Leviticus 26:34-44

34 Then his sabbaths shall please the earth, in all the days of his wilderness; when ye be in the land of (your) enemies, it shall keep sabbath, (Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths, in all the days of its wilderness; while ye be in the land of your enemies, it shall keep the sabbaths, that is, the land shall take rest,)
35 and it shall rest in the sabbaths of his wilderness, for it rested not in your sabbaths, when ye dwelled therein. (yea, it shall rest on its sabbaths in its time of wilderness, for it did not rest on your sabbaths, when ye still lived there.)
36 And I shall give dread in their hearts, that shall abide of you, in the countries of your enemies; the sound of a leaf flying shall make them afeared, and so they shall flee it as a sword; they shall fall, while none pursueth, (And I shall put fear in the hearts of those who be left of you, in the countries of your enemies; the sound of a leaf flying in the wind shall make them afraid, and they shall flee it like a sword; they shall fall, when no one pursueth them,)
37 and all they shall fall upon their brethren, as men fleeing battles (out of fear); no man of you shall be hardy to against-stand (your) enemies; (and they all shall fall upon their brothers, like men fearfully fleeing from battle; not one of you shall be hardy to stand against your enemies;)
38 ye shall perish among heathen men, and the land of (your) enemies shall waste you.
39 That if some of these Jews dwell (And those Jews who shall still remain), they shall fail in their wickednesses, in the land of their enemies; and they shall be tormented for the sins of their fathers, and for their own sins,
40 till they acknowledge their wickednesses, and have mind of their evils (and remember their evil-doing), by which they trespassed against me, and went contrary to me.
41 Therefore and I shall go against them (And so I shall go against them), and I shall bring them into the land of their enemies, till the uncircumcised soul of them be ashamed; then they shall pray for (the forgiveness of) their wickedness,
42 and I shall have mind of my bond of peace, that I covenanted with Jacob, Isaac, and with Abraham; also I shall be mindful of the land, (and I shall remember my covenant, which I made with Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham; and I shall remember the land,)
43 which, when it is left of them, shall please to itself in his sabbaths, and shall suffer wilderness for them; forsooth they shall pray for their sins, for they casted away my dooms, and despised my laws; (which, when it is rid of them, shall enjoy its sabbaths, and shall become a wilderness without them; and they shall pray for the forgiveness of their sins, for they threw away my judgements, and despised my laws;)
44 nevertheless, yea, when they were in the land of (their) enemies, I casted not them away utterly (I did not utterly throw them away), neither I despised them, so that they were wasted, and that I made void my covenant with them; for I am the Lord God of them.

Leviticus 26:34-44 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 26

In this chapter, after a repetition of some laws against idolatry, and concerning keeping sabbaths, and reverencing the sanctuary of God, Le 26:1,2; in order to encourage the Israelites to keep the various statutes and commandments in this book, and in the preceding, many promises are made of plenty, and peace, and safety from enemies, and of the presence of God with them, Le 26:3-13; and on the contrary, to such as should despise and break his commandments, the most grievous things are threatened, as diseases of body, destruction by their enemies, barrenness and unfruitfulness of land, the sore judgments of wild beasts, famine, sword, and pestilence, Le 26:14-39; and yet after all, when they should confess their sins, and were humbled for them, the Lord promises to remember the covenant he made with their ancestors, and would deal kindly with them, and not cast them away, and utterly destroy them, Le 26:40-46.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.