Leviticus

Leviticus 25:39–45

39If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. 40Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers.

42Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves. 43You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

44Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them. 45You may also purchase them from the foreigners residing among you or their clans living among you who are born in your land. These may become your property.

Read all of Leviticus 25

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Leviticus 25:39

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Ifוְכִֽי־wə·ḵî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
a countrymanאָחִ֛יךָ’ā·ḥî·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH251 brother
among youעִמָּ֖ךְ‘im·māḵPreposition; second person feminine singularH5973 with
becomes destituteיָמ֥וּךְyā·mūḵVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH4134 be low, depressed, grow poor
and sells himselfוְנִמְכַּר־wə·nim·kar-Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH4376 sell
to youלָ֑ךְlāḵPreposition; second person feminine singular
then you must notלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
force himתַעֲבֹ֥דṯa·‘ă·ḇōḏVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH5647 work, serve
intoבּ֖וֹbōwPreposition; third person masculine singular
slaveעָֽבֶד׃‘ā·ḇeḏNoun - masculine singularH5650 slave, servant
laborעֲבֹ֥דַת‘ă·ḇō·ḏaṯNoun - feminine singular constructH5656 labour, service

Leviticus 25:40

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Let him stayיִהְיֶ֣הyih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
with youעִמָּ֑ךְ‘im·māḵPreposition; second person feminine singularH5973 with
as a hired workerכְּשָׂכִ֥ירkə·śā·ḵîrPreposition-k; Adjective - masculine singularH7916 hired
or temporary residentכְּתוֹשָׁ֖בkə·ṯō·wō·šāḇPreposition-k; Noun - masculine singularH8453 sojourner
he is to workיַעֲבֹ֥דya·‘ă·ḇōḏVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH5647 work, serve
forעִמָּֽךְ׃‘im·māḵPreposition; second person feminine singularH5973 with
you untilעַד־‘aḏ-PrepositionH5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
the Yearשְׁנַ֥תšə·naṯNoun - feminine singular constructH8141 year
of Jubileeהַיֹּבֵ֖לhay·yō·ḇêlArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3104 ram, ram's horn, cornet

Leviticus 25:41

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then heה֖וּאhūPronoun - third person masculine singularH1931 he, she
and his childrenוּבָנָ֣יוū·ḇā·nāwConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH1121 son
are to be releasedוְיָצָא֙wə·yā·ṣāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH3318 go or come out
and he may returnוְשָׁב֙wə·šāḇConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH7725 turn back, return
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
his clanמִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹmiš·paḥ·tōwNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH4940 clan
and toוְאֶל־wə·’el-Conjunctive waw; PrepositionH413 motion to
the propertyאֲחֻזַּ֥ת’ă·ḥuz·zaṯNoun - feminine singular constructH272 possession
of his fathersאֲבֹתָ֖יו’ă·ḇō·ṯāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH1 father

Leviticus 25:42

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Becauseכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
My servantsעֲבָדַ֣י‘ă·ḇā·ḏayNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH5650 slave, servant
whomאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
I broughtהוֹצֵ֥אתִיhō·w·ṣê·ṯîVerb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singularH3318 go or come out
out of the landמֵאֶ֣רֶץmê·’e·reṣPreposition-m; Noun - feminine singular constructH776 earth, land
of Egyptמִצְרָ֑יִםmiṣ·rā·yimNoun - proper - feminine singularH4714 Egypt, Egyptians
they are notלֹ֥אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
to be soldיִמָּכְר֖וּyim·mā·ḵə·rūVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH4376 sell
as slavesעָֽבֶד׃‘ā·ḇeḏNoun - masculine singularH5650 slave, servant

Leviticus 25:43

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
You are notלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
to ruleתִרְדֶּ֥הṯir·dehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH7287 have dominion, rule, dominate
over themב֖וֹḇōwPreposition; third person masculine singular
harshlyבְּפָ֑רֶךְbə·p̄ā·reḵPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singularH6531 harshness, severity
but you shall fearוְיָרֵ֖אתָwə·yā·rê·ṯāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularH3372 fear
your Godמֵאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃mê·’ĕ·lō·he·ḵāPreposition-m; Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH430 God

Leviticus 25:44

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Your menservantsוְעַבְדְּךָ֥wə·‘aḇ·də·ḵāConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH5650 slave, servant
and maidservantsוַאֲמָתְךָ֖wa·’ă·mā·ṯə·ḵāConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH519 maid, handmaid
shall comeיִהְיוּ־yih·yū-Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
fromמֵאֵ֣תmê·’êṯPreposition-m; Direct object markerH854 with
the nationsהַגּוֹיִ֗םhag·gō·w·yimArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH1471 nation, people
around youסְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔םsə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯê·ḵemAdverb; second person masculine pluralH5439 circuit, round about
fromמֵהֶ֥םmê·hemPreposition-m; Pronoun - third person masculine plural
you may purchaseתִּקְנ֖וּtiq·nūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH7069 get, acquire

Leviticus 25:45

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
You may alsoוְ֠גַםwə·ḡamConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
purchase themתִּקְנ֔וּtiq·nūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH7069 get, acquire
from theמִבְּנֵ֨יmib·bə·nêPreposition-m; Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
foreignersהַתּוֹשָׁבִ֜יםhat·tō·wō·šā·ḇîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH8453 sojourner
residingהַגָּרִ֤יםhag·gā·rîmArticle; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH1481 sojourn
among youעִמָּכֶם֙‘im·mā·ḵemPreposition; second person masculine pluralH5973 with
or their clansוּמִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם֙ū·mim·miš·paḥ·tāmConjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH4940 clan
living among youעִמָּכֶ֔ם‘im·mā·ḵemPreposition; second person masculine pluralH5973 with
whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
are bornהוֹלִ֖ידוּhō·w·lî·ḏūVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common pluralH3205 bear, bring forth, beget
in your landבְּאַרְצְכֶ֑םbə·’ar·ṣə·ḵemPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine pluralH776 earth, land
These may becomeוְהָי֥וּwə·hā·yūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
yourלָכֶ֖םlā·ḵemPreposition; second person masculine plural
propertyלַֽאֲחֻזָּֽה׃la·’ă·ḥuz·zāhPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singularH272 possession

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Leviticus 25:39 Exodus 21:2 · 1 Kings 9:22 · 2 Kings 4:1 · Nehemiah 5:5 · Leviticus 25:46

Leviticus 25:40 Exodus 21:2–3

Leviticus 25:41 Leviticus 25:28 · Exodus 21:3

Leviticus 25:42 Leviticus 25:55 · Romans 6:22 · 1 Corinthians 7:21–23

Leviticus 25:43 Colossians 4:1 · Leviticus 25:46 · Exodus 1:13–14 · Leviticus 25:17 · Leviticus 25:53 · Ezekiel 34:4

Leviticus 25:44 Exodus 12:44

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.