The Israelites and slavery

Should we take the story literally?

Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don’t know anything about it, and without consulting experts on what it “really” means.. Let’s see where this takes us!

I’m reading Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Leviticus 25

There are ideas in Leviticus 25 that some people really like.

Vs 1–7 commands that the land shall be given a sabbath, a break from farming; no sowing, reaping, or pruning shall take place. Vs. 5–7 seem to indicate that, in the sabbath year, you can’t gather for surplus any food that the land naturally produces, but you can eat from it as you might pick something from the wild.

I’ve heard that giving the land a rest from time to time is sound agricultural practice; I don’t know if it’s still followed.

The rest of the chapter is about the Jubilee year, to happen once after every 50 years. All land is returned to the family of whoever owned it in the first year. It’s also an extra sabbath year for the land.

This also establishes the value of the land: it is for up to the number of years or harvests…