^25:32As for⁶¹ the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities which they possess,⁶² the Levites must have a perpetual right of redemption. ^25:33Whatever someone among the Levites might redeem—the sale of a house which is his property in a city—must revert in the jubilee,⁶³ because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their property in the midst of the Israelites. ^25:34Moreover,⁶⁴ the open field areas of their cities⁶⁵ must not be sold, because that is their perpetual possession.

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Footnotes

61 Heb “And.”
62 Heb “the houses of the cities of their property.”
63 Heb “And which he shall redeem from the Levites shall go out, sale of house and city, his property in the jubilee.” Although the end of this verse is clear, the first part is notoriously difficult. There are five main views. (1) The first clause of the verse actually attaches to the previous verse, and refers to the fact that their houses retain a perpetual right of redemption (v. 32b), “which any of the Levites may exercise” (v. 33a; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [], , ). (2) It refers to property that one Levite sells to another Levite, which is then redeemed by still another Levite (v. 33a). In such cases, the property reverts to the original Levite owner in the jubilee year (v. 33b; G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [], ). (3) It refers to houses in a city that had come to be declared as a Levitical city but had original non-Levitical owners. Once the city was declared to belong to the Levites, however, an owner could only sell his house to a Levite, and he could only redeem it back from a Levite up until the time of the first jubilee after the city was declared to be a Levitical city. In this case the first part of the verse would be translated, “Such property as may be redeemed from the Levites” (, ). At the first jubilee, however, all such houses became the property of the Levites (v. 33b; P. J. Budd, Leviticus [], 353). (4) It refers to property “which is appropriated from the Levites” (not “redeemed from the Levites,” v. 33a) by those who have bought it or taken it as security for debts owed to them by Levites who had fallen on bad times. Again, such property reverts back to the original Levite owners at the jubilee (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [], ). (5) It simply refers to the fact that a Levite has the option of redeeming his house (i.e., the prefix form of the verb is taken to be subjunctive, “may or might redeem”), which he had to sell because he had fallen into debt or perhaps even become destitute. Even if he never gained the resources to do so, however, it would still revert to him in the jubilee year. The present translation is intended to reflect this latter view.
64 Heb “And.”
65 This refers to the region of fields just outside and surrounding the city where cattle were kept and garden crops were grown (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [], ).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem at any time the houses in the cities they possess. And if one of the Levites exercises his right of redemption, then the house that was sold in a city they possess shall be released in the jubilee. For the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the people of Israel. But the fields of pastureland belonging to their cities may not be sold, for that is their possession forever.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“ ‘The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns, which they possess. So the property of the Levites is redeemable—that is, a house sold in any town they hold—and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Concerning the Levitical cities, the Levites always have the right to redeem houses in the cities they possess. Whatever property one of the Levites can redeem—a house sold in a city they possess—is to be released at the Jubilee, because the houses in the Levitical cities are their possession among the Israelites. The open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for it is their permanent possession.

NLTNew Living Translation

“The Levites always have the right to buy back a house they have sold within the towns allotted to them. And any property that is sold by the Levites—all houses within the Levitical towns—must be returned in the Year of Jubilee. After all, the houses in the towns reserved for the Levites are the only property they own in all Israel. The open pastureland around the Levitical towns may never be sold. It is their permanent possession.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“ ‘As for the cities of the Levites, that is, the houses in their property’s cities, it shall be a lasting redemption for the Levites. And whatever anyone redeems from the Levites then must go out of the buyer’s hand in the Jubilee, including a house’s selling in his city’s property, because the houses in the cities of the Levites are their property in the midst of the Israelites. But a field of their cities’ pastureland must not be sold, because it is their property for all time.

KJV 1900King James Version

Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time. And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

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