Since Good News Translation begins this verse with a new sentence, it is necessary to make the relationship with the preceding verse clear. This is done by means of the words “In that case….”

The years since he sold it: literally “the years of its value.” This may also be expressed as “the number of years that the alienation would have lasted” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Pay back the overpayment: New Jerusalem Bible reads “refund the difference.” The word translated overpayment in Revised Standard Version really means “balance.” The man who is buying back his land must subtract the value of the crops harvested from the original price and pay the balance. Another way of saying this is that he must pay the value of the crops for the time remaining until the next Year of Restoration (compare Good News Translation).

Return to his property: that is, take back his land. See verses 10 and 13.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .