Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.
Then the land will finally get to rest and observe its sabbaths while it lies empty and you are living in your enemies' countries; yes, then the land will rest and enjoy the sabbaths it was supposed to have.
God is saying that even during punishment and exile, the land will finally get the rest periods that His people had failed to give it.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from God's warnings to Israel about the consequences of disobedience, specifically referring to the sabbath years when the land was supposed to rest every seventh year. The Israelites had neglected this command for centuries, so God warned that if they continued in disobedience, they would be exiled and the land would forcibly get its missed rest periods. This prophecy was fulfilled during the 70-year Babylonian exile.
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