Leviticus 26:36

36 As for those of you who are left, I will fill their hearts with anxiety in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf will frighten them, so that they will flee as one flees from the sword and fall when no one is pursuing.

Leviticus 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.

Leviticus 26:36 In-Context

34 Then, at last, the land will be paid its Shabbats. As long as it lies desolate and you are in the lands of your enemies, the land will rest and be repaid its Shabbats.

35 Yes, as long as it lies desolate it will have rest, the rest it did not have during your Shabbats, when you lived there.

36 As for those of you who are left, I will fill their hearts with anxiety in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf will frighten them, so that they will flee as one flees from the sword and fall when no one is pursuing.

37 Yes, with no one pursuing they will stumble over each other as if fleeing the sword - you will have no power to stand before your enemies.

38 And among the nations you will perish; the land of your enemies will devour you.