Leviticus 26:22

22 I will send dangerous animals among you, and they will kill your children, destroy your livestock, and leave so few of you that your roads will be deserted.

Leviticus 26:22 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:22

I will also send wild beasts among you
Either in a literal sense, as lions, bears, wolves and so is the reverse of what is promised to them on their doing well, ( Leviticus 26:6 ) ; or figuratively, mighty monarchs and cruel oppressors, such as were the kings of Assyria and Babylon, ( Jeremiah 50:17 ) ; which shall rob you of your children;
as the bears, in a literal sense, destroyed the children of them in the times of Elisha, ( 2 Kings 2:24 ) ; and destroy your cattle;
the tame beasts, who often become a prey to the wild ones, as both those of the flock, and of the herd, sheep and oxen, do to lions, wolves and make you few in number;
or diminish them, their number, by bereaving them of their children, and their wealth and substance, by destroying their cattle: and your [high] ways shall be desolate;
or ways, the word high not being in the text, and may signify both their public and private ones, which would be all forsaken, none caring to venture to walk in them for fear of beasts of prey.

Leviticus 26:22 In-Context

20 All your hard work will do you no good, because your land will not produce crops and the trees will not bear fruit.
21 "If you still continue to resist me and refuse to obey me, I will again increase your punishment seven times.
22 I will send dangerous animals among you, and they will kill your children, destroy your livestock, and leave so few of you that your roads will be deserted.
23 "If after all of this punishment you still do not listen to me, but continue to defy me,
24 then I will turn on you and punish you seven times harder than before.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.