Leviticus 26:8

8 And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase tens of thousands; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

Leviticus 26:8 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:8

And five of you shall chase an hundred
One man chase twenty; and an hundred of you put ten thousand to flight;
which, had it been in proportion to the other number, should have been two thousand, as in ( Deuteronomy 32:30 ) ; where there is a proportion observed; and Abendana observes, there are some that give the sense of it thus, an hundred of you, an hundred times five, that is, five hundred, and so it comes up to a right computation; but here it seems to be a certain number for an uncertain, and only a proverbial expression, signifying that a very few, under the blessing of divine Providence, should get the advantage over a large number, and oblige them to retire, and pursue them closely: instances we have of large bodies of the enemy being defeated by a small number of Israelites, ( Judges 7:21 Judges 7:22 ) ; and even many by a single person or two, ( 1 Samuel 14:13 1 Samuel 14:14 ) ( 2 Samuel 23:8-16 ) ; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword;
(See Gill on Leviticus 26:7).

Leviticus 26:8 In-Context

6 And I will give peace in your land, and ye shall sleep, and none make you afraid; and I will destroy the evil beasts out of your land,

7 and ye shall pursue your enemies, and they shall fall before you with slaughter.

8 And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase tens of thousands; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

9 And I will look upon you, and increase you, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.

10 And ye shall eat that which is old and very old, and bring forth the old to make way for the new.