47 ‘Now if the [ac]means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a [ad]countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, 48 then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or [ae]if he prospers, he may redeem himself. 50 He then with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be with him. 51 If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; 52 and if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption. 53 Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight. 54 Even if he is not redeemed by [af]these means, he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him. 55 For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Again, we see that this bondage was never to be permanent, it was a means of survival when one had become so poor that they could not go on without help.
We see something new here, in that it isn’t just up to a man to save himself. The family of one who has sold himself into bondage have redemption rights on the man as well, so that they could pay off the debt of their kin and not leave their family to their own means.
Family is an important construct all through the Bible, and it’s emphasized here again. Friends may come and go, but family is precious, and we should seek to preserve those bonds through any means necessary.