Leviticus 25:10
And thou shalt sanctify the fiftieth year, and shalt proclaim remission to all the inhabitants of thy land: for it is the year of jubilee. Every man shall return to his possession, and every one shall go back to his former family:
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Sanctificabisque annum quinquagesimum, et vocabis remissionem cunctis habitatoribus terræ tuæ : ipse est enim jubilæus. Revertetur homo ad possessionem suam, et unusquisque rediet ad familiam pristinam :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἁγιάσατε τὸ ἔτος τὸ πεντηκοστὸν ἐνιαυτόν, καὶ διαβοήσετε ἄφεσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πᾶσιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν αὐτήν· ἐνιαυτὸς ἀφέσεως σημασία αὕτη ἔσται ὑμῖν, καὶ ἀπελεύσεται εἷς ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ ἀπελεύσεσθε.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּ֗ם אֵ֣ת שְׁנַ֤ת הַחֲמִשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּקְרָאתֶ֥ם דְּר֛וֹר בָּאָ֖רֶץ לְכָל יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ יוֹבֵ֥ל הִוא֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם אִ֚ישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ תָּשֻֽׁבוּ
Haydock's commentary
Remission; that is, a general release and discharge from debts and bondage, and a reinstating of every man in his former possessions. (Challoner)
Jubilee: Hebrew jubol means "liberty" (Josephus); "re-establishment" (Philo); (Calmet)
"deliverance" (Abenezra). The Rabbins falsely assert, that a ram's horn was used on this occasion: but Bochart shews that it is solid and unfit for the purpose. (B. ii. 42.) They also maintain, that from the 1st of this sacred month, as it is called by Philo, till the 10th, the slaves spent their time in continual rejoicings in their master's house, and on the latter day they were set free. Cunæus (Rep., i. 6,) observes, that the jubilee was discontinued after the captivity, though the sabbatic year was still kept. (Calmet)
Indeed the Jews were often very negligent in these respects, and God complained and punished them for it, chap. xxvii. 32.; &c. The avarice of the great ones chiefly caused these wise regulations to be despised, though, from time to time, God enforced their observance, that it might be clearly known from what family the Messias sprung. After his birth they were abrogated, as no longer necessary. (Haydock)
Something similar was instituted by Solon, and styled "the shaking off burdens," for the redemption both of men and goods. (Laertius) (Menochius)
The Locrians could not alienate their patrimony. (Aristotle, polit. ii. 7, and vi. 4.) The Rabbins deviate from the spirit of their lawgiver, when they assert, that persons might sell their inheritance for a greater number of years than 50, if they specified how many, &c. (Selden, Succes. iii. 24.) In the Christian dispensation, the jubilee denotes a time of indulgence, in consequence of the power left by Jesus Christ, Matthew xvi. 19 and 2 Corinthians ii. 10.) The first was given by Pope Boniface VIII in 300; and others were granted every century, till Pope Clement VI reduced the space to 50 years, 1542. Pope Gregory XI would have them dispensed to the faithful every 33 years, and Pope Paul XI every 25th, that more might partake of so great a benefit. This has been done since his time, and the Popes often grant them when the Church is in great danger, and also in the year when they are consecrated. (Calmet)
Read on
They are designed to promote the fervour of piety, and the remission of punishment due to sin. (Haydock)
Family. Slaves shall obtain their liberty. This law set a restraint upon the rich, that they might not get possession of too much land, or oppress the poor. Lycurgus, with the same view, established an equality of lands among the Spartans, and Solon acknowledged the propriety of the regulation, which he probably saw practised in Egypt. (Diodorus i.) (Calmet)
The Agrarian laws at Rome, were often proposed; but they caused nothing but confusion and riot. (Haydock)
Where a note speaks of the Jewish people, the Church teaches that the Passion cannot be charged against all the Jews then living, nor against the Jews of today, and that all sinners were its authors (CCC 597, 598).
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Basil The Letters, To Optimus the bishop
3. But readers, gifted with greater curiosity, are naturally inclined to probe into the question further. How, they ask, can justice be satisfied seven times? And what are the vengeances? Are they for seven sins committed? Or is the sin committed once and are there seven punishments for the one sin? Scripture continually assigns seven as the number of the remission of sins. “How often,” it is asked, “shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?” (It is Peter who is speaking to the Lord.) “Till seven times?” Then comes the Lord’s answer, “I say not unto thee, until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.” Our Lord did not vary the number, but multiplied the seven, and so fixed the limit of the forgiveness. After seven years the Hebrew used to be freed from slavery. …