Leviticus 26:39-46

39 And those of you who are left shall 1rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them.
40 "But if 2they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they 3committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me,
41 so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies--if then their 4uncircumcised heart is 5humbled and they make amends for their iniquity,
42 then I will 6remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will 7remember the land.
43 But 8the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes.
44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, 9I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and 10break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God.
45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, 11whom I brought out of the land of Egypt 12in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD."
46 13These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses 14on Mount Sinai.

Leviticus 26:39-46 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 26

In this chapter, after a repetition of some laws against idolatry, and concerning keeping sabbaths, and reverencing the sanctuary of God, Le 26:1,2; in order to encourage the Israelites to keep the various statutes and commandments in this book, and in the preceding, many promises are made of plenty, and peace, and safety from enemies, and of the presence of God with them, Le 26:3-13; and on the contrary, to such as should despise and break his commandments, the most grievous things are threatened, as diseases of body, destruction by their enemies, barrenness and unfruitfulness of land, the sore judgments of wild beasts, famine, sword, and pestilence, Le 26:14-39; and yet after all, when they should confess their sins, and were humbled for them, the Lord promises to remember the covenant he made with their ancestors, and would deal kindly with them, and not cast them away, and utterly destroy them, Le 26:40-46.

Cross References 14

  • 1. Deuteronomy 28:65; Ezekiel 4:17; Ezekiel 24:23; Ezekiel 33:10; [Ezekiel 6:9]
  • 2. [Nehemiah 9:2; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9]; See 1 Kings 8:33-36; Daniel 9:4-19
  • 3. Leviticus 6:2; Numbers 5:6
  • 4. See Exodus 6:12
  • 5. [1 Kings 21:29; 2 Chronicles 12:6, 7; 2 Chronicles 32:26; 2 Chronicles 33:12, 13]
  • 6. Exodus 2:24; Exodus 6:5; Psalms 106:45; Ezekiel 16:60
  • 7. [Psalms 85:1]
  • 8. [See ver. 34 above]
  • 9. [Deuteronomy 4:31; 2 Kings 13:23; Nehemiah 9:31; Romans 11:2]
  • 10. ver. 15
  • 11. Leviticus 22:33
  • 12. Psalms 98:2; Ezekiel 20:9, 22
  • 13. Leviticus 27:34; Deuteronomy 6:1; Deuteronomy 12:1
  • 14. Leviticus 25:1
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.