Leviticus – Chapter 25

Old Testament55 Verses

Chapter Summary

Leviticus 25 opens with the words: "And the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying:" Moses stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 55 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and God feeding His people. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1And the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying:

2Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: When you shall have entered into the land which I will give you, observe the rest of the sabbath of the Lord.

3Six years thou shalt sow thy field and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and shalt gather the fruits thereof.

4But in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath to the land, of the resting of the Lord. Thou shalt not sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

5What the ground shall bring forth of itself, thou shalt not reap: neither shalt thou gather the grapes or the firstfruits as a vintage. For it is a year of rest to the land.

6But they shall be unto you for meat, to thee and to thy manservant, to thy maidservant and thy hireling, and to the strangers that sojourn with thee.

7All things that grow shall be meat to thy beasts and to thy cattle.

8Thou shalt also number to thee seven weeks of years: that is to say, seven times seven, which together make forty-nine years.

9And thou shalt sound the trumpet in the seventh month, the tenth day of the month, in the time of the expiation in all your land.

10And thou shalt sanctify the fiftieth year, and shalt proclaim remission to all the inhabitants of thy land: for it is the year of jubilee. Every man shall return to his possession, and every one shall go back to his former family:

11Because it is the jubilee and the fiftieth year. You shall not sow, nor reap the things that grow in the field of their own accord, neither shall you gather the firstfruits of the vines,

12Because of the sanctification of the jubilee. But as they grow you shall presently eat them.

13In the year of the jubilee all shall return to their possessions.

14When thou shalt sell any thing to thy neighbour, or shalt buy of him: grieve not thy brother. But thou shalt buy of him according to the number of years from the jubilee.

15And he shall sell to thee according to the computation of the fruits.

16The more years remain after the jubilee, the more shall the price increase: and the less time is counted, so much the less shall the purchase cost. For he shall sell to thee the time of the fruits.

17Do not afflict your countrymen: but let every one fear his God. Because I am the Lord your God.

18Do my precepts, and keep my judgments, and fulfil them: that you may dwell in the land without any fear.

19And the ground may yield you its fruits, of which you may eat your fill, fearing no man's invasion.

20But if you say: What shall we eat the seventh year, if we sow not, nor gather our fruits?

21I will give you my blessing the sixth year: and it shall yield the fruits of three years.

22And the eighth year you shall sow, and shall eat of the old fruits, until the ninth year: till new grow up, you shall eat the old store.

23The land also shall not be sold for ever: because it is mine, and you are strangers and sojourners with me.

24For which cause all the country of your possession shall be under the condition of redemption.

25If thy brother being impoverished sell his little possession, and his kinsman will: he may redeem what he had sold.

26But if he have no kinsman, and he himself can find the price to redeem it:

27The value of the fruits shall be counted from that time when he sold it. And the overplus he shall restore to the buyer, and so shall receive his possession again.

28But if his hands find not the means to repay the price, the buyer shall have what he bought, until the year of the jubilee. For in that year all that is sold shall return to the owner, and to the ancient possessor.

29He that selleth a house within the walls of a city, shall have the liberty to redeem it, until one year be expired.

30If he redeem it not, and the whole year be fully out, the buyer shall possess it, and his posterity for ever, and it cannot be redeemed, not even in the jubilee.

31But if the house be in a village, that hath no walls, it shall be sold according to the same law as the fields. If it be not redeemed before, in the jubilee it shall return to the owner.

32The houses of Levites, which are in cities, may always be redeemed.

33If they be not redeemed, in the jubilee they shall all return to the owners: because the houses of the cities of the Levites are for their possessions among the children of Israel.

34But let not their suburbs be sold, because it is a perpetual possession.

35If thy brother be impoverished, and weak of hand, and thou receive him as a stranger and sojourner, and he live with thee:

36Take not usury of him nor more than thou gavest. Fear thy God, that thy brother may live with thee.

37Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury: nor exact of him any increase of fruits.

38I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that I might give you the land of Chanaan, and might be your God.

39If thy brother constrained by poverty, sell himself to thee: thou shalt not oppress him with the service of bondservants.

40But he shall be as a hireling, and a sojourner: he shall work with thee until the year of the jubilee.

