Shemita
/ʃəˈmiːtə/noun
The Jewish sabbatical year, observed every seventh year, during which agricultural land traditionally rests and certain debts are released.
Did you know?In the biblical tradition, Shemita joins ecological rest with debt release: the land rests, and creditors are commanded to suspend certain claims against debtors.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*š-m-ṭ
“To let fall, release, or relinquish; the reconstructed Semitic root underlying the term.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
šĕmiṭṭāh (שְׁמִטָּה)
“Release or remission, especially the periodic release of debts described in Deuteronomy.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
šabbāt šabbātôn
“A sabbath of solemn rest; in Leviticus, the seventh-year rest of the land is connected with the sabbatical cycle.”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
shemiṭṭah
“The seventh year, particularly the legal release of debts and agricultural restrictions.”
19th–20th Century
English
shemitah / shemittah
“An English transliteration for the Jewish sabbatical year.”
Modern English
English
shemita
“A variant transliteration referring to the Jewish sabbatical year and its practices of land rest and debt release.”