Definition: The term "affranchise" appears in the Bible in the context of a specific type of lease, which was later known as an estate contract, which allowed a tenant to retain possession of property for a specified period or to transfer it to another person on payment of rent and service charges. In the Old Testament, this concept is referred to as "leasehold" because of the way the land was held by several tenants. In the New Testament, "affranchise" seems to have evolved into something akin to a lease, but specifically referring to a person holding the right or title over an estate (also known as a "lease") in which the holder also owns the property itself. The term appears often in the Old Testament context with references to leasing and owning land, such as in chapters 28:10-12, where David leases his field, and in Deuteronomy 5:4-7, where Moses leases land for a period of time. In later passages (such as Deuteronomy 6:9), the term is used to refer to the right over property. The idea of leasing is often associated with the New Testament, particularly the context of Jesus' teachings on the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the Gentiles (Matthew 13:45-50) and Mark 7:22-24. In these contexts, it refers to a person having property or rights over others' property. The phrase "affranchise" is also used in other Old Testament passages as a verb, such as in Deuteronomy 8:12, where Aaron says that God gave him authority "to affranchise and sell the land," meaning to divide it into lots for future use.