Leviticus 25:20-22 Meaning: Trusting God for Food in the Rest Year
20If you said, “What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase;”
21then I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, and it shall bear fruit for the three years.
22You shall sow the eighth year, and eat of the fruits from the old store until the ninth year. Until its fruits come in, you shall eat the old store.
20And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:
21Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.
22And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.
20And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase;
21then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for the three years.
22And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat of the fruits, the old store; until the ninth year, until its fruits come in, ye shall eat the old store.
20`And when ye say, What do we eat in the seventh year, lo, we do not sow, nor gather our increase?
21then I have commanded My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it hath made the increase for three years;
22and ye have sown the eighth year, and have eaten of the old increase; until the ninth year, until the coming in of its increase, ye do eat the old.
20And if ye say, What shall we eat in the seventh year? behold, we may not sow, nor gather in our produce;
21then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, that it may bring forth produce for three years;
22and ye shall sow in the eighth year, and ye shall eat of the old fruit until the ninth year; until her produce come in, ye shall eat the old.
Meaning in one sentence
God promises to bless the sixth year abundantly so Israel can trust Him during the sabbatical year rest. A lesson in provision and faith.
Context
Leviticus 25 brings together two of Israel’s most radical laws: the sabbatical year and the Year of Jubilee. Every seventh year the land was to rest, no sowing, no pruning, no harvest. It was a test of trust. Would the people obey when the command seemed to threaten their next meal? These verses sit right in the middle of that question. God does not scold them for asking. Instead, He answers their worry with a specific promise: He will command such a blessing on the sixth year that its crop will last through the seventh, the eighth, and into the ninth. The land may rest, but God does not.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight here. First, tsavah, “I will command my blessing.” This is not a passive hope or a general wish. God issues an order to the soil itself. The same verb is used when a king commands his army; here, the Creator commands the ground to produce more than it naturally could. Second, berakhah, blessing. The word means more than kind words; it carries material prosperity, abundance that overflows. This is the same blessing God spoke over creation in the beginning. Third, yashan, old store or old harvest. The people will eat from what is already gathered, food that has been kept. That word reminds us that God’s provision often comes from what He has already given, not from a new supply we have to earn. He can make what we have stretch longer than we expect.
How Christians Read This Verse
Reformed commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasize that this promise addresses our natural distrust. Calvin says God knows we will always find excuses to disobey, so He meets our fear with a concrete guarantee. Jewish interpreters, reflected in the Targum and later rabbinic writings, saw this as a miraculous increase, the sixth year’s crop would be so abundant that it would feed the nation for three full years. Anglican and Wesleyan commentators (the Cambridge Bible and Adam Clarke) note that the promise also guards the Jubilee year, when the land rests for two consecutive years. Across traditions, Christians read this as a pattern: when God asks for trust, He does not leave us to starve. He provides ahead of time.
A common misunderstanding
Some people assume the sabbatical year law was impractical and led to famine. In fact, God specifically promised supernatural provision before the need arose. The text shows He commanded the blessing on the sixth year, before the people had even stopped sowing. This was not a risky experiment; it was a guarantee from the One who owns the land.
Living This Out
You might be facing a season where obedience seems to threaten your security, a decision to tithe when money is tight, a call to rest when work is piling up, or a step of faith that could cost you. This passage gives you something to hold onto. God can bless what you already have so that it lasts longer than you think possible. You do not need to see the whole future; you only need to trust the One who commands the harvest. This week, when worry comes, name it plainly like the Israelites did, then remind yourself that God has already answered that question.
Main takeaway: God can so bless what we have now that it will carry us through times when we cannot produce for ourselves.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told His people not to plant their fields for a whole year. They were scared they would not have food. But God said He would make the food grow extra well the year before, so they would have enough to eat during the rest year.
For ages 9, 12
Imagine your family had to take a whole year off from your garden or farm, and you worried about where dinner would come from. That is exactly what the Israelites faced. God promised to bless the sixth year with a huge harvest, enough to last three years. He did not say, “Don’t worry, it will work out.” He gave a specific promise. For us, it shows that when God asks us to obey something that seems risky, He has already planned how He will provide.
Questions People Ask
Why did God command a sabbatical year if it caused worry about food?
The sabbatical year was a test of trust and a reminder that the land belonged to God, not to the people. He wanted them to learn that they depended on Him for provision, not just on their own farming. The promise in Leviticus 25:20-22 gave them a concrete reason to obey without fear.
What did the Israelites eat during the seventh year?
God promised that the sixth year would produce a crop sufficient for three years: the sixth (after harvest), the seventh (the rest year), and the eighth (until the new crop came in). So they ate from the abundant harvest of the sixth year, stored as old grain.
Does this promise apply to Christians today?
Christians read this as a pattern of God's character, He provides for those who obey Him, even when obedience seems costly. While the specific command about the sabbatical year was for ancient Israel, the principle that God can bless what we have to carry us through hard times applies to all believers.
What does 'I will command my blessing' mean?
The Hebrew verb tsavah means to give an order or commission. God is not just hoping for a good harvest; He actively directs the soil to produce beyond its natural capacity. It shows His sovereign control over creation and His personal care for His people's needs.
How does this passage relate to the Year of Jubilee?
Some commentators note that the promise in verses 21-22 also covers the Jubilee year, which followed seven sabbatical cycles. If the Jubilee fell on the eighth year, the land would rest for two years straight. God's provision for three years ensured they would have food even during that extended rest.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study