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, Leviticus 26:1; in order to encourage the Israelites to keep the various statutes and commandments in this book, and in the precedi... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL HAVE NO IDOLS, OR GRAVEN IMAGE,.... Some of the Jewish writers, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra, think this law against idolatry is mentioned on account of the Israelite sold to a stranger, spoken of in the latter part of the preceding chapter, lest he should be drawn into idolatry; Leviticus 25:48... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS,.... The seventh day sabbaths, and the seventh year sabbaths; especially the former are meant, in which religious worship was given to the one true and living God, and therefore the observance of them is strictly enjoined; and hence this law follows closely upon the former,... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE WALK IN MY STATUTES, AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, AND DO THEM. Both moral, ceremonial, and judicial, which had been delivered unto them, and now completely recorded in this and the preceding book; for what follow in the two next are chiefly repetitions of what are contained in these.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I WILL GIVE YOU RAIN IN DUE SEASON,.... The former and latter rain, in the two seasons of the year in which rain usually fell, and the Scriptures frequently speak of; and when the land of Israel, which required rain, not being watered with a river, as Egypt, was blessed with it; the one was at... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YOUR THRESHING SHALL REACH UNTO THE VINTAGE, AND THE VINTAGE SHALL REACH UNTO THE SOWING TIME,.... Signifying that there should be such plentiful harvests of barley and wheat, the first of which began in March, as would employ them in threshing them out unto the time of vintage, which may be sup... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL GIVE PEACE IN THE LAND,.... Among yourselves, as Aben Ezra; that as safety from enemies is promised before, here it is assured they should be free from insurrections and from riots, broils, contentions, and civil wars among themselves: AND YE SHALL LIE DOWN, AND NONE SHALL MAKE [YOU] AFR... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL CHASE YOUR ENEMIES,.... Who being overcome in battle, and put to the flight, should be pursued: AND THEY SHALL FALL BEFORE YOU BY THE SWORD; not by the sword of one another, as the Midianites did, Judges 7:21, so Jarchi; but rather by the sword of the Israelites, for oftentimes multitu... [ Continue Reading ]
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 s... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WILL HAVE RESPECT UNTO YOU,.... Look at them with delight and pleasure, and with a careful eye on them, watch over them to do them good, and protect them from all evil; or turn himself to them from all others, having a particular regard for them and special care of them: AND MAKE YOU FRUITFUL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL EAT OLD STORE,.... What is very old, corn of three years old, as Jarchi and Kimchi m interpret it; such plenty should they have that it would be so long consuming: AND BRING FORTH THE OLD BECAUSE OF THE NEW; out of their barns and granaries, to make room for the new, which they should... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SET MY TABERNACLE AMONGST YOU,.... Which God had directed them to make, and they had made, and also erected; but here he promises to fix and establish it among them, that so it might continue as a place for the public worship of him, and where he would take up his residence, and grant the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL WALK AMONG YOU,.... As they journeyed from place to place, he walked among them, in the tabernacle built for him, see 2 Samuel 7:6; it may be expressive of the familiarity and communion which the Lord grants to his people, in and through Christ: AND WILL BE YOUR GOD; to provide for them,... [ Continue Reading ]
I [AM] THE LORD YOUR LORD, WHICH BROUGHT YOU FORTH OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT,.... Who, having done that, was able to fulfil the above promises; and which may be considered as an earnest and pledge of them, as well as be a motive to the Israelites, and an obligation upon them to obey the commandments... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF YE WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO ME,.... To his commandments, as the rule of their duty, and to his promises, as an encouragement to it, or to his prophets and ministers, explaining and enforcing his law, and exhorting to a cheerful obedience to it; so the Targum of Jonathan, "if ye will not hearken... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF YE SHALL DESPISE MY STATUTES,.... Which is an aggravated sin; to be negligent hearers of the commands of God is bad, not to be doers of them worse, but to treat them with contempt is worse still: OR IF YOUR SOUL ABHOR MY JUDGMENTS: which is worst of all, to despise them as if not wisely or r... