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 ) .