard, a powerful right designed to keep the inheritance within the family.
This verse introduces a crucial concept in ancient Israelite society: the 'kinsman-redeemer' (in Hebrew, 'goel').
A Sacred Trust
If a fellow Israelite fell into poverty and had to sell a piece of their ancestral land – their God-given inheritance – it wasn't just gone forever. The law stepped in:
The land of Israel wasn't just real estate; it was a divine gift. Understanding this changes everything about how it could be bought, sold, or lost.
The entire system of land ownership in Israel was built on a foundational truth: God owned the land.
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God's Freehold, Israel's Tenancy
Leviticus 25 emphasizes that God is the ultimate owner of the Promised Land. The Israelites were merely 'strangers and sojourners' (v. 23) or tenants living on His property.
This ancient Israelite law points to a far greater reality – a divine Redeemer who secures an eternal inheritance for us.
The earthly kinsman-redeemer in Leviticus is a beautiful foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.
Christ, Our Goel
Jesus is our ultimate 'goel' (kinsman-redeemer) in several profound ways:
Understand the original words
ach · Hebrew Noun
A fellow Israelite, reflecting the relational bond of the covenant people. The term implies mutual responsibility, care, and the obligation to support one another in times of need.
goel · Hebrew Noun
The 'kinsman-redeemer,' a relative obligated to act on behalf of a family member to restore their property, marry a widow, or avenge blood. It serves as a type or foreshadowing of Christ’s role in redeeming His people.
This passage shows the 'goel' or redeemer in action, where Boaz explicitly fulfills the kinsman-redeemer role for Ruth and Naomi, demonstrating the practical application of the redemption laws.
Jeremiah 32:7Here, Jeremiah acts as a redeemer by purchasing his cousin's field, illustrating the spiritual and legal concept of kinsman-redemption being upheld even during times of national crisis and exile.
1 Kings 21:3Naboth's fierce refusal to sell his ancestral vineyard to Ahab highlights the deep significance of inherited land in Israel, framing such sales as a desperate last resort due to poverty, not a speculative venture.
Colossians 1:13This verse speaks of God rescuing us from the dominion of darkness and bringing us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, mirroring the concept of redemption from a state of loss and powerlessness.
Galatians 3:13Paul explains that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, directly connecting the idea of redemption to Christ's ultimate act of salvation for humanity.
gillLeviticus 25:25: "If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold."
If thy brother be waxen poor,.... Is brought very low, greatly reduced, and is in mean circumstances; hence Jarchi says, we learn, that no man may sell his field, unless his distress presses him and forces him to it; for, as Maimonides (c) observes, a man might not sell his estate to put money into his purse, or to…
clarkeLeviticus 25:25: "If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold."
Any of his kin come to redeem it - The land that was sold might be redeemed, in the interim between jubilee and jubilee, by the former owner or by one of his kinsmen or relatives. This kinsman is called in the text גאל goel or redeemer; and was not this a lively emblem of the redemption of man by Christ Jesus? Tha…
This passage highlights that a family member's land could only be sold out of absolute necessity, not for speculation. It also introduces the concept of a "kinsman-redeemer," a relative with the responsibility and right to buy back land sold by a family member in dire straits, pointing to a deeper picture of Christ's redemptive work.
In the midst of the laws governing the Promised Land, this verse addresses a dire situation: an Israelite falling into poverty and being forced to sell their inherited land. The preceding verses establish that land, God's gift, wasn't meant to be permanently sold, and this rule provides a specific mechanism for its recovery. This law highlights the community's responsibility to care for its members, ensuring that ancestral land could be bought back by a relative.
In the midst of the laws governing the Promised Land, this verse addresses a dire situation: an Israelite falling into poverty and being forced to sell their inherited land. The preceding verses establish that land, God's gift, wasn't meant to be permanently sold, and this rule provides a specific mechanism for its recovery. This law highlights the community's responsibility to care for its members, ensuring that ancestral land could be bought back by a relative.
"“If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold." — This passage highlights that a family member's land could only be sold out of absolute necessity, not for speculation. It also introduces the concept of a "kinsman-redeemer," a relative with the resp…
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Last reviewed October 2026
