And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

LEVITICUS 25:8KJV
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Leviticus 25:8 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 25:8 mean?

Leviticus 25:8 instructs the Israelites to count seven cycles of seven years—forty-nine years in total—before a special event. This verse sets up the timing for the "Jubilee" year, a significant moment in Israel's calendar when debts were forgiven and land was returned.

God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving detailed laws for the people of Israel about how they should manage their land and time. This verse is part of a larger section about sabbath years and the Jubilee, showing that time itself was to be structured in repeating cycles of rest and renewal.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 25:8

  • שָׁבָת (shabbat, H7676) means "sabbath" or "rest." Here, it refers to years of rest for the land, not just weekly days.
  • שֶׁבַע (sheva, H7651) means "seven." The repetition of "seven" emphasizes completeness and a divinely ordered cycle.
  • פַּעַם (paʿam, H6471) means "times" or "occurrences." Counting "seven times seven" stresses the deliberate, measured buildup to the Jubilee.
  • אַרְבָּעִים (arbaʿim, H705) and תֵּשַׁע (tesha, H8672) together mean "forty-nine," making the calculation explicit.

Why Leviticus 25:8 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the Jubilee is not a random event but follows a precise, God-given schedule based on cycles of seven years.
  • The focus on counting and cycles highlights the importance of rest, renewal, and fairness in Israelite society, themes that run through the whole chapter.
  • Understanding the structure here helps explain later verses about land, freedom, and social justice, all rooted in this divinely ordered rhythm.

Where else these words appear

“nine” Hebrew H8672 · used in 57 verses

  • Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
  • Deuteronomy 3:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
  • 2 Kings 25:8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:

“sabbaths” Hebrew H7676 · used in 89 verses

  • Exodus 16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
  • Leviticus 26:43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
  • Nehemiah 13:22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

“times” Hebrew H6471 · used in 108 verses

  • Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
  • Deuteronomy 10:10 And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.
  • 2 Kings 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

“forty” Hebrew H705 · used in 124 verses

  • Genesis 5:13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
  • Deuteronomy 8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:36 And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.