25:35-55

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Sympathetic treatment of others

(Le 25:35-55)

Because all Israel existed in a special relation to God, Israelites were not to take advantage of each other.

They could lend money to those in need, but were not to charge interest (Le 25:35-38). They could give employment to those who wished to work for them to repay debts, but they could not make such people permanent slaves as they could foreigners (Le 25:39-46).

When Israelites sold themselves as slaves to resident foreigners to repay debts, their relatives had to make every effort to buy them back.

They were to do so fairly by paying the equivalent of a labourer’s wages for the period from the day of the transaction to the year of jubilee, when normally slaves would be released. Masters were to consider their slaves’ well-being and not treat them harshly (Le 25:47-55).