Leviticus 25:46

You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man may rule harshly over his brother.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh addresses Moses and the Israelite assembly, establishing labor and inheritance regulations within the broader sabbatical and Jubilee cycle. The directive applies during the land-rest periods when domestic economic structures require strict boundaries.

The words — לְ/עֹלָ֖ם (le./'o.Lam) translates literally as "for/ ever," and תַּעֲבֹ֑דוּ (ta.'a.Vo.du) means "you will labor." Together they form the phrase for perpetual servitude.

The thread — The prohibition against harsh rule echoes Leviticus 25:43, where Israelites are commanded to fear God rather than dominate their kin. Isaiah 14:2 contrasts this boundary by depicting Israel possessing foreign nations, highlighting the verse's specific limitation on internal ethnic relations.

Why it lands — The text demands a strict legal distinction between permanent inheritance of foreign slaves and the absolute ban on harsh domination over fellow Israelites. It requires readers to recognize that economic rights over outsiders do not override the command to treat kin with restrained authority.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְהִתְנַחֲלְתֶּ֨םve./hit.na.chal.Temand/ you will give as an inheritance אֹתָ֜ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them לִבְנֵיכֶ֤םli/v.nei./Khemto/ sons/ your אַחֲרֵיכֶם֙'a.cha.rei./Khemafter/ you לָרֶ֣שֶׁתla./Re.shetto/ take possession of אֲחֻזָּ֔ה'a.chu.Zaha possession לְעֹלָ֖םle./'o.Lamfor/ everבָּהֶ֣םba./Hemby <the>/ themתַּעֲבֹ֑דוּta.'a.Vo.duyou will labor וּבְאַ֨חֵיכֶ֤םu./ve./'A.chei./Khemand/ over/ brothers/ your בְּנֵֽי־be.nei-[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsrael אִ֣ישׁ'isheach בְּאָחִ֔יוbe./'a.Chi/vover/ brother/ his לֹא־lo'-not תִרְדֶּ֥הtir.Dehyou will ruleב֖וֹv/oover <the>/ himבְּפָֽרֶךְ׃ סbe./Fa.rekhwith/ harshness

King James Version

And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

Cross-references

Isaiah 14:2 The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
Leviticus 25:43 You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.