Leviticus 26:35

KJV

As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

KJV (with Strong's)

As long as {H3117} it lieth desolate {H8074} it shall rest {H7673}; because it did not rest {H7673} in your sabbaths {H7676}, when ye dwelt {H3427} upon it.

Complete Jewish Bible

Yes, as long as it lies desolate it will have rest, the rest it did not have during your Shabbats, when you lived there.

Berean Standard Bible

As long as it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not receive during the Sabbaths when you lived in it.

American Standard Version

As long as it lieth desolate it shall have rest, even the rest which it had not in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Leviticus 26:35 is a stark declaration of divine judgment, revealing God's unwavering commitment to His covenant and the principles embedded within it. It prophesies that if Israel fails to observe the prescribed Sabbatical rests for the land, the land will ultimately receive its rest during their forced absence and desolation, serving as a direct consequence of their disobedience and neglect of God's commands. This verse underscores the seriousness of covenant faithfulness and God's sovereignty over His creation.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Leviticus 26 stands as a pivotal chapter within the book, serving as the climactic conclusion to the detailed laws and regulations presented in the preceding chapters. It functions as a covenantal summary, outlining the blessings for obedience (vv. 3-13) and the severe curses for disobedience (vv. 14-45). Within this structure, verses 33-35 specifically detail the ultimate consequence of Israel's persistent unfaithfulness: exile from the promised land and its subsequent desolation. This desolation is explicitly linked to their failure to grant the land its divinely mandated Sabbath rests, a concept introduced and elaborated upon in [Leviticus 25](/leviticus/25 "Leviticus 25 - The Sabbatical Year and Year of Jubilee"), particularly concerning the [Sabbatical year (Leviticus 25:1-7)](/leviticus/25-1-7 "Leviticus 25:1-7 - The Law of the Sabbatical Year") and the [Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-12)](/leviticus/25-8-12 "Leviticus 25:8-12 - The Law of the Year of Jubilee"). The verse thus acts as a divine guarantee that the land will receive its due rest, even if it requires the removal of its inhabitants.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Ancient Israel was an agrarian society, deeply dependent on the productivity of the land for its sustenance and prosperity. The laws concerning the Sabbatical year and the Year of Jubilee were radical expressions of faith and trust in God's provision, requiring the people to refrain from farming every seventh year and to return ancestral lands every fiftieth year. These laws also highlighted God's ultimate ownership of the land, as declared in [Leviticus 25:23](/leviticus/25-23 "Leviticus 25:23 - The Lord Owns the Land"), challenging human notions of absolute possession. Culturally, neglecting these land Sabbaths represented not only a failure of obedience but also a profound lack of trust in God's ability to provide, implying that human effort was more reliable than divine command. Historically, this prophecy found a dramatic fulfillment during the Babylonian exile, as recorded in [2 Chronicles 36:21](/2_chronicles/36-21 "2 Chronicles 36:21 - Fulfillment of the Land's Sabbath Rests"), where the land lay desolate for approximately 70 years, a period often understood as compensating for the missed Sabbatical years.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Rest (שָׁבַת, _shabat_):** This Hebrew verb signifies "to cease, to stop, to rest." It is the root of the word "Sabbath" (שַׁבָּת, _shabbat_). In this context, it emphasizes a divinely ordained cessation of agricultural activity, a period of repose for the land. The repetition of "rest" highlights that the land had a right to this cessation, mirroring the human right to Sabbath rest. If humans would not willingly grant it, God would ensure it received its due through other means.
* **Desolate (שָׁמֵם, _shamem_):** This verb means "to be appalled, laid waste, deserted, desolated." It describes a state of ruin, emptiness, and abandonment, often carrying connotations of divine judgment. The land's desolation is not merely a natural consequence but a direct, divinely enforced condition that facilitates its "rest." It signifies a complete disruption of normal life and productivity.
* **Sabbaths (שַׁבָּת, _shabbat_):** Used in the plural, this refers specifically to the multiple Sabbatical years (and potentially Jubilee cycles) that Israel failed to observe. It underscores the cumulative nature of their disobedience regarding the land's prescribed rest periods. The land's forced rest in desolation is a direct accounting for these neglected "sabbaths."

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest;":** This clause establishes a direct causal link between the land's desolation and its receiving rest. God declares that the very state of abandonment and ruin will serve as the means by which the land's neglected Sabbaths will be fulfilled. It highlights God's absolute sovereignty and His commitment to upholding His own laws, even through punitive measures. The "rest" here is not a blessing but a consequence, enforced by divine judgment.
* **"because it did not rest in your sabbaths,":** This phrase provides the explicit reason for the land's desolation and forced rest. It directly indicts Israel for their failure to observe the Sabbatical years and perhaps the Year of Jubilee while they inhabited the land. This neglect was a profound act of disobedience, a lack of faith in God's provision, and a disregard for the principles of stewardship and justice embedded in the law.
* **"when ye dwelt upon it.":** This final phrase emphasizes the period of Israel's responsibility. The failure to grant the land its rest occurred precisely when they were in possession of it, enjoying its bounty. It underscores that their disobedience was a conscious choice made while they benefited from God's gift, making the subsequent judgment a just and proportionate response to their covenant unfaithfulness.

