Leviticus 26:22

22 I shall send out into you cruel beasts of the field (I shall send cruel wild beasts among you), that shall waste you, and your beasts, and shall bring all things to fewness, and your (by)ways shall be forsaken.

Leviticus 26:22 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:22

I will also send wild beasts among you
Either in a literal sense, as lions, bears, wolves and so is the reverse of what is promised to them on their doing well, ( Leviticus 26:6 ) ; or figuratively, mighty monarchs and cruel oppressors, such as were the kings of Assyria and Babylon, ( Jeremiah 50:17 ) ; which shall rob you of your children;
as the bears, in a literal sense, destroyed the children of them in the times of Elisha, ( 2 Kings 2:24 ) ; and destroy your cattle;
the tame beasts, who often become a prey to the wild ones, as both those of the flock, and of the herd, sheep and oxen, do to lions, wolves and make you few in number;
or diminish them, their number, by bereaving them of their children, and their wealth and substance, by destroying their cattle: and your [high] ways shall be desolate;
or ways, the word high not being in the text, and may signify both their public and private ones, which would be all forsaken, none caring to venture to walk in them for fear of beasts of prey.

Leviticus 26:22 In-Context

20 your travail shall be wasted in vain, neither the earth shall bring forth fruit, neither [the] trees shall give apples. (all your labour shall be in vain, the land shall not bring forth any harvest, nor shall the trees give forth any fruit.)

21 If ye go contrary to me, neither will hear me (and will not listen to me), I shall increase your wounds, either vengeances, till into sevenfold for your sins;

22 I shall send out into you cruel beasts of the field (I shall send cruel wild beasts among you), that shall waste you, and your beasts, and shall bring all things to fewness, and your (by)ways shall be forsaken.

23 That if neither so ye will receive doctrine, either chastising, but go contrary to me, (And if ye will still not receive chastising, or discipline, but continue to go contrary to me,)

24 also I shall go adversary against you, and I shall smite you seven times for your sins; (then I shall also be your adversary/then I shall also go contrary to you, and I shall strike you seven times for your sins;)