Leviticus 26:27-37

27 'Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me,
28 then 1I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins.
29 'Further, 2you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat.
30 'I then 3will destroy your high places, and cut down your 4incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you.
31 'I will lay 5waste your cities as well and will make your 6sanctuaries desolate, and I will not 7smell your soothing aromas.
32 'I will make 8the land desolate 9so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it.
33 'You, however, I 10will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.
34 '11Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
35 'All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it.
36 'As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring 12weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall.
37 '13They will therefore stumble over each other as if running from the sword, although no one is pursuing; and you will have no strength to stand up before your enemies.

Leviticus 26:27-37 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 13

  • 1. Leviticus 26:24, 41; Isaiah 59:18
  • 2. 2 Kings 6:29
  • 3. 2 Kings 23:20; Ezekiel 6:3, 6; Amos 7:9
  • 4. 2 Chronicles 34:4, 7; Isaiah 27:9
  • 5. Nehemiah 2:3; Jer 44:2, 6, 22
  • 6. Isaiah 63:18; Lamentations 2:7
  • 7. Amos 5:21
  • 8. Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 12:11; Jeremiah 25:11; Jeremiah 33:10
  • 9. Jeremiah 18:16; Jeremiah 19:8
  • 10. Deuteronomy 4:27; Deuteronomy 28:64; Psalms 44:11; Psalms 106:27; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 12:15; Ezekiel 20:23; Zechariah 7:14
  • 11. Leviticus 26:43; 2 Chronicles 36:21
  • 12. Isaiah 30:17; Lamentations 1:3, 6; Lamentations 4:19; Ezekiel 21:7
  • 13. Jeremiah 6:21; Nahum 3:3

Footnotes 7

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