Leviticus 26:40-46

40 “ ‘But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me,
41 which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin,
42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.
43 For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees.
44 Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God.
45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.’ ”
46 These are the decrees, the laws and the regulations that the LORD established at Mount Sinai between himself and the Israelites through Moses.

Leviticus 26:40-46 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 21

  • 1. S Leviticus 5:5
  • 2. Psalms 32:5; Psalms 38:18
  • 3. Nehemiah 9:2; Psalms 106:6; Jeremiah 3:12-15; Jeremiah 14:20; Hosea 5:15; Luke 15:18; 1 John 1:9
  • 4. S ver 21
  • 5. Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 9:25,26; Ezekiel 44:7,9; Acts 7:51
  • 6. 2 Chronicles 7:14; 2 Chronicles 12:6; Ezekiel 20:43
  • 7. Isaiah 6:7; Isaiah 33:24; Isaiah 40:2; Isaiah 53:5,6,11
  • 8. Genesis 22:15-18; Genesis 28:15; Genesis 35:11-12
  • 9. S Genesis 26:5
  • 10. S Exodus 2:24
  • 11. Psalms 69:25; Isaiah 6:11; Isaiah 32:14; Isaiah 62:4; Jeremiah 2:15; Jeremiah 44:2; Lamentations 1:1; Ezekiel 36:4
  • 12. Numbers 11:20; Numbers 14:31; 1 Samuel 8:7; Psalms 106:24
  • 13. S ver 11; Ezekiel 20:13
  • 14. S ver 33; 2 Kings 17:20; 2 Kings 25:11; 2 Chronicles 6:36; 2 Chronicles 36:20
  • 15. S ver 11; Romans 11:2
  • 16. Deuteronomy 4:31; Jeremiah 4:27; Jeremiah 5:10; Jeremiah 30:11
  • 17. Judges 2:1; Jeremiah 31:37; Jeremiah 33:26; Jeremiah 51:5
  • 18. Genesis 17:7; Deuteronomy 4:31
  • 19. Exodus 6:8; Leviticus 25:38
  • 20. S Exodus 19:11
  • 21. S Leviticus 7:38; Leviticus 27:34
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