Leviticus 25:20If you said, "What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase;"
The setting
Mount Sinai wilderness, ~1445 BC. Moses anticipates the practical anxiety Israelites will feel about sabbath years — letting farmland rest every seventh year in ancient Palestine.
The emotion here: compassionate understanding of human anxiety and doubt
The original word
amar (אָמַר) — to think, say, wonder internally — the voice of human anxiety
Why it matters
Ancient Near Eastern cultures never practiced letting ALL farmland rest simultaneously — this was revolutionary and risky
Read with care
What most readers miss in Leviticus 25:20
God isn't condemning the question — He's acknowledging that this anxiety is completely natural and human
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows lack of faith, but God includes this question because He knows anxiety about provision is part of being human — He's not surprised by our worry.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Leviticus 25:20
Bible Genome reading
Leviticus 25:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Leviticus 25:20 comes from the book of Leviticus, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to Israelites. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the law genre of biblical literature. Key themes include anxiety, provision. Notable phrases: What shall we eat.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Leviticus 25:20 mean to you, today?
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