Vayikra 26:36

36 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a fearful faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a cherev; and they shall fall v’ein rodef (when none pursueth, persecutes).

Vayikra 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.

Vayikra 26:36 In-Context

34 Then shall HaAretz enjoy her Shabbatot, as long as she lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall HaAretz rest, and enjoy her Shabbatot.

35 As long as she lieth desolate she shall rest, because she did not rest in your Shabbatot, when ye dwelt upon her.

36 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a fearful faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a cherev; and they shall fall v’ein rodef (when none pursueth, persecutes).

37 And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a cherev, when none pursueth; and ye shall have no standing place before your enemies.

38 And ye shall perish among the Goyim, and the eretz of your enemies shall eat you up.