Lev 25:23-34 | TNotes | STEP | 25:23 the land belongs to me: Israel’s ownership of the land was derivative, not absolute—ownership depended on the covenant, in which God himself allotted them the land (Deut 1:8 , 39 ). The ideas of land stewardship and of sharing material resources stem naturally from this concept of God’s ownership.

25:23 ^a the land belongs to me: Israel’s ownership of the land was derivative, not absolute—ownership depended on the covenant, in which God himself allotted them the land (Deut 1:8 ^b, 39 ^c). The ideas of land stewardship and of sharing material resources stem naturally from this concept of God’s ownership.
25:25 ^d The Hebrew word translated buy it back (ga’al) is often translated “redeem.” It means “to restore something to its original or proper state of existence.” The noun derived from this root (go’el) indicates the close relative who will restore what is out of order. The relative’s duties were to redeem the property of his kinsman and keep it in the family (see Ruth 4:1-4 ^e; Jer 32:6-15 ^f); to seek out the murderer of his kinsman and bring him to justice (Num 35:19 ^g); and to marry his brother’s widow and father a male heir to inherit the estate of his dead kinsman (Deut 25:5-10 ^h; see Gen 38:6-30 ⁱ; Ruth 4:9-10 ^j).
Summary for Lev 25:29-31: 25:29-31 ^k A house in an unwalled village was apparently considered the same as land. It could be bought back, and if not, ownership reverted in the Year of Jubilee to the family of the individual who sold it. No farm or grazing acreage was involved in the sale of a house inside a walled town. Because such a house could be built on the town wall without having to rest on the earth (Josh 2:15 ^l), there was no land to redeem. Therefore, it could not be bought back unless the new owner desired to sell it, nor did it revert to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee.
Summary for Lev 25:32-34: 25:32-34 ^m The tribe of Levi could not inherit tribal territory because, as the priestly tribe, they were scattered throughout the land (Deut 18:1 ⁿ; see Gen 49:5-7 ^o; Num 35:1-8 ^p; Josh 21:1-42 ^q). The Levites could inherit only certain cities and the pasturelands surrounding them (Num 35:2 ^r). Therefore, they were an exception to the rules regarding land ownership, and their meager holdings were carefully protected. Their houses could be redeemed even in walled cities, and the pasturelands outside their towns could not be sold.