摘要
Exod 23：10-12 enjoins Israel to keep both a seventh-year Sabbath and a seventh-day Sabbath. The juxtaposition of these two Sabbaths in the text suggests a connection between the Sabbath and ecology, since rest and nourishment are required both the land and its inhabitants （i.e., humans and beasts）. This article exegetically analyzes Exod 23：10-12 and suggests some possible ecological implications. Accordingly, it is argued that while the biblical sabbatical year seems to have required a rest for the whole land--a practice which may seem impossible today--in modern times heavily cultivated portions of land could be allowed to lie fallow. Instead of overusing particular portions of land with the aid of agro-chemicals, farming systems such as land rotation could fruitfully be practiced. Such a practice may not only allow cultivable lands regain fertility, it may also contribute towards the sustenance of the wild including endangered species. This study may be particularly useful in the African context.
