Leviticus 25:16 Meaning: Fair Prices Under God's Ownership
According to the length of the years you shall increase its price, and according to the shortness of the years you shall diminish its price; for he is selling the number of the crops to you.
According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.
According to the multitude of the years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of the years thou shalt diminish the price of it; for the number of the crops doth he sell unto thee.
according to the multitude of the years thou dost multiply its price, and according to the fewness of the years thou dost diminish its price; for a number of increases he is selling to thee;
According to the greater number of the years, thou shalt increase the price thereof; and according to the fewness of years, thou shalt diminish the price of it; for it is the number of crops that he selleth unto thee.
Meaning in one sentence
In Leviticus 25:16, land price depends on years until Jubilee. This teaches God owns the land and requires fairness in all transactions.
Context
The book of Leviticus records God's instructions to Israel through Moses, laws meant to shape a holy community. Chapter 25 focuses on the land itself, its rest every seventh year and the great Year of Jubilee every fifty years. In that year, all property returns to its original family. So when someone sold land, they were really selling a set number of harvests, not the land forever. Verse 16 gives the practical rule: the price goes up or down depending on how many harvests remain until Jubilee. This was not just good business; it was a safeguard against permanent poverty and a reminder that the land ultimately belongs to God.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words anchor this verse in daily reality. The phrase “according to” comes from the word peh (H6310), literally “mouth”, as if the years themselves speak the price, setting the amount by their number. The word for “purchase-price” (miqnah, H4736) appears mainly in these laws; it means the value of a transaction, not a permanent possession. And “crops” (tevu'ot, H8393) refers to the produce of the field, what grows year by year. Together they say: you are not buying land, you are buying what the land will yield for a limited time. That changes everything. You price the harvests, not the property. It keeps transactions honest and reminds both buyer and seller that they stand under God's authority.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators across traditions see more than a pricing rule here. Wesley (Methodist) notes that the seller is selling “not the land, but only the fruits thereof.” Barnes (Anglican) points out that sabbatical years were to be deducted from the count. Gill (Baptist) explains that the price decreases as the Jubilee approaches because fewer harvests remain. The Cambridge Bible (Anglican) emphasizes that this law prevented the permanent alienation of family land. All agree on the underlying truth: the land belongs to God, and the Jubilee system protected families and promoted fairness. Different traditions may apply these principles differently today, but the foundation of God's ownership and care for the poor remains constant.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse as a simple directive about real estate, “just be fair in pricing.” But that misses the deeper point. In fact, this command only makes sense within the Jubilee system. The price depends on the years until land returns to its original owner. So it is not just about being honest; it is about acknowledging that God holds the ultimate title to the land and that every transaction happens under His timeline. The rule protects the poor from permanent loss and reminds everyone that they are tenants on God's land.
Living This Out
This week, you might not buy or sell a field. But you do handle money, possessions, and agreements. The principle underneath this verse is simple: what you have is not permanently yours. God is the owner; you are a steward. That changes how you set a price, how you negotiate, and how you treat someone who has less. If you are selling something, ask yourself: am I charging what is fair, not what the market can bear? If you are buying, are you mindful that the seller may be in need? Let the Jubilee perspective, that everything returns to God in the end, shape your ordinary transactions today.
Main takeaway: God owns the land. We are tenants. Every transaction, big or small, should reflect that truth with fairness and trust.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told His people that the land really belongs to Him. So when they bought or sold land, they had to be fair and remember God was watching.
For ages 9, 12
Imagine you and a friend are selling tickets to a lemonade stand that will only be open for a certain number of days. You would not charge as much for the last day as for the first. That is like what God told Israel: when you sell land, the price depends on how many harvests are left until the Jubilee year, when it goes back to the original owner. God wanted everyone to be treated fairly, not to take advantage of hard times.
Questions People Ask
Why does the price of land decrease closer to the Jubilee?
Because the buyer is only buying the right to harvest crops until the Jubilee year. Fewer harvests remain, so the land is worth less. This rule prevented people from making unfair profits or trapping families in permanent poverty.
What is the Year of Jubilee and why was it important?
Every fifty years, Israel celebrated the Jubilee. Land returned to its original family, slaves were freed, and debts were forgiven. It reminded everyone that God alone owns the land and that His people are to be a community of freedom and restoration.
Does this verse about land prices apply to Christians today?
Most Christians do not follow the specific Jubilee laws about land, since we do not live under Israel's theocratic system. However, the principles behind the verse, that God owns everything, that we are stewards, and that we should treat others fairly in business, are timeless.
What does 'number of the crops' mean in this verse?
It refers to the harvests the buyer will receive before the Jubilee. The seller is not selling the land itself, but the produce from that land for a set number of years. The value comes from what the land will yield, not from the land as permanent property.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study