Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:
[SABBATICAL
Concise Bible Dictionary:
The Sabbath being the sign of God’s covenant with Israel (see SABBATH), and that He purposed that they should enjoy His rest, even the land must keep its Sabbath every seventh year. God promised that the produce of the sixth year should be enough for three years, so that the land resting a full year should cause no scarcity (Ex. 23:10-11; Lev. 25:2-7). Apparently the Sabbatical years were not observed (Lev. 26:33-35). See JUBILEE.
From Manners and Customs of the Bible:
Leviticus 25:4. The seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Every seventh year was to be a time of recuperation to the soil. The spontaneous produce of this Sabbatical Year was free to all comers, but especially to the poor (Ex. 23:11; Lev. 25:6). It was also a time for the debtor to be released by his creditor (Deut. 15:1-2). During the Feast of Tabernacles of this year the law was publicly read to the people (Deut. 31:10-13).
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