Leviticus 26:39-46

39 '1So those of you who may be left will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies; and also because of the iniquities of their forefathers they will rot away with them.
40 '2If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me-
41 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies -3or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that 4they then make amends for their iniquity,
42 then I will remember 5My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also 6My covenant with Isaac, and 7My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land.
43 '8For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their 9soul abhorred My statutes.
44 'Yet in spite * of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so 10abhor them as 11to destroy them, 12breaking My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.
45 'But I will remember for them the 13covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that 14I might be their God. I am the LORD.' "
46 15These are the statutes and ordinances and laws which the LORD established between Himself and the sons of Israel through Moses at 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 15

  • 1. Ezekiel 4:17; Ezekiel 33:10
  • 2. Jeremiah 3:12-15; Jeremiah 14:20; Hosea 5:15
  • 3. Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 9:25, 26; Ezekiel 44:7, 9; Acts 7:51
  • 4. Ezekiel 20:43
  • 5. Genesis 28:13-15; Genesis 35:11, 12
  • 6. Genesis 26:2-5
  • 7. Genesis 22:15-18
  • 8. Leviticus 26:34
  • 9. Leviticus 26:11
  • 10. Leviticus 26:11
  • 11. Deuteronomy 4:31; Jeremiah 30:11
  • 12. Jeremiah 33:20-26
  • 13. Exodus 6:6-8
  • 14. Genesis 17:7
  • 15. Leviticus 7:38; Leviticus 27:34; Deuteronomy 4:5; Deuteronomy 29:1

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Lit "because and by the cause"
  • [b]. Lit "by the hand of"
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