Charles Ellicott Commentary Leviticus 25:53

"As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him: he shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight." — Leviticus 25:53 (ASV)

And as a yearly hired servant he shall be. —Better, As a yearly servant, etc., without the “and,” which is not in the original and is not needed. That is, as long as he is in service, his master must not treat him like a slave. The master is to behave toward him as if he were simply one who hires out his services from year to year and who, after a short time, will be his own master again.

And the other shall not rule with rigor over him. —Better, he shall not rule, etc.; that is, the heathen master. The words “and the other” are not in the original, and the sense of the passage is quite plain without them.

In your sight. —The Israelite is admonished here not to be a tacit spectator of the cruel treatment of his brother Israelite by a heathen master. Though he is not to resent this in the same way the Lawgiver himself resented it (Exodus 2:11–12), he is still to remonstrate with the cruel Gentile and invoke the protection of the powers that be.