And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
And if the people of the land bring goods or any food on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy anything from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. We will also observe the seventh year by letting our land rest, and we will cancel every debt.
The people are promising to honor God by not doing business on the Sabbath, observing the sabbatical year when land rests, and forgiving debts as God commanded.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Nehemiah, the Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon and were rebuilding their community under Nehemiah's leadership. They entered into a covenant to faithfully observe God's laws, including refraining from buying goods on the Sabbath to honor it as a day of rest, as a response to their past disobedience that led to exile. This pledge also extended to letting the land rest every seventh year and canceling debts, reflecting the Mosaic laws designed to promote justice and dependence on God.
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