Leviticus 26:34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What is the significance of the phrase ‘Then shall the earth rejoice, and shall keep its sabbaths all the days of its desolation’? The subsequent explanation clarifies this point. It states: ‘and ye shall be in the land of your enemies’; referring to the seventy years of captivity in Babylon. The period from the reign of Saul to the exile amounts to four hundred and ninety years, of which the seventh part is seventy. This indicates that the land will lie fallow and unplanted during this time, as you will reside in a foreign land due to your violation of the Sabbath and other commandments. He further remarked, ‘The land shall rejoice, which ye did not celebrate, when ye dwelt therein’ (Leviticus 26:35).