Imamat 25:23

25:23 The land must not be sold without reclaim ¹  because the land belongs to me, for you are foreigners and residents with me. ² 

Imamat 25:35

Debt and Slave Regulations

25:35 “‘If your brother ³  becomes impoverished and is indebted to you, ⁴  you must support ⁵  him; he must live ⁶  with you like a foreign resident. ⁷ 

[25:23]  ¹ tn The term rendered “without reclaim” means that the land has been bought for the full price and is, therefore, not subject to reclaim under any circumstances. This was not to be done with land in ancient Israel (contrast the final full sale of houses in v. 30; see the evidence cited in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 174).

[25:23]  ² tn That is, the Israelites were strangers and residents who were attached to the Lord’s household. They did not own the land. Note the parallel to the “priest’s lodger” in Lev 22:10.

[25:35]  ³ tn It is not clear to whom this refers. It is probably broader than “sibling” (cf. NRSV “any of your kin”; NLT “any of your Israelite relatives”) but some English versions take it to mean “fellow Israelite” (so TEV; cf. NAB, NIV “countrymen”) and others are ambiguous (cf. CEV “any of your people”).

[25:35]  ⁴ tn Heb “and his hand slips with you.”

[25:35]  ⁵ tn Heb “strengthen”; NASB “sustain.”

[25:35]  ⁶ tn The form וָחַי (vakhay, “and shall live”) looks like the adjective “living,” but the MT form is simply the same verb written as a double ayin verb (see HALOT 309 s.v. חיה qal, and GKC 218 §76.i; cf. Lev 18:5).

[25:35]  ⁷ tn Heb “a foreigner and resident,” which is probably to be combined (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 170-71).