#### Literary Devices
Leviticus 26:35 employs several powerful literary devices. **Personification** is evident in the concept of the land "resting" and having "sabbaths," as if it possesses agency or rights that were violated. This imbues the land with a quasi-moral status, making its forced rest a form of divine justice. The passage also demonstrates **Retributive Justice**, where the punishment directly mirrors the transgression: because Israel denied the land its rest, the land will receive its rest at Israel's expense, through their exile and its desolation. There is a profound **Irony** at play: Israel is removed from the land so that the land can finally do what Israel prevented it from doing. This highlights God's ultimate control and His ability to achieve His purposes despite human rebellion. Furthermore, the verse is part of a larger **Covenantal Framework**, operating within the "if...then" structure of blessings and curses that characterizes the Mosaic covenant, emphasizing the conditional nature of Israel's dwelling in the land.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Leviticus 26:35 profoundly illustrates God's sovereignty over creation and His unwavering commitment to His covenant. It reveals that God's laws are not arbitrary suggestions but foundational principles with real consequences for disobedience. The land's forced rest underscores the theological truth that all creation ultimately belongs to God, and humans are merely stewards. When stewardship is neglected and divine commands are ignored, God will intervene to ensure His will is accomplished, even if it requires severe judgment. This verse also highlights the interconnectedness of human actions, divine justice, and the natural world, demonstrating that spiritual disobedience can have tangible, environmental repercussions.

* [2 Chronicles 36:21](/2_chronicles/36-21 "2 Chronicles 36:21 - Fulfillment of the Land's Sabbath")
* [Exodus 23:10-11](/exodus/23-10-11 "Exodus 23:10-11 - Law of the Sabbatical Year")
* [Jeremiah 25:11-12](/jeremiah/25-11-12 "Jeremiah 25:11-12 - Prophecy of Babylonian Captivity")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While believers today are not under the Mosaic Law concerning literal Sabbatical years for the land, the principles embedded in Leviticus 26:35 remain profoundly relevant for our lives. This verse calls us to a deep reflection on our obedience to God's commands and our stewardship of all that He has entrusted to us—our time, resources, relationships, and the natural world. It reminds us that neglecting God's design for rest, balance, and justice, whether in our personal lives or in our collective societal practices, can lead to unintended and often painful consequences. Just as God ensured the land received its due rest, He will ensure His purposes are fulfilled in our lives and in the world, often through challenging circumstances that force us to confront our disobedience and realign with His will. It encourages us to cultivate a posture of trust in God's provision, recognizing that true flourishing comes from honoring His ways, not from relentless human striving or exploitation.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life (spiritual, physical, relational, financial) do I resist God's call to "rest" or relinquish control, and what might be the consequences?**
* **How does this verse challenge my understanding of stewardship, not just of material possessions, but of time, energy, and the environment?**
* **What does Leviticus 26:35 teach me about God's justice and sovereignty, especially when I observe suffering or difficult circumstances in the world or in my own life?**

### FAQ
**What is the "rest" the land was supposed to have?**

Answer: The "rest" the land was supposed to have refers primarily to the Sabbatical year (Hebrew: _shmita_), commanded in [Leviticus 25:1-7](/leviticus/25-1-7 "Leviticus 25:1-7 - The Law of the Sabbatical Year"). Every seventh year, the land was to lie fallow; no sowing, pruning, or harvesting was permitted. This was not merely an agricultural practice but a theological one, demonstrating Israel's trust in God's provision and acknowledging His ultimate ownership of the land. It also extended to the Year of Jubilee, every fiftieth year, which involved even greater cessation of work and the return of ancestral lands, as detailed in [Leviticus 25:8-12](/leviticus/25-8-12 "Leviticus 25:8-12 - The Law of the Year of Jubilee").

**How was this prophecy fulfilled?**

Answer: This prophecy found its most significant historical fulfillment during the Babylonian exile. Because Israel failed to observe the Sabbatical years for centuries, God declared that the land would receive its neglected rest during their absence. [2 Chronicles 36:21](/2_chronicles/36-21 "2 Chronicles 36:21 - Fulfillment of the Land's Sabbath Rests") explicitly states that the land "enjoyed its Sabbaths" during the 70 years of desolation following the Babylonian conquest, fulfilling the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah. This period of desolation directly compensated for the accumulated missed Sabbatical years, underscoring God's faithfulness to His word, both in blessing and in judgment.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Leviticus 26:35, with its emphasis on the land's forced rest due to Israel's disobedience, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate rest found in Christ. Humanity's failure to obey God's commands, including the spiritual principles behind the Sabbath and stewardship, led to a state of spiritual desolation and exile from God's presence. Just as the land needed a forced rest because Israel failed to provide it, humanity needed a divine intervention to restore true rest. Jesus Christ is the ultimate "rest" for our souls, inviting all who are weary and burdened to find [rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30)](/matthew/11-28-30 "Matthew 11:28-30 - Jesus' Invitation to Rest"). Through His perfect obedience and sacrificial death, He bore the judgment for our disobedience, allowing us to enter into a spiritual Sabbath rest from the futile works of the law and the burden of sin ([Hebrews 4:9-10](/hebrews/4-9-10 "Hebrews 4:9-10 - The Rest for the People of God")). He is the true steward of creation, through whom all things were made ([Colossians 1:16](/colossians/1-16 "Colossians 1:16 - Christ as Creator")), and His redemptive work extends not only to humanity but also to the groaning creation itself, which eagerly awaits its liberation and restoration through Him ([Romans 8:19-23](/romans/8-19-23 "Romans 8:19-23 - Creation Groans for Redemption")). Thus, the land's forced rest in Leviticus 26:35 points to the profound truth that God's justice will always prevail, and ultimately, His creation, and His people, will find their true and lasting rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Romans 8:22

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Isaiah 24:5

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 24:6

Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.