Leviticus 25:1-7

The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them:

'When you enter the land that I am giving you,¹ the land shall observe a sabbath² for the Lord.³ For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land,⁴ a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. You may eat what the land yields⁵ during its sabbath—you, your male and female slaves, your hired and your bound labourers who live with you; for your livestock also, and for the wild animals⁶ in your land all its yield shall be for food.'”⁷

1 This verse may be seen to limit the command to Israel, and not make it a general command for all. Then again, what verse is this entire book is not specifically spoken to Israel and Israel alone?

2 This appears to be quite a different use of the word “sabbath” than the weekly one.

3 Even rest for the land is still sabbath “for the Lord”.

4 The purpose of the sabbath appears to be explicitly so the land itself can rest.

5 So at least some work would still be being done, but obviously less than in other years.

6 Even wild animals benefit from the Sabbath rest.

7 Exodus 23:11, which also mentioned the Sabbath year, said that what grew would be for the poor, not this list.

Take-home: The land which God is giving the Israelites should be allowed to rest too. This rest is for the sake of the land, but is also a Sabbath for the Lord.