Leviticus 25:31

A house in a village without walls was treated the same as land. The family could buy it back. If they did not, it returned to the seller’s family in the Year of Jubilee.

But a house inside a walled town was different. No farmland or pasture was included in the sale of such a house. A house could even be built on the town wall without touching the ground (Josh 2:15). For this reason, the land was not part of the property.

Such a house could not be bought back unless the new owner chose to sell it. It also did not return to the original family in the Year of Jubilee.

Just as seven days made a week ending in a Sabbath day, every seven years ended with a Sabbath year. After seven Sabbath years, or 49 years, came a special year called the Year of Jubilee. Like so many holy days, these times were meant for reflecting on Israel's shared identity and their relationship with God.

Every Israelite, both free and servant, had a place in God’s kingdom. So, those bound in servitude were set free during the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:39–43). To reduce poverty and protect families, land sales were limited to fifty years. After that, the land returned to the original owner's family or clan.

The land belonged to God, and the Israelites were only "residents" (25:23). But it is unlikely that they actually used these laws. The best land ended up belonging to wealthy landowners (Isaiah 5:8–10; compare Amos 5:11).