Leviticus 26:17

17 I will set my face against you, and you shall be smitten before your enemies; those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you.

Leviticus 26:17 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:17

And I will set my face against you
Exert his power, and stir up his wrath and indignation against them, as enemies of his, to cut them off; see ( Psalms 34:16 ) ; which is the reverse of having respect to them, ( Leviticus 26:9 ) ; and ye shall be slain before your enemies;
as they were sometimes by the Philistines and others: and they that hate you shall reign over you;
as did the Chaldeans and Babylonians; see ( Psalms 106:41 ) ; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you;
of such pusillanimous spirits should they be, and filled with such dread and terror of their enemies, so contrary from what is promised them on their obedience, ( Leviticus 26:8 ) .

Leviticus 26:17 In-Context

15 if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my ordinances, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,

16 I will do this to you: I will appoint over you sudden terror, consumption, and fever that waste the eyes and cause life to pine away. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it;

17 I will set my face against you, and you shall be smitten before your enemies; those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you.

18 And if in spite of this you will not hearken to me, then I will chastise you again sevenfold for your sins,

19 and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like brass;