Leviticus 26:8

8 Five of you will pursue 100, and 100 of you will pursue 10,000; your enemies will fall before you by the sword.[a]

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 peace to the land, and you will lie down with nothing to frighten [you]. I will remove dangerous animals from the land, and no sword will pass through your land.
7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword.
8 Five of you will pursue 100, and 100 of you will pursue 10,000; your enemies will fall before you by the sword.
9 "I will turn to you, make you fruitful and multiply you, and confirm My covenant with you.
10 You will eat the old grain of the previous year and will clear out the old to make room for the new.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Dt 3:22; 32:30; Jos 10:19; 23:3,10
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