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SET MY FACE AGAINST YOU,.... Exert his power, and stir up his wrath and indignation against them, as enemies of his, to cut them off; see Psalms 34:16; which is the reverse of having respect to them, Leviticus 26:9; AND YE SHALL BE SLAIN BEFORE YOUR ENEMIES; as they were sometimes by the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF YE WILL NOT FOR ALL THIS HEARKEN UNTO ME,.... If such corrections by diseases of body, and by giving them up into the hands of their enemies, should be ineffectual to reform them, and bring them to obedience to the statutes and commandments of God, but should continue in their disobedience to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL BREAK THE PRIDE OF YOUR POWER,.... Which the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi interpret of the sanctuary, which they were proud of, trusted in, and boasted of; but was broke or destroyed, first by Nebuchadnezzar, then by the Romans: but it may rather signify their country, the glory of all l... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YOUR STRENGTH SHALL BE SPENT IN VAIN,.... In endeavouring to till the ground, to plough, or sow, or to dig about the vines or olives, and prune them; FOR YOUR LAND SHALL NOT YIELD ITS INCREASE; produce corn, and bring forth grass, the one for the use of men, the other for the use of the cattle,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF YE WALK CONTRARY UNTO ME,.... To his mind and will, to his laws, commands, and ordinances, showing no regard unto them by a walk and conversation agreeably to them, but neglecting and breaking them continually; or by chance, as the Targum of Jonathan, not with any intention and design to obey... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL ALSO SEND WILD BEASTS AMONG YOU,.... Either in a literal sense, as lions, bears, wolves, c. and so is the reverse of what is promised to them on their doing well, Leviticus 26:6 or figuratively, mighty monarchs and cruel oppressors, such as were the kings of Assyria and Babylon, Jeremiah 50:1... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF YE WILL NOT BE REFORMED BY THESE THINGS,.... Corrected and amended by these punishments, be prevailed upon to return from their evil ways to the Lord, and walk in his commandments, and keep his judgments, and do them: BUT WILL WALK CONTRARY UNTO ME; Leviticus 26:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I WILL ALSO WALK CONTRARY UNTO YOU,.... Opposing himself unto them as their enemy, fighting against them in his providence, whetting his sword, bending his bow, and causing the arrows of his wrath and vengeance to fall upon them; or behaving towards them in a careless and indifferent manner, no... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL BRING A SWORD UPON YOU,.... War upon them by the sword of their enemies; they that use and kill with the sword, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; their neighbours that delighted in war, and bore an implacable, hatred unto them, and gladly embraced every opportunity of shedding their... [ Continue Reading ]
[AND] WHEN I HAVE BROKEN THE STAFF OF YOUR BREAD,.... Brought a famine, at least a scarcity of provisions upon them, deprived them of bread, the staff of life, by which it is supported; or however made it very scarce among them, so that they had hardly a sufficiency to sustain nature, and perhaps th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF YE FOR ALL THIS WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO ME,.... To his commands, and to his prophets sent unto them time after time, and all his corrections and chastisements being ineffectual to reform them, and make them obedient to him: BUT WALK CONTRARY UNTO ME; Leviticus 26:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I WILL WALK CONTRARY TO YOU ALSO IN FURY,.... As in Leviticus 26:24; with this addition, in fury; being greatly provoked, and highly incensed, that no regard was had to him, neither to his commands, nor to his corrections; and therefore would be determined to stir up his wrath, and pour out th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL EAT THE FLESH OF YOUR SONS,.... Which was fulfilled at the siege of Samaria, in the times of Joram, 2 Kings 6:29; and at the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, Lamentations 4:10; and though there is no instance of it at that time in the sacred records, the Jews p tells us of one Doeg... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL DESTROY YOUR HIGH PLACES,.... Which Jarchi interprets of towers and palaces; but Aben Ezra of the place of sacrifices; for on high places, hills and mountains, they used to build altars, and there offer sacrifices, in imitation of the Heathens; Ezekiel 6:13; AND CUT DOWN YOUR IMAGES; ca... