Leviticus 25

“And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,” Naming Moses and Sinai keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;” The number six makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD : thou shalt neither sow thy…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine…” The line’s distinctive content terms include accord, gather, grapes. Its relationship to verses 4 and 6 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another:” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou…” Naming According keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it;” The line’s distinctive content terms include redeem, able. Its relationship to verses 25 and 27 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he…” The line’s distinctive content terms include count, overplus, possession. Its relationship to verses 26 and 28 shows what work it does in this passage.

“But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold…” The line’s distinctive content terms include redeem, within, year. Its relationship to verses 28 and 30 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at…” Naming Levites and Notwithstanding keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.” The line’s distinctive content terms include cities, field, perpetual. Its relationship to verses 33 and 35 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a…” The line’s distinctive content terms include brother, decay, fallen. Its relationship to verses 34 and 36 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.” Naming Take keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be…” Naming Canaan keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a…” The line’s distinctive content terms include bondservant, brother, compel. Its relationship to verses 38 and 40 shows what work it does in this passage.

“But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto…” The line’s distinctive content terms include sojourner, stranger, brother. Its relationship to verses 46 and 48 shows what work it does in this passage.

“After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem…” Naming Either keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.