What is the meaning of Leviticus 25:46? You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property “ ‘You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property’ ” (Leviticus 25:46a). • The Lord permits foreign servants to be handed down just as land or livestock could be handed down (Numbers 27:8-11). • This provision kept Israel’s families economically stable, safeguarding future generations (Proverbs 13:22). • It fits within the larger Jubilee framework where ancestral land returned to its original owners every fifty years (Leviticus 25:10); foreign servants, however, were not tied to that land-reset, so they remained part of the family estate. you can make them slaves for life “ ‘…you can make them slaves for life.’ ” • The open-ended term applied only to non-Israelite servants (Leviticus 25:44-45). • Israel’s own citizens who became servants were released in the seventh year or at Jubilee (Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12). • The distinction highlighted God’s special covenant bond with Israel while still requiring humane treatment of foreign slaves (Exodus 21:20-21). • Even lifelong slavery carried moral restraints; masters answered to God for justice and mercy (Job 31:13-15). But as for your brothers, the Israelites “ ‘But as for your brothers, the Israelites…’ ” • The word “brothers” underscores family solidarity within the covenant nation (Leviticus 19:18). • God marks off fellow Israelites for a different kind of servitude—limited, restorative, and never dehumanizing (Deuteronomy 15:15). • In Christ, this familial principle expands to all believers (Galatians 6:10). no man may rule harshly over his brother “ ‘…no man may rule harshly over his brother.’ ” • The same warning appears two verses earlier (Leviticus 25:43), showing God’s care for vulnerable Israelites. • Harshness—cruel domination, physical abuse, or oppressive demands—was forbidden (Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1). • The text balances economic realism with moral responsibility: authority may exist, but love sets its boundaries (Matthew 7:12). • Israel’s servitude laws anticipated Christ’s call to servant-hearted leadership (Mark 10:42-45). summary Leviticus 25:46 authorizes Israelites to pass foreign servants down through generations, yet it sharply limits perpetual slavery among covenant brothers and bans harsh rule altogether. God safeguards Israel’s economic continuity, distinguishes His covenant people, and insists that every exercise of authority reflect His justice and mercy. |
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