In short
Every 50 years, Jews hit the RESET button on life. Servants were set free, debts were forgiven, and farming paused for two years.
“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you…” Lev 25:10.
Why it is important
It shows the kindness and mercy of God and how He expects His people to be the same way.
What is done in the Year of Jubilee?
The main text is Leviticus 25:8-22, and continues on through the rest of chapter 25. Chapter 27 also relates to jubilee, with gifts of land given to the LORD.
Before that, though, Lev 25:1-7 describes “the Sabbath year,” which is to let the land rest (from harvesting) for a year every seven years. The Year of Jubilee is after “seven weeks of years” (Lev 25:8), like a super-Sabbath year. It is NOT the same as the 49th year, though, it’s an additional 50th year. Lev 25:21-22 specifies that there will be TWO consecutive years of no harvesting (49 and 50).
Getting back property (Lev 25:23-34)
In the year of jubilee, property is to be returned to the family it had belonged to. But even before that, it is allowed to be “redeemed” by the original owner if he can afford it. The LORD says it is because “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me,” Lev 25:33.
Servants freed (Lev 25:35-55)
Similarly, people who voluntarily are servants are to be released in the jubilee year (Lev 25:40-41, 54), but can redeem themselves or be redeemed (Lev 25:48-49).
Was it actually observed?
The word “jubilee” appears 20 times in Leviticus (only in chapters 25 and 27).
How often is it used in the rest of the Bible?
ONE TIME*.
The idea of redeeming a kinsman’s land is very prominent in the story of Ruth. (I think it’s the ONLY example of it actually happening.) That’s not the YEAR of jubilee, but it’s part of this section of laws we are talking about. In that story, Boaz is also kind to widows gleaning on his land, in accordance with a law of a similar nature.
Other than that, as far as I know, any mention of jubilee is outside of the Bible, in tradition (something about “Ezekiel’s jubilee”) or historians trying to calculate when the next one is.
I certainly could be wrong, but if not, it is quite sad that such an amazing law was barely honored.
Footnote
* Numbers 36:4 is the one time – basically. The Hebrew word is also the word for “trumpet” or “ram’s horn,” and that use of it is once in Exodus (before this law in Leviticus) and a few times in Joshua 6 (you know the story). But that’s it. It seems like most translations (all I looked at) will only translate the word as “jubilee” in Leviticus and Numbers 36.
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