Leviticus 25:1-7 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Leviticus 25. The Year of Sabbath and of Jubile.

Leviticus 25:1-7. The Year of Sabbath (H). This is an ancient Hebrew institution (p. 102), cf. Exodus 23:10 *, where the law of a fallow every seventh year is set side by side with that of the rest every seventh day. In Ex., however, apart from this reference, there is no suggestion that the sabbath year is to be the same for the whole country, nor is this actually stated here. Only that which grows up without human labour is to be eaten. Undressed (Leviticus 25:5) is literally Nazirite-like (the hair being allowed to grow); cf. Leviticus 19:23. In the seventh year Hebrew slaves were to be released and debts remitted (Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:1; Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:8-16). The origin of the law was possibly an agricultural custom with humanitarian and religious motives supervening.

Related Commentaries of Leviticus 25:1

Leviticus 25:1-7

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keepa a sabbath unto the LORD.

3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.

6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,

7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.