The pronoun it at the beginning of the verse refers to the house inside the city walls mentioned in the previous verse. Later in this verse the Hebrew text has “a house that is in a city without walls,” but there is an indication in the margin that it is to be read that is in the walled city (see HOTTP, pages 200-201). Most versions follow the marginal reading. However, the repetition of this information (found in the previous verse) will probably be unnecessary in many languages.

Shall be made sure … to him who bought it: that is, after the expiration of the one year limit, the new owner will never be required by law to give it up to its former owner. This is seen by some commentators as a concession to the growing urbanization in Israel. The Good News Translation rendering changes the point of view by stating that the former owner “loses the right of repurchase,” but the meaning is essentially the same. Another way of framing the same truth may be “neither he [the new owner] nor his descendants will ever be forced to sell it back again.”

In perpetuity: see verse 23.

Throughout his generations: or “for him and for his descendants.”

Released: see verse 28.

The jubilee: see verse 10.

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 .