Abstract
This line to line commentary of Lev. 25 endeavors to clarify a number of issues usually debated in the exegesis of this chapter - such points as the meaning of some rare (or in this context unusual) phrases, the question of the sabbatical character of the jubilee, the interpretation of certain juridical dispositions (especially the ge'ullâ), the relationship with similar laws in the Pentateuch or the problem of the literary unity of Lev. 25. It appears that the liturgical institution of the jubilee strives to bring into fact, by juridical dispositions, the theological principles formulated in motivation clauses. Centred on the land, the coherence between the liturgical institution, the juridical dispositions and the theological foundations thus clearly stands out. As a memorial of creation and redemption, the jubilee bears in itself the two meanings of the Sabbath - the one given in the book of Exodus and the other in Deuteronomy.
The most favourable historical context to place this law seems to be the Persia period. Even though one cannot deny the law's emphasis on willpower, it would be going too far to consider it pure utopia. Its reforming aim, which can easily be perceived in the casuistic dispositions, sets it apart from other exceptional measures known in the history of the Ancient Near East.
Lefebvre, Jean-François