New International Version
Leviticus 25:2
2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord.
Leviticus 25:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year.
Context of Leviticus 25:2
1The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. 3For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.
Read all of Leviticus 25Leviticus 25:2 word by word
דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, When ye comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- into the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- which I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- keepשָׁבַתshâbath · to keepH7673
- a sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
Cross-references for Leviticus 25:2
- Leviticus 14:34“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mold in a house in that land,
- Deuteronomy 32:8When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
- Deuteronomy 34:4Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”
- Psalms 24:1The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
- Psalms 115:16The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind.
- Isaiah 8:8and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, Immanuel!”
- Jeremiah 27:5With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please.
- Leviticus 23:32It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”
- Leviticus 26:34Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
- Exodus 23:10“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops,
- 2 Chronicles 36:21The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.
Commentaries on Leviticus 25:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The land keep a Sabbath - See this ordinance explained, Exodus 23:11; (note). It may be asked here: if it required all the annual produce of the field to support the inhabitants, how could the people be nourished the seventh year, when no produce was received from the fields? To this it may be answered, that God sent his blessing in an especial manner on the sixth year, (see Leviticus 25:21, Leviticus 25:22;), and it brought forth fruit for three years…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-7during the Sabbath year, people did not formally farm or harvest the land. Landowners could gather what naturally grew for their daily household needs. They left any uneaten food for the poor and foreigners (Exodus 23:10–11). What remained provided food for both wild and domestic animals. See also Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:1–11.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-72-4. When ye come into the land which I give you--It has been questioned on what year, after the occupation of Canaan, the sabbatic year began to be observed. Some think it was the seventh year after their entrance. But others, considering that as the first six years were spent in the conquest and division of the land (Jos 5:12), and that the sabbatical year was to be observed after six years of agriculture, maintain that the observance did not commence…Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 25:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Leviticus 25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries