Leviticus 26:36

36 " 'Some of you will be left in the lands of your enemies. I will fill your hearts with fear. The sound of a leaf that is blown by the wind will scare you away. You will run as if you were escaping from swords. You will fall down, even though no one is chasing you.

Leviticus 26:36 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:36

And upon them that are left [alive] of you
In the land of Judea, or rather scattered about among the nations, suggesting that these would be comparatively few: I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their
enemies;
or "a softness" ^F25; so that they should be effeminate, pusillanimous, and cowardly, have nothing of a manly spirit and courage in them; but be mean spirited and faint hearted, as the Jews are noted to be at this day, as Bishop Patrick observes; who also adds,

``it being scarce ever heard, that a Jew listed himself for a soldier, or engaged in the defence of his country where he lives:''

and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them;
either the sound of a leaf that falls from the tree, as the Targum of Jonathan, or which the wind beats one against another, as Jarchi, which makes some little noise; even this should terrify them, taking it to be the noise of some enemy near at hand, just ready to fall on them; such poor faint hearted creatures should they be; and they shall flee as fleeing from the sword;
as if there were an army of soldiers with their swords drawn pursuing them: and they shall fall when none pursueth;
fall upon the ground, and into a fit, and drop down as if dead, as if they had been really wounded with a sword and slain, see ( Proverbs 28:1 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Krm) "mollitiem", Montanus, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius.

Leviticus 26:36 In-Context

34 " 'Then the deserted land will enjoy its sabbath years. It will rest. It will not be farmed. It will enjoy its sabbaths. But you will become prisoners in the country of your enemies.

35 The land will rest the whole time it is deserted. It was not able to rest during the sabbaths you lived in it.

36 " 'Some of you will be left in the lands of your enemies. I will fill your hearts with fear. The sound of a leaf that is blown by the wind will scare you away. You will run as if you were escaping from swords. You will fall down, even though no one is chasing you.

37 You will trip over one another as if you were running away from the battle. You will run away, even though no one is chasing you. You will not be able to stand and fight against your enemies.

38 " 'While you are still scattered among the nations, you will die. The lands of your enemies will destroy you.