Leviticus 26:8

8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand -your enemies will fall before your sword.

Leviticus 26:8 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:8

And five of you shall chase an hundred
One man chase twenty; and an hundred of you put ten thousand to flight;
which, had it been in proportion to the other number, should have been two thousand, as in ( Deuteronomy 32:30 ) ; where there is a proportion observed; and Abendana observes, there are some that give the sense of it thus, an hundred of you, an hundred times five, that is, five hundred, and so it comes up to a right computation; but here it seems to be a certain number for an uncertain, and only a proverbial expression, signifying that a very few, under the blessing of divine Providence, should get the advantage over a large number, and oblige them to retire, and pursue them closely: instances we have of large bodies of the enemy being defeated by a small number of Israelites, ( Judges 7:21 Judges 7:22 ) ; and even many by a single person or two, ( 1 Samuel 14:13 1 Samuel 14:14 ) ( 2 Samuel 23:8-16 ) ; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword;
(See Gill on Leviticus 26:7).

Leviticus 26:8 In-Context

6 "'I will give shalom in the land -you will lie down to sleep unafraid of anyone. I will rid the land of wild animals. The sword will not go through your land.
7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before your sword.
8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand -your enemies will fall before your sword.
9 "'I will turn toward you, make you productive, increase your numbers and uphold my covenant with you.
10 You will eat all you want from last year's harvest and throw out what remains of the old to make room for the new.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.