People had no reason to fear a shortage of food during the sabbatical and jubilee years. People were to be honest in their buying and selling of land, and not cheat each other (13-17). In view of the return of all land to the original owner in the fiftieth year, the sale price had to be reduced from its original value, so that it was proportionate to the number of years that remained till the fiftieth year. It prevented the poor from losing their family property permanently, and prevented the rich from gaining control of the whole land (8-12). This helped maintain the fairness of the original distribution of the land.

In this year all land that had been sold or otherwise changed hands during the previous fifty years returned to the original owner. Exodus 23:10-11).Īfter seven lots of seven years there was an additional sabbath year called the jubilee, or fiftieth year (GNB: the Year of Restoration). At the same time it gave the land the opportunity to renew its powers of reproduction (25:1-7 cf. The lack of cultivation during this seventh or sabbatical year gave people the opportunity to recognize in a special way that God was the rightful owner of the land. Just as people and their working animals were to rest one day in seven, so the land was to rest one year in seven. When the Israelites conquered Canaan and divided it among their tribes and families, they were not to be selfish or greedy in their use of the land.

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