41And afterwards he shall go out with his children: and shall return to his kindred and to the possession of his fathers.

42For they are my servants, and I brought them out of the land of Egypt: let them not be sold as bondmen.

43Afflict him not by might: but fear thy God.

44Let your bondmen, and your bondwomen, be of the nations that are round about you:

45And of the strangers that sojourn among you, or that were born of them in your land. These you shall have for servants:

46And by right of inheritance shall leave them to your posterity, and shall possess them for ever. But oppress not your brethren the children of Israel by might.

47If the hand of a stranger or a sojourner grow strong among you, and thy brother being impoverished sell himself to him, or to any of his race:

48After the sale he may be redeemed. He that will of his brethren shall redeem him:

49Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, or his kinsman, by blood, or by affinity. But if he himself be able also, he shall redeem himself:

50Counting only the years from the time of his selling unto the year of the jubilee: and counting the money that he was sold for, according to the number of the years and the reckoning of a hired servant.

51If there be many years that remain until the jubilee, according to them shall he also repay the price.

52If few, he shall make the reckoning with him according to the number of the years: and shall repay to the buyer of what remaineth of the years.

53His wages being allowed for which he served before: he shall not afflict him violently in thy sight.

54And if by these means he cannot be redeemed, in the year of the jubilee he shall go out with his children.

55For the children of Israel are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt.

Important Verses in Leviticus 25

And the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying:

Leviticus 25:1

But in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath to the land, of the resting of the Lord. Thou shalt not sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

Leviticus 25:4

Do not afflict your countrymen: but let every one fear his God. Because I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 25:17

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that I might give you the land of Chanaan, and might be your God.

Leviticus 25:38

Historical Context

Leviticus belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for the priests (sons of Aaron) and the whole assembly of Israel. Chapter 25 of 27 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a legal and cultic instruction given to Israel regarding worship, holiness, and daily life with 55 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Moses, the principal figures named in this chapter. The chapter begins: "And the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying:" It concludes: "For the children of Israel are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. " Read against its original backdrop, Leviticus is the liturgical handbook of ancient Israel, given at Sinai to teach a newly freed people how to worship a holy God. The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: Core traditions from the wilderness period; final form by the 5th century BC.

Who Wrote It

Traditionally attributed to Moses; contains priestly legislation preserved by the Levitical priesthood

When It Was Written

Core traditions from the wilderness period; final form by the 5th century BC

Catholic Commentary

This chapter presents divine statutes and cultic norms that shaped Israel's worship and moral life. A pivotal line is verse 1: "And the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying:" The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

Catholic exegesis reads Leviticus 25 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. Catholic theology sees these sacrifices fulfilled in Christ's one perfect sacrifice (CIC 1539-1545). St. Thomas Aquinas and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 756).

For Christians today, the chapter's lesson is clear: The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.. The Church invites us to receive this word not as antiquarian information but as living Scripture proclaimed at Mass and prayed in lectio divina.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • From the manna to the Last Supper, God feeds His people — fully in the Eucharist.
  • God defends the poor and the oppressed, and calls His people to act with justice.

People in This Chapter

Moses1 mention

Reflection for Today

In Leviticus Chapter 25, the Church invites us to listen attentively to God's Word within the broader narrative of holiness, sacrifice, and priestly worship.

The Second Vatican Council reminded the faithful that Scripture should permeate Catholic spirituality (Dei Verbum, 21-26). Leviticus Chapter 25 supports that call by drawing attention to trust in providence amid uncertainty within the wider message that Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Entrust your meditation to Mary, who pondered God's Word in her heart. Through her intercession, may the message of trust in providence amid uncertainty bear fruit in humility, courage, and charity this day.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Leviticus Chapter 25 about?

Leviticus 25 contains 55 verses. It opens with "And the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying:" and closes with "For the children of Israel are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. ". The book as a whole is law and liturgical instruction.

What is a key verse in Leviticus 25?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "And the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying:" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Leviticus Chapter 25?

This chapter mentions Moses.

Who wrote Leviticus and when?

Traditionally attributed to Moses; contains priestly legislation preserved by the Levitical priesthood. Core traditions from the wilderness period; final form by the 5th century BC.

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