Leviticus 26:34 (ASV)

Passage

Then shall the land enjoy its sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye are in your enemies` land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy its sabbaths.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 26:32 And I will bring the land into desolation; and your enemies that dwell therein shall be astonished at it.

Leviticus 26:33 And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

Leviticus 26:34 Then shall the land enjoy its sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye are in your enemies` land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy its sabbaths.

Leviticus 26:35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall have rest, even the rest which it had not in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

Leviticus 26:36 And as for them that are left of you, I will send a faintness into their heart in the lands of their enemies: and the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as one fleeth from the sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "land", "enjoy", "sabbaths", "long", "lieth", "desolate", and "enemies". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "land", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 33's "And you will I scatter among the..." into verse 35's "As long as it lieth desolate it...", so "shall" and "land" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "land" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.