Levitico 26:16

16 ecco quel che vi farò a mia volta: manderò contro voi il terrore, la consunzione e la febbre, che vi faranno venir meno gli occhi e languir l’anima, e seminerete invano la vostra sementa: la mangeranno i vostri nemici.

Levitico 26:16 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 26:16

I also will do this unto you
Henceforward follow threatenings of dreadful evils to the transgressors and despisers of the commandments of God, which thus begin: I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning
ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart;
some, as Aben Ezra observes, take these to design what may affect the seed sown and the increase of it, such as blasting and mildew, because it follows: "ye shall sow in vain"; but no doubt diseases of the body are intended; for what we translate "terror" does not signify terror of mind, but some sudden, hasty, terrible distemper; perhaps the pestilence, as the Targum of Jonathan; some have thought of the falling sickness, as Bishop Patrick, because the word has the signification of haste and precipitance; and the second is a disease well known among us, and so called from its wasting and consuming nature; Jarchi interprets it of a disease which swells the flesh, either fills it with tumours and pustules, the Septuagint calls it the itch; or with wind or water, which has led some to think of the dropsy; and the last of them seems to be rightly rendered a burning ague or fever, though the Septuagint takes it for the jaundice, but that seems not to be so threatening, terrible, and dangerous, as what may be here supposed: now these diseases and all others are by the appointment of God, they come and go by his order, and while they continue have the power over persons, nor can they rid themselves of them at pleasure; and these have such an effect on persons seized by them, as to cause dimness of sight, a hollowness of their eyes, which sink into the head, as well as fill the heart with grief and sorrow; either through present pains and agonies, or in a view of future judgment and wrath to come: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it;
either eat it up for forage before it is ripe, or, if ripe and gathered in the barn, should come and besiege their cities and plunder their granaries.

Levitico 26:16 In-Context

14 Ma se non mi date ascolto e se non mettete in pratica tutti questi comandamenti,
15 se disprezzate le mie leggi e l’anima vostra disdegna le mie prescrizioni in guisa che non mettiate in pratica tutti i miei comandamenti e rompiate il mio patto,
16 ecco quel che vi farò a mia volta: manderò contro voi il terrore, la consunzione e la febbre, che vi faranno venir meno gli occhi e languir l’anima, e seminerete invano la vostra sementa: la mangeranno i vostri nemici.
17 Volgerò la mia faccia contro di voi, e voi sarete sconfitti dai vostri nemici; quelli che vi odiano vi domineranno, e vi darete alla fuga senza che alcuno v’insegua.
18 E se nemmeno dopo questo vorrete darmi ascolto, io vi castigherò sette volte di più per i vostri peccati.
The Riveduta Bible is in the public domain.