q Becauſe they belonged to and were neceſſary or very conveni- ent for the management of the lands. :
22 Notwithſtanding the cities of the Levites,and the houſes of the cities of their poſſeſſion may che Levites redeem at any time, | | Or, one 423 And if || a man purchaſe of the Levites, then the Ahg houle that was ſold,and the city of his polſeſiion ſhal go paves {yy out 7 inthe year of jubile:for the houſes of che citiesotthe
Levites are their poſleflion among the children of 1{rael.
» Or thus, But he that ſhall redeem it ſhall be or mu be of the Le- wites, i; e: No perſon of another Tribe, though by Marriage near akin to the ſelling Levite, ſhall redeem it, but Levites only, and a- ny of them ſhall have the ſame power to redeem it, which in other Tribes only the neareſt kindred have : and, incaſe none of them redeem it, yet the houſe that was ſold, ana the city of his poſſeſſion, 7: e: his ſhare or intereſt in the Ciry of his poſſeſſion, ſhall go out and re- turn to the Levites without any Redemption.
34 Bur the field of the ſuburbs of their cities s may
not be ſold er, for it is their perpetual! poileflion,
s Ofwhich ſee on Numb: 35. 5. #t Not ſold at all, partly, becauſe it was of abſolute neceſſity for them for the keeping of their Cat- tle,and partly becauſe theſe were no cncloſures, but common field-, in which all the Levites that lived in ſuch a City had an intereſt, and therefore no particular Lev:te could diſpoſe of his pait in it. Some conceive, that this Law was altered in enſuing ages, which they gather from Jer: 32, 7, 8, &c. and A#: 4: 36. 37. Bur thoſe ex- amples do not prove it. That fale of Jeremiah's was made by apar- ticular diſpenſation and command of God, and that ina time when the Levites, as well as the people, were to be deſtroyed ordiſperſed, and carried into captivity, and therefore could receive no confide- rable injury by it : and. beſides this ſale was only made formally and for {ignification, as it 1s explained, wer: 14- 15. And for the Jand fold by Barnabas a Levite, A. 4. as it was ata time when the Jewiſh Church was diſſolved, and their State upon the brinks of ut- ter ruine,, ſoit is not evident that it was ſuch Suburb land, which would have yeilded but a ſmall price, but it mighr be other land, either fuch as he might have in right of his wife,or ſuch as he might have purchaſed. For though the Levites in general had no other ſhare of Land, beſide this, alloted them by God, yer it is conceiv- ed that particular Levites might purchaſe lands to themſelves.
t Heb: his 35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and # fallen hand fail- 1n decay «4 with thee, thenthou ſhalt F relieve him x, - = though he be a ſtranger, or a ſojourner y, that he ſrengchen. PAY live with thee.
Heb. his hand wavereth or faileth or is decayed, fo that he hath not powerto get or keep wealth as the phraſe is, Deut: 8, 18. as on the contrary, when a man is able, his hand is ſaid ro attain and find ſufficiency, as here above, wer. 26. x Heb. trensti-n him, comfort his
., Heart, and pine ps his Hand. y Underſtand it of Profelytes on-
© Iy, forof other ſt; angers they were permitted to rake uſury: Deur: 23:20. |
- oy 36 * Take thou no uſury of himz, or increaſe a, - 255: but * fearthy God.that thy brother may live with thee.
Eze *10: . E k LOGO Y ( i: e. } Of thy brother, whether he be 1ſ-aelite, or Proſelyte. * a This ſome conceive relates to the fruits of the earth. food, &c.
Chap.
{ Heb. re- demption belongeth wnto it.
£ EYVITI1I CES
| forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of
Chap. X expreſling the ſame thing, ( r. ) to meet with the ſubtile evaſions of crafty and covetous men, who make gain of their poor brethren ( for of ſuch only he ſpeaks here, as is evident from- ver: 35. ) By rhe lending of money or other things ; and that they may quicr their conſciences, and palliate their fin, they diſguiſe it under 0- other names: and ( 2.) to ſhew that all kinds of uſury are in this caſe forbidden, whether of money, or of vifuals, or of any thing that i: .commonly lent by one to another upon uſury, or upon condition of recerving the thing lent with advantage and overplus, as it is ſaid, Devwt: 23. 19.
37 Thou ſhalt not give him thy money upon uſury, norlend him thy viftuals for increaſe.
38 I amthe LORD your God which brought you
Canaan, «2d to be your God.
39 Aiid *if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be fold unto thee, thou ſhalt not + compel * Exod:| him to ſerve as a bond-ſervant b, 21:2. Þ
þ Neither for the time, for ever, nor for the manner, with the Deur: 15
hardeſt and vileſt kinds of ſervice, rigorouſly and ſeverely exaQted 7: Jer: | from him. 34. I4.
40 But as an hired ſervant, and as a ſojourner he ſhat tHeb- be with thee, andſhal ſerve thee unto the year of jubile. pts: 4T Andthen ſhal he depart from thee c, bo:h he and his with the children with him, and (hal return unto hisown f:mily, /ervice,s and to the poſſefion of his fathers ſhal he return. ©* c Thou ſhaltnor ſuffer him orhis to abide longer in thy ſervice as thou mighteſt do in the year of releaſe, Exod: 21; 2, 6. ; 42 For they are my ſervants 4,which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they ſhal not be fold+as bondmen, # Heb: 4 They, no leſs than you, are members of my Church and Peo- 9th rhe ple; ſuch as I have choſen out of all the world to ſerve me here. ale of a - and toenjoy me hereafter, and therefore are not to be opprefled or bond-m,
abuſed, neither are you abſolute Lords over them to deal with them as you pleaſe,
43 * Thou ſhalt not rule over him with rigor, ſhalt fear thy God e.
e Though thou doſt not fear them who are in thy power, and unable to right themſelves, yer fear that God who hath command. ed thee to uſe them kindly, and whocan or will avenge their cauſe, if thou dolt oppreſs them.
44 Both thy bond-men, and thy bond- maids which thou ſhalt have ſhall be of the heathen that are round a- bout you 2 of them (ball ye buy bond men, and bond= maids.
45 Moreover, of the children of the ſtrangers that do ſojourn among you, of them ſhall ye buy, and of | their families that «re with you, which they begat in | | your land ; and they ſhall be your poſſeflion. |
but *Eph: & Col: 4: x
46 And ye ſhal take them as an inheritance for your t children after you, to inherit - :bezy for a poſſeflion ; + ” they (hal be your bord-men for ever : but over your ſal ſewoe |