2467
Lexical Summary
Iōbēl: Jubilee

Original Word: Ἰωβήλ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Iōbēl
Pronunciation: yo-BAYL
Phonetic Spelling: (is'-ay-mee)
KJV: know
Word Origin: [assumed by some as the base of certain irregular forms of G1942 (ἐπικάλυμα - covering)]

1. to know

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
know.

Assumed by some as the base of certain irregular forms of epikaluma; to know -- know.

see GREEK epikaluma

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2467: ἴσημι

ἴσημι, found only in the Doric form ἴσαμι, to know; from which some derive the forms ἴστε and ἰσμεν, contracted from ἰσατε and ἰσαμεν; but these forms are more correctly derived from εἰδῶ, ἰσμεν equivalent to ἴδμεν, etc. (cf. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Spr. i., p. 548); on the phrase ἴστε (R ἐστε) γινώσκοντες, Ephesians 5:5, see γινώσκω, I. 2 b.

Topical Lexicon
Background and Old Testament Context

Ἰωβήλ is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew יוֹבֵל (yōvēl), first denoting a ram’s horn whose blast signaled sacred occasions (Joshua 6:4). By extension the word came to describe the fiftieth-year “Jubilee” described in Leviticus 25, a divinely mandated cycle of release, restoration, and rest. The year began on the Day of Atonement when the horn was sounded throughout the land (Leviticus 25:9).

Levitical Legislation

Leviticus 25:10–13 captures the heart of the institution: “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee to you…” Three principal elements defined the year:

1. Return of hereditary land to its original clan (Leviticus 25:13, 25:28).
2. Release of Israelite bond-servants (Leviticus 25:39-41).
3. Cessation of sowing and reaping, giving the land itself a Sabbath rest (Leviticus 25:11-12).

These provisions upheld two core theological truths: that the land ultimately belongs to the LORD (Leviticus 25:23) and that Israel’s people belong to Him as redeemed servants (Leviticus 25:42).

Occurrences in the Septuagint

Ἰωβήλ appears chiefly in:
Leviticus 25 (verses 10, 12, 13, 28, 30, 31, 33, 40, 50, 52, 54)
Leviticus 27:17-24 (valuation of property relative to the jubilee)
Numbers 36:4 (inheritance and the jubilee)
Joshua 6:4-20 (ram’s horn signals around Jericho)

The repeated use of the transliteration rather than translation underscores the singular character of the institution.

Historical Practice

While Scripture does not record an explicit national observance after the wilderness generation, prophetic voices treat Jubilee ideals as normative. Jeremiah 34:8-17 rebukes Judah for reneging on slave release, while Ezekiel 46:16-18 invokes Jubilee principles for royal land grants. Second Temple texts (for example, the Book of Jubilees) show continuing fascination with fifty-year patterns, indicating the concept remained embedded in Israel’s consciousness.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Faithfulness: Jubilee embodies social righteousness anchored in covenant love—restoring familial inheritance and protecting the vulnerable.
2. Sabbath Macro-Pattern: As the Sabbath day crowned each week and the Sabbath year each septennial cycle, Jubilee crowned seven sabbatical cycles, reinforcing the rhythm of dependence on God.
3. Atonement and Freedom: By linking the trumpet blast to the Day of Atonement, Scripture ties forgiveness of sin to socioeconomic liberation (Leviticus 25:9-10).

Foreshadowing of Christ

Though Ἰωβήλ itself does not occur in the Greek New Testament, its essence echoes in Jesus’ inaugural sermon. Quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, He declares, “He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives… to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). The phrase “year of the Lord’s favor” evokes Jubilee imagery. Through His redemptive work, Christ fulfills the deeper reality to which Jubilee pointed—liberation from sin, restoration of inheritance, and eschatological rest (Hebrews 4:9-10; Ephesians 1:13-14).

Intertestamental and Rabbinic Reflections

Rabbinic literature wrestled with practical application under foreign rule, often merging sabbatical and Jubilee regulations. The Mishnah (Arakhin 33b) indicates debates over whether the trumpet was sounded in the Second Temple era. These discussions highlight a longing for full covenant liberty that foreign occupation made impossible—setting the stage for messianic expectations.

Eschatological Vision

Prophets like Isaiah 61 and Ezekiel 48 envision a future restoration where land, people, and worship are harmonized—Jubilee on a cosmic scale. Revelation 21:3-4 portrays ultimate liberty from sorrow and death, the final “liberty throughout the land” made permanent in the new creation.

Practical Ministry Application

• Mercy and Justice: The Jubilee call encourages believers to practice debt remission, fair employment, and care for creation.
• Hope for the Oppressed: Jubilee assures the marginalized that God’s redemptive timetable includes tangible restoration.
• Gospel Proclamation: Presenting salvation as freedom (John 8:36; Romans 8:21) resonates with the ancient trumpet blast that announced release.

Concluding Overview

Ἰωβήλ encapsulates a divine rhythm of grace—rooted in the land laws of Israel, echoed in prophetic hope, and fulfilled in Christ. It summons God’s people to live in the freedom, generosity, and rest that flow from His redemptive ownership of all things.

Forms and Transliterations
ίσασι ίστε
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
2466
Top of Page
Top of Page