Leviticus 26:34

34 Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of its lying desolate, and you [shall be] in the land of your enemies; then the land shall rest, and it shall enjoy its Sabbaths.

Leviticus 26:34 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:34

Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths
The sabbatical years, or seventh year sabbaths, when, according to the law in the preceding chapter, it was to rest from tillage, ( Leviticus 25:2-4 ) : as long as it lieth desolate, and ye [be] in your enemies' land;
so long it should lie uncultivated, at least in part, there not being a sufficient number left to till it in general, or as it should be; this was the case during the seventy years' captivity in Babylon; [even] then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths;
or complete them, as Aben Ezra, which is a bitter sarcasm upon them for their neglect of observance of the law concerning the sabbatical years; but now the land should have its sabbaths of rest whether they would or not; and it seems as if it was on account of this sin, as well as others, that they were carried captive; and it is remarkable, if what Maimonides ^F24 says is right, that it was at the going out or end of a sabbatical year, that the first temple was destroyed, and the Jews carried captive, and endured a seventy years' captivity; which some say was because they had neglected seventy sabbatical years; see ( 2 Chronicles 36:21 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Hilchot Shemitah Vejobel, c. 10. sect. 3.

Leviticus 26:34 In-Context

32 And I myself will lay waste the land, and your enemies who are living in it shall be appalled over it.

33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw a sword behind you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a ruin.

34 Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of its lying desolate, and you [shall be] in the land of your enemies; then the land shall rest, and it shall enjoy its Sabbaths.

35 All the days of its lying desolate it shall rest [for the time] that it had not rested during your Sabbaths while you were living on it.

36 As for the ones who remain among you, I will bring fearfulness in their hearts in the land of their enemies; and a sound of a windblown leaf shall pursue them, and they shall flee [like] flight {before} a sword, and they shall fall, but there shall not be a pursuer.