Leviticus 26:35 Meaning and Explanation
“As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The desolate land completes its enforced rest, repaying the Sabbaths Israel refused to keep.
The Context of Leviticus 26:35
Israel's captivity is the means by which the land finally achieves the rest law and covenant demanded.
What Does Leviticus 26:35 Mean?
The sabbaths Israel did not give the land—the seventh years when fields should have lain fallow—are now restored. The land will lie fallow, resting as the law required, for the entire duration of Israel's exile. The desolation is simultaneously punishment and restoration of justice to the land itself.
This introduces a note of divine mercy disguised as judgment: even exile and ruin serve to heal the land and fulfill the law Israel violated. God's purposes are worked out even through destruction.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leviticus 26:35
What does Leviticus 26:35 mean?
The desolate land completes its enforced rest, repaying the Sabbaths Israel refused to keep.
What is the context of Leviticus 26:35?
Israel's captivity is the means by which the land finally achieves the rest law and covenant demanded.