Leviticus 25:7 kjv

And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

Leviticus 25:7 nkjv

for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land?all its produce shall be for food.

Leviticus 25:7 niv

as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

Leviticus 25:7 esv

and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food.

Leviticus 25:7 nlt

Your livestock and the wild animals in your land will also be allowed to eat what the land produces.

Leviticus 25 verses

Leviticus 25 7 Meaning

Leviticus 25:7 dictates that during the Sabbatical year, the natural, uncultivated produce of the land is to serve as sustenance not only for the human inhabitants, including bondservants and sojourners, but also for their domesticated animals and for all wild creatures living within that territory. This verse extends God's direct provision and the principle of Sabbath rest to encompass the entirety of His created order within the land.

Leviticus 25 7 Context

Leviticus chapter 25 elaborates on the divine mandates for the Sabbatical Year (Shmita) and the Year of Jubilee (Yovel), which were foundational to Israel's communal and land-use practices. The first section, verses 1-7, focuses on the Sabbatical Year, a mandatory cessation of agricultural labor every seventh year. During this period, the land was commanded to "rest" from sowing, pruning, and intentional harvesting. Verse 6 establishes that the spontaneous produce of this year was for the food of the people of Israel, explicitly including bondservants, hired laborers, and resident aliens, thereby emphasizing a profound commitment to social equity and divine provision. Verse 7 naturally extends this concept further, ensuring that the bounty of the uncultivated land would also nourish domesticated animals, essential for human livelihood, and even the wild animals, revealing the vastness of God’s provident care over the entire created order within the land. This law not only enforced reliance on God but also prevented land exhaustion and promoted ecological balance.

Leviticus 25 7 Word analysis

• וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ֙ (v'livhemt'kha) – "And for your cattle":

  • The prefix וְ (ve-) signifies "and," connecting this part of the verse to the preceding directive concerning human sustenance.
  • The preposition לִ (li-) means "for" or "to," indicating the beneficiaries.
  • בְהֶמְתְּךָ (behemt'kha) (from behemah) refers to domesticated animals or livestock owned by the Israelites. This emphasizes God's concern for property and the well-being of creatures vital for human society, underlining responsible animal husbandry as a part of their spiritual obedience and a facet of their covenant relationship with God.

• וְלַֽחַיָּ֔ה (v'lachayyah) – "and for the beasts":

  • Again, וְ (ve-) means "and," linking this category to the previous.
  • לַֽ (la-) means "for" or "to."
  • חַיָּה (chayyah) denotes wild animals or living creatures. The inclusion of wild animals is significant; it transcends an anthropocentric view, demonstrating that God’s benevolent provision encompasses all living things in their natural habitat. This reflects an holistic understanding of creation where the entire ecosystem participates in God’s rest and bounty.

• אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – "that":

  • A relative pronoun, serving to link the animals to their geographical presence.

• בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ (b'artzékha) – "in your land":

  • בְּ (b' -) means "in" or "within."
  • אַרְצֶ֑ךָ (artzékha) means "your land." While it refers to the physical territory Israel inhabited, the overarching theological principle from Lev 25:23 states, "the land is Mine," underscoring that Israel held it in trust or stewardship from God, not as absolute owners. Thus, the provision for the land's inhabitants reinforces this stewardship and the understanding that all blessings originate from the divine Proprietor.

• תִּהְיֶ֥ה (tihyeh) – "shall be":

  • Derived from the verb hayah ("to be"), used in an imperfect tense that functions prescriptively. It expresses a divine command or decree, indicating an obligatory condition rather than a mere possibility, asserting God's authority over the land's produce.

• כָל־תְּבוּאָתָ֖הּ (kol-t'vu'atah) – "all its produce":

  • כָל־ (kol-) meaning "all" or "every," emphasizes the comprehensiveness of this provision, signifying that whatever the land yields naturally and spontaneously during the Sabbatical year is consecrated for sustenance.
  • תְּבוּאָתָ֖הּ (t'vu'atah) signifies the "produce" or "increase" of the land, specifically referring to that which grows naturally without human labor, such as volunteer grains or wild fruits. This highlights dependence on God's inherent generative power of creation, rather than solely on human cultivation.

• לְאָכְלָֽה׃ (l'okhla) – "for food":

  • The preposition לְ (le-) means "for" or "to."
  • אָכְלָֽה (okhla) means "food" or "something eaten," clearly defining the purpose of the natural yield—for consumption and sustenance. It underlines God's fundamental provision for life in its most basic form.

Leviticus 25 7 Bonus section

• The Sabbatical year system, including this verse, offered an implicit form of ecological stewardship and sustainable agriculture long before these concepts became modern concerns. It taught cyclical rest, prevented soil depletion, and maintained natural biodiversity.
• In the ancient Near East, laws primarily focused on human welfare. The explicit inclusion of "wild animals" in a legal framework about land management and provision makes Leviticus 25:7 exceptionally unique, revealing God's intrinsic concern for the created order beyond direct human benefit.
• This law, which requires absolute reliance on God for supernatural provision in the sixth year to sustain them for three years, served as a profound test of faith for the Israelites (Lev 25:20-22). Their obedience demonstrated their trust that God truly owns and governs the land.
• The concept of land resting and providing for all its inhabitants echoes the Garden of Eden narrative, where food was freely provided by God for all creatures without toil or hierarchical claim (Gen 1:29-30). It thus reflects an ideal state of creation.

Leviticus 25 7 Commentary

Leviticus 25:7 is a profound declaration of God's all-encompassing care and the universal reach of the Sabbath principle. By extending the use of the land's spontaneous produce to domesticated animals and wild beasts during the Sabbatical year, the Mosaic Law articulates a divine blueprint for a harmonious relationship between humanity, land, and all living creatures. This directive compels Israel to recognize God's ultimate sovereignty over the earth and to trust in His generous providence, rather than their own continuous labor. It discourages land exploitation, ensuring its ecological rest and renewal, which in turn fosters biodiversity and long-term sustainability. The passage conveys a counter-cultural message, where a community's faith in God's provision transcends anthropocentric self-interest, embracing the well-being of all creatures within the given territory. It creates an ethical landscape where the wild animal finds its share from God's earth, just as the most vulnerable human. This vision points to an ideal state of ecological and social justice, reflecting God's desire for the flourishing of all His creation.