39 ' If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave's service . 40 'He shall be with you as a hired man , as if he were a sojourner ; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee . 41 'He shall then go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family , that he may return to the property of his forefathers . 42 'For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt ; they are not to be sold in a slave sale .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Leviticus 25:39-42
Commentary on Leviticus 25:39-55
(Read Leviticus 25:39-55)
A native Israelite, if sold for debt, or for a crime, was to serve but six years, and to go out the seventh. If he sold himself, through poverty, both his work and his usage must be such as were fitting for a son of Abraham. Masters are required to give to their servants that which is just and equal, John 8:32. We cannot ransom our fellow-sinners, but we may point out Christ to them; while by his grace our lives may adorn his gospel, express our love, show our gratitude, and glorify his holy name.