Vayikra 26:43

43 HaAretz also shall be deserted by them, and shall enjoy her Shabbatot, while she lieth desolate without them; and they shall pay for their avon [accept the punishment of their iniquity]: because, even because they despised My mishpatim, and because their nefesh abhorred My chukkot.

Vayikra 26:43 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:43

The land also shall be left of them
This seems to refer to a second time, when this should be the case of the land of Judea again, as it was when subdued by the Romans, and the Jews were carried captive from it, and so it was left by them, as it has been ever since:

and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while lieth desolate without them;
shall be as in the sabbatical years, uncultivated, neither ploughed nor sown, nor reaped; and thus the land of Canaan, though once so very fruitful, is now desolate and barren, being without its former inhabitants, and so it is like to be until it is restored to them again;

and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity;
that is, when made sensible of their sins, and particularly of their iniquity of rejecting the Messiah; they will not think it hard that they have been punished in so severe a manner, but own the righteous hand of God in it, and be humble under it; and confessing their sins with true sorrow and repentance for them, looking at him whom they have pierced, and mourn, shall have the free and full remission of their sins applied unto them:

because, even, because they despised my judgments, and because their
soul abhorred my statutes;
despised and abhorred Christ, his doctrines and ordinances, which was the reason of their being carried captive out of their land, when it was forsaken by them, and lay desolate as to this day, especially with respect to any benefit of it enjoyed by them; and which, when they are sensible of, will be a reason of their accepting the punishment of their iniquity so readily, and not murmur at the hand of God upon them, or reflect on his dealings with them, but freely and fully confess their sins, that he may be justified in all that he has done.

Vayikra 26:43 In-Context

41 And that I also have walked b’keri unto them, and have brought them into the eretz of their enemies; if then their levav he’arel (uncircumcised hearts) be humbled, and they then pay for their avon [i.e., accept the punishment of their iniquity],
42 Then will I remember My Brit (covenant) with Ya’akov, and also My Brit (covenant) with Yitzchak, and also My Brit (covenant) with Avraham will I remember; and I will remember HaAretz.
43 HaAretz also shall be deserted by them, and shall enjoy her Shabbatot, while she lieth desolate without them; and they shall pay for their avon [accept the punishment of their iniquity]: because, even because they despised My mishpatim, and because their nefesh abhorred My chukkot.
44 And yet for all that, when they be in the eretz of their enemies, I will not cast them away (i.e., reject them), neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My Brit (covenant) with them: for I am Hashem Eloheichem.
45 But I will for their sakes remember the Brit Rishonim (covenant of their ancestors) whom I brought forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim in the sight of the Goyim, that I might be Elohim to them: I am Hashem.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.