Year of Jubilee in Leviticus and Deuteronomy
The Year of Jubilee, or yovel in Hebrew, was a semi-centennial festival observed every fiftieth year in ancient Israel [5, 7]. The term yovel is thought to derive from the joyful shout or the clangor of trumpets that announced its arrival [5, 7, 9]. This special year followed the seventh Sabbatical year, meaning the land lay fallow for two consecutive years [5, 10]. The Jubilee was proclaimed by the blowing of trumpets on the Day of Atonement, which occurred around the first of October [5, 8].
The laws concerning the Year of Jubilee are primarily found in Leviticus 25 and 27 [11]. During this year, several significant enactments took place:
- Cessation of agricultural labor The land was to lie fallow, with no sowing or reaping, and the spontaneous produce was considered common property [7, 13]. God promised to provide enough yield in the forty-eighth year to cover the needs of the forty-ninth (Sabbatical) and fiftieth (Jubilee) years [12].
- Restoration of property All landed property that had been sold reverted to its original owner or the family to whom it was allotted in the initial division of Canaan [3, 7, 10]. This ensured that the tribal and clan inheritances established under Joshua were maintained [10]. Leviticus 27:24 states that "In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongs" [2].
- Release of servants and debtors All Israelite servants were set free, returning to their families and ancestral property [1, 4, 7]. Leviticus 25:54 specifies that if a servant was not redeemed by other means, "he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee, he, and his children with him" [1]. Additionally, all debts were remitted [7].
The Jubilee year served as a mechanism to prevent the permanent impoverishment of families and the concentration of land in the hands of a few, thereby preserving the social and economic structure of Israel as established by God [10]. It was a year of liberty and was considered specially holy [6]. While some scholars have debated whether the Jubilee was the forty-ninth or fiftieth year, the text of Leviticus 25:11 explicitly states, "A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you" [12, 13].
Sources
- Leviticus “If he isn’t redeemed by these means, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee, he, and his children with him. -- Leviticus 25:54”
- Leviticus “In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongs. -- Leviticus 27:24”
- Leviticus ““‘In this Year of Jubilee each of you shall return to his property. -- Leviticus 25:13”
- Leviticus “As a hired servant, and as a temporary resident, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee: -- Leviticus 25:40”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jubilee, The Year Of — + the name.--The name jubilee is derived from the Hebrew jobel, the joyful shout or clangor of trumpets, by which the year of jubilee was announced. + The time of its celebration.--It was celebrated every fiftieth year, marking the half century; so that it followed the seventh sabbatic year, and for two years in succession the land lay fallow. It was announced by the blowing of trumpets on the day of atonement (about the 1st of October), the tenth day of the first month of the Israelites' civil year (the seventh of their ecclesiastical year). + ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Feast of Jubilee, The — Held every fiftieth year -- Le 25:8,10. Began upon the day of atonement -- Le 25:9. Called the Year of liberty. -- Eze 46:17. Year of the redeemed. -- Isa 63:4. Acceptable year. -- Isa 61:2. Was specially holy -- Le 25:12. Proclaimed by trumpets -- Le 25:9; Ps 89:15. Enactments respecting Cessation of all field labour. -- Le 25:11. The fruits of the earth to be common property. -- Le 25:12. Redemption of sold property. -- Le 25:23-27. Restoration of all inheritances. -- Le 25:10,13,28; 27:24. Release of Hebrew servants. -- Le 25:40,41,54. Hous”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jubilee — A joyful shout or clangour of trumpets, the name of the great semi-centennial festival of the Hebrews. It lasted for a year. During this year the land was to be fallow, and the Israelites were only permitted to gather the spontaneous produce of the fields (Lev. 25:11, 12). All landed property during that year reverted to its original owner (13-34; 27:16-24), and all who were slaves were set free (25:39-54), and all debts were remitted. The return of the jubilee year was proclaimed by a blast of trumpets which sounded throughout the land. There is no record ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Atonement, the Day Of — Tenth day of seventh month -- Le 23:26,27. A day of humiliation -- Le 16:29,31; 23:27. Observed as a sabbath -- Le 23:28,32. Offerings to be made on -- Le 16:3,5-15. The high priest entered into the holy place on -- Le 16:2,3; Heb 9:7. Atonement made on For the holy place. -- Ex 30:10; Le 16:15,16. For the high priest. -- Le 16:11; Heb 9:7. For the whole congregation. -- Le 16:17,24; 23:28; Heb 9:7. The sins of the people borne off by the scapegoat on -- Le 16:21. Punishment for not observing -- Le 23:29,30. Year of Jubilee commenced on -- Le ”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 25:10: JUBILEE. The word yovel (Jubilee) means sent. 65 The Jubilee is the year when people are set free. The sages, of blessed memory, said that the meaning of yovel is a lamb. Shoferot ha-yovelim (rams’ horns) (Josh. 6:4) is proof of the latter. The year 66 Of Jubilee. is called by the name of the shofar . 67 The year is called “the ram’s horn,” i.e., the year in which the ram’s horn is sounded.”
- Leviticus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Leviticus 25:8: 25:8-17 The Year of Jubilee took place every fiftieth year as a release from obligations and servitude. The same year was also treated as a Sabbath year with no farming. Some scholars argue that the forty-ninth year served as both Sabbath (seventh) and jubilee (fiftieth) years. A simple count of fifty years would place the Year of Jubilee immediately after the seventh Sabbath year, which would mean two consecutive years without harvests. • Each Year of Jubilee the land was to revert to the clan or tribe that had originally received it under Joshua (Josh 13–21).”
- Leviticus (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Leviticus 25:8: The law for the Year of Jubilee refers first of all to its observance (Lev 25:8-12), and secondly to its effects (a) upon the possession of property (vv. 13-34), and (b) upon the personal freedom of the Israelites (vv. 35-55). Lev 25:8-9 Keeping the year of jubilee. Lev 25:8, Lev 25:9. Seven Sabbaths of years - i.e., year-Sabbaths or sabbatical years, or seven times seven years, the time of seven year-Sabbaths, that is to say, 49 years - they were to count, and then at the expiration of that time to cause the trumpet of jubilee to go (sound) through the whol”
- Leviticus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Leviticus 25:11: A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you,.... Which, clearly shows, that not the forty ninth year was the year of jubilee, as many learned men have asserted, chiefly induced by this reason, because two years would come together in which were no sowing reaping; but that God, that could cause the earth to forth fruit for three years, Lev 25:21; could make it bring forth enough for four years; and in order to make their sentiment agree with this passage, they are obliged to make the foregoing jubilee one of the fifty, and begin their account from thence; but th”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 25:11: A JUBILEE SHALL THAT FIFTIETH YEAR BE. Since it is the year of Jubilee you shall not sow.”