Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
A joyful shout or clangour of trumpets, the name of the great semi-centennial festival of the Hebrews. It lasted for a year. During this year the land was to be fallow, and the Israelites were only permitted to gather the spontaneous produce of the fields (Lev. 25:11, 12). All landed property during that year reverted to its original owner (13-34; 27:16-24), and all who were slaves were set free (25:39-54), and all debts were remitted. The return of the jubilee year was proclaimed by a blast of trumpets which sounded throughout the land.
There is no record in Scripture of the actual observance of this festival, but there are numerous allusions (Isa. 5:7, 8, 9, 10; 61:1, 2; Ezek. 7:12, 13; Neh. 5:1-19; 2 Chr. 36:21) which place it beyond a doubt that it was observed. The advantages of this institution were manifold. “1. It would prevent the accumulation of land on the part of a few to the detriment of the community at large. 2. It would render it impossible for any one to be born to absolute poverty, since every one had his hereditary land. 3.
It would preclude those inequalities which are produced by extremes of riches and poverty, and which make one man domineer over another. 4. It would utterly do away with slavery. 5. It would afford a fresh opportunity to those who were reduced by adverse circumstances to begin again their career of industry in the patrimony which they had temporarily forfeited. 6.
Schaff's Bible Dictionary
JUBILEE, YEAR OF, came at the close of seven weeks of years, or eveiy fiftieth year, so that two sabbatical years came together. It commenced on the great day of atonement, and was ushered in by the blast of the jubilee curved trumpets. The remarkable feature of this festival was that it restored individuals, families, and communities, as far as possible, to the same situation they occupied at the beginning of the fifty years.
All servants of Hebrew origin were set free, even those whose ears had been bored in evidence of their free service; all pledges were given up, and the inheritances which had been alienated, no matter how often nor for what cause, came back to the hands of the owners. The only exception was in the cases of houses built in walled towns. Lev 25:29-31. The law in regard to this festival is given in Lev 25:8-17, Lev 8:23-55; Lev 27:16-25; Num 36:4. "The jubilee is the crown of the sabbatical system.
The weekly and monthly sabbaths secured rest for each spiriturally; the sabbatical year secured rest for the land: the jubilee secured rest and restoration for the body politic, to recover the general equality which Joshua's original settlement contemplated. Hence no religious observances were prescribed; simply the trumpets sounded the glad note of restoration. " — Fausset: The Englishman's Bible Cyclopedia. It has been disputed whether there ever was a year of jubilee observed. No direct mention is made of any, but there are evident allusions to it in Isa 61:1-2; Eze 7:12-13; Eze 46:16-18.