It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
This will be a special Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves and fast. You shall observe this Sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the evening of the next day.
God is commanding the people to observe a special day of complete rest and fasting that lasts from one evening to the next evening.
📚 Historical Context
This verse refers to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar when the high priest would make sacrifices for the sins of the entire nation. The phrase 'afflict your souls' meant fasting and denying oneself food and drink as an act of repentance and humility before God. The Jewish day was measured from evening to evening, which is why the observance began at sunset.
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