Matthew Henry Commentary Leviticus 25:39-55

"And if thy brother be waxed poor with thee, and sell himself unto thee; thou shalt not make him to serve as a bond-servant. As a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee; he shall serve with thee unto the year of jubilee: then shall he go out from thee, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. For they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear thy God. And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whom thou shalt have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they have begotten in your land: and they shall be your possession. And ye shall make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession; of them shall ye take your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule, one over another, with rigor. 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; after that he is sold he may be redeemed: one of his brethren may redeem him; or his uncle, or his uncle`s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be waxed rich, he may redeem himself. And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he sold himself to him unto the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years; according to the time of a hired servant shall he be with him. If there be yet many years, according unto them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according unto his years shall he give back the price of his redemption. As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him: he shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight. And if he be not redeemed by these [means], then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, he, and his children with him. For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God." — Leviticus 25:39-55 (ASV)

A native Israelite, if sold for debt or for a crime, was to serve only six years and to go out free in the seventh. If he sold himself because of poverty, both his work and his treatment must be fitting for a son of Abraham. Masters are required to give their servants what is just and equal (Colossians 4:1). At the year of jubilee, the servant was to go out free, he and his children, and was to return to his own family.

This typified redemption from the service of sin and Satan, by the grace of God in Christ, whose truth makes us free (John 8:32). We cannot ransom our fellow sinners, but we can point out Christ to them; meanwhile, by his grace, our lives can adorn his gospel, express our love, show our gratitude, and glorify his holy name.