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL MAKE YOUR CITIES WASTE,.... By suffering the enemy to besiege them, enter into them, and plunder them, and destroy the houses in them, and reduce them to the most desolate condition, as Jerusalem, their metropolis, was more than once: AND BRING YOUR SANCTUARIES UNTO DESOLATION; the temple, s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL BRING THE LAND INTO DESOLATION,.... The whole country of Judea, cities, towns, villages, fields, vineyards, c. through the ravage and plunder of the enemy and they being driven out of it, and carried captive from it, and so the land left untilled, and become barren and unfruitful: AND YO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SCATTER YOU AMONG THE HEATHEN,.... As with a fan, Jeremiah 15:7; so they were at the time of the Assyrian and Babylonish captivities, some were carried to one place, and some to another, some fled to one place, and some to another, and they are at this day scattered among the several nat... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THE LAND ENJOY HER SABBATHS,.... The sabbatical years, or seventh year sabbaths, when, according to the law in the preceding chapter, it was to rest from tillage, Leviticus 25:2: AS LONG AS IT LIETH DESOLATE, AND YE [BE] IN YOUR ENEMIES' LAND; so long it should lie uncultivated, at least... [ Continue Reading ]
AS LONG AS IT LIETH DESOLATE IT SHALL REST,.... From tillage, neither man nor beast working upon it; for which reason such a space of time was called a sabbath: BECAUSE IT DID NOT REST IN YOUR SABBATHS, WHEN YOU DWELT UPON IT; they manured and tilled it on the seventh years, as on others, neglectin... [ Continue Reading ]
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" y; so that they should be effeminate, pusilla... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL FALL ONE UPON ANOTHER,.... In their hurry and confusion, everyone making all the haste he can to escape the imaginary danger; or "a man upon his brother" z; his friend, as Aben Ezra interprets it, having no regard to relation and friendship, every one endeavouring to save himself. The... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL PERISH AMONG THE HEATHEN,.... Not utterly, but great numbers of them, through change of air, and different diet, as Aben Ezra, and through the cruel usage of their enemies; for there is a body of them which continues unto this day; unless this is to be understood of the ten tribes, as R... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT ARE LEFT OF YOU SHALL PINE AWAY IN THEIR INIQUITY IN YOUR ENEMIES' LANDS,.... Such as were not taken off by any public calamity, as the sword or pestilence should gradually diminish and melt away like wax before the fire, and die in and for their iniquities in an enemy's country, see E... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THEY SHALL CONFESS THEIR INIQUITY, AND THE INIQUITY OF THEIR FATHERS,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, "in the time of their distress;'' which might serve to bring their sins to remembrance, and them to a confession of them, not only of their own sins, but of their fathers' also; acknowledging... [ Continue Reading ]
AND [THAT] I ALSO HAVE WALKED CONTRARY UNTO THEM,.... Showed no regard unto them, as if he took no care of them, or in a providential way concerned himself for them, but let what would befall them; yea, came out in the way of his judgments against them, as if he was an enemy to them, Leviticus 26:24... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I WILL ALSO REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB,.... Would fulfil and make good all that he had promised in covenant with Jacob, and his posterity: the account begins with him, and rises upwards to Abraham, whereas it usually begins with Abraham, and descends to Jacob; no sufficient reason is given... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND ALSO SHALL BE LEFT OF THEM,.... This seems to refer to a second time, when this should be the case of the land of Judea again, as it was when subdued by the Romans, and the Jews were carried captive from it, and so it was left by them, as it has been ever since: AND SHALL ENJOY HER SABBATH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YET FOR ALL THAT,.... I will have on them, in or through my Word, as the Targum of Jonathan; notwithstanding their many and great sins and transgressions, and the sad and miserable condition they were brought into by them, the Lord would have mercy on them and be gracious to them, through Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL FOR THEIR SAKES REMEMBER THE COVENANT OF THEIR ANCESTORS,.... Or rather, "remember to them" g, to their good and benefit, for their profit and advantage, not for their desert and merit, for any worth or worthiness in them; this covenant respects not the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac,... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE [ARE] THE STATUTES, AND JUDGMENTS, AND LAWS,.... Which refer not only to those in this chapter, but in all the preceding Chapter s in this book, and respect them all, whether ceremonial, moral, or judicial, which may be signified by these three words: WHICH THE LORD MADE BETWEEN HIM AND THE C... [ Continue Reading ]