John Gill Commentary Leviticus 25:47

John Gill Commentary

Leviticus 25:47

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

Leviticus 25:47

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"And if a stranger or sojourner with thee be waxed rich, and thy brother be waxed poor beside him, and sell himself unto the stranger [or] sojourner with thee, or to the stock of the stranger`s family;" — Leviticus 25:47 (ASV)

And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by you
An uncircumcised one, as the Targums, a proselyte of the gate, who by living among and trading with the Israelites, might grow rich and wealthy in money, at least so as to be able to purchase an Hebrew servant, though not his lands, which he might not buy.

And your brother [that dwells] by him wax poor ;
comes into low circumstances, and is reduced to great poverty, even extreme poverty; for only in such a case might he sell himself to an Israelite, and much less to a stranger, if this was not the case.

Jarchi suggests that, just as the phrase, "by you", points to the cause or occasion of the sojourner or stranger becoming rich—his nearness to, or cleaving to an Israelite—so here the phrase, "by him", directs to the cause or occasion of the Israelite's becoming poor—his being near and cleaving to the sojourner or stranger. But they seem rather to be used to show the reason the poor Israelite fell into the hands of a rich sojourner. Since they were near neighbors and had a familiarity, the following bargain was struck between them.

And sell himself to the stranger or sojourner you ;
the uncircumcised sojourner, as the Targum of Jonathan: or to the stock of a stranger's family ;
or "root" F1 , one that sprung from a family, originally proselytes; which some understand of one, who though he be descended from such a family, was now rooted among the people of God, and incorporated into the commonwealth of Israel; and yet such an one could not detain an Hebrew servant longer than the year of jubilee: but the Jewish writers generally interpret it of an idolater F2 .


FOOTNOTES:

  • F1: (rqel) "radici", Vatablus, Piscator.
  • F2: Targum Onk. Jon. Jarchi & Ben Melech, in loc. Kimchi in Sepher Shorash, rad. (rqe) .