31 And I will make H5414 your cities H5892 waste, H2723 and bring H8074 your sanctuaries H4720 unto desolation, H8074 and I will not smell H7306 the savour H7381 of your sweet odours. H5207
I hate, H8130 I despise H3988 your feast days, H2282 and I will not smell H7306 in your solemn assemblies. H6116 Though ye offer H5927 me burnt offerings H5930 and your meat offerings, H4503 I will not accept H7521 them: neither will I regard H5027 the peace offerings H8002 of your fat beasts. H4806 Take thou away H5493 from me the noise H1995 of thy songs; H7892 for I will not hear H8085 the melody H2172 of thy viols. H5035
To what H4100 purpose is the multitude H7230 of your sacrifices H2077 unto me? saith H559 the LORD: H3068 I am full H7646 of the burnt offerings H5930 of rams, H352 and the fat H2459 of fed beasts; H4806 and I delight H2654 not in the blood H1818 of bullocks, H6499 or of lambs, H3532 or of he goats. H6260 When ye come H935 to appear H7200 before H6440 me, who hath required H1245 this at your hand, H3027 to tread H7429 my courts? H2691 Bring H935 no more H3254 vain H7723 oblations; H4503 incense H7004 is an abomination H8441 unto me; the new moons H2320 and sabbaths, H7676 the calling H7121 of assemblies, H4744 I cannot away with; H3201 it is iniquity, H205 even the solemn meeting. H6116 Your new moons H2320 and your appointed feasts H4150 my soul H5315 hateth: H8130 they are a trouble H2960 unto me; I am weary H3811 to bear H5375 them.
And the city H5892 was broken up, H1234 and all the men H582 of war H4421 fled by night H3915 by the way H1870 of the gate H8179 between two walls, H2346 which is by the king's H4428 garden: H1588 (now the Chaldees H3778 were against the city H5892 round about:) H5439 and the king went H3212 the way H1870 toward the plain. H6160 And the army H2428 of the Chaldees H3778 pursued H7291 after H310 the king, H4428 and overtook H5381 him in the plains H6160 of Jericho: H3405 and all his army H2428 were scattered H6327 from him. So they took H8610 the king, H4428 and brought him up H5927 to the king H4428 of Babylon H894 to Riblah; H7247 and they gave H1696 judgment H4941 upon him. And they slew H7819 the sons H1121 of Zedekiah H6667 before his eyes, H5869 and put out H5786 the eyes H5869 of Zedekiah, H6667 and bound H631 him with fetters H5178 of brass, H5178 and carried H935 him to Babylon. H894 And in the fifth H2549 month, H2320 on the seventh H7651 day of the month, H2320 which is the nineteenth H8672 H6240 H8141 year H8141 of king H4428 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon, H894 came H935 Nebuzaradan, H5018 captain H7227 of the guard, H2876 a servant H5650 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 unto Jerusalem: H3389 And he burnt H8313 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the king's H4428 house, H1004 and all the houses H1004 of Jerusalem, H3389 and every great H1419 man's house H1004 burnt H8313 he with fire. H784 And all the army H2428 of the Chaldees, H3778 that were with the captain H7227 of the guard, H2876 brake down H5422 the walls H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 round about. H5439
And G2532 as some G5100 spake G3004 of G4012 the temple, G2411 how G3754 it was adorned G2885 with goodly G2570 stones G3037 and G2532 gifts, G334 he said, G2036 As for these things G5023 which G3739 ye behold, G2334 the days G2250 will come, G2064 in G1722 the which G3739 there shall G863 not G3756 be left G863 one stone G3037 upon G1909 another, G3037 that G3739 shall G2647 not G3756 be thrown down. G2647
And G2532 Jesus G2424 went out, G1831 and departed G4198 from G575 the temple: G2411 and G2532 his G846 disciples G3101 came G4334 to him for to shew G1925 him G846 the buildings G3619 of the temple. G2411 And G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto them, G846 See ye G991 not G3756 all G3956 these things? G5023 verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 There shall G863 not G3364 be left G863 here G5602 one stone G3037 upon G1909 another, G3037 that G3739 shall G2647 not G3364 be thrown down. G2647
The city H7151 of confusion H8414 is broken down: H7665 every house H1004 is shut up, H5462 that no man may come in. H935 There is a crying H6682 for wine H3196 in the streets; H2351 all joy H8057 is darkened, H6150 the mirth H4885 of the land H776 is gone. H1540 In the city H5892 is left H7604 desolation, H8047 and the gate H8179 is smitten H3807 with destruction. H7591
Lift up H7311 thy feet H6471 unto the perpetual H5331 desolations; H4876 even all that the enemy H341 hath done wickedly H7489 in the sanctuary. H6944 Thine enemies H6887 roar H7580 in the midst H7130 of thy congregations; H4150 they set up H7760 their ensigns H226 for signs. H226 A man was famous H3045 according as he had lifted up H935 H4605 axes H7134 upon the thick H5442 trees. H6086 But now they break down H1986 the carved work H6603 thereof at once H3162 with axes H3781 and hammers. H3597 They have cast H7971 fire H784 into thy sanctuary, H4720 they have defiled H2490 by casting down the dwelling place H4908 of thy name H8034 to the ground. H776 They said H559 in their hearts, H3820 Let us destroy H3238 them together: H3162 they have burned up H8313 all the synagogues H4150 of God H410 in the land. H776
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 26
Commentary on Leviticus 26 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 26
Le 26:1, 2. Of Idolatry.
1. Ye shall make you no idols—Idolatry had been previously forbidden (Ex 20:4, 5), but the law was repeated here with reference to some particular forms of it that were very prevalent among the neighboring nations.
a standing image—that is, "upright pillar."
image of stone—that is, an obelisk, inscribed with hieroglyphical and superstitious characters; the former denoting the common and smaller pillars of the Syrians or Canaanites; the latter, pointing to the large and elaborate obelisks which the Egyptians worshipped as guardian divinities, or used as stones of adoration to stimulate religious worship. The Israelites were enjoined to beware of them.
2. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary—Very frequently, in this Book of the Law, the Sabbath and the sanctuary are mentioned as antidotes to idolatry.
Le 26:3-13. A Blessing to the Obedient.
3. If ye walk in my statutes—In that covenant into which God graciously entered with the people of Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings, so long as they continued obedient to Him as their Almighty Ruler; and in their subsequent history that people found every promise amply fulfilled, in the enjoyment of plenty, peace, a populous country, and victory over all enemies.
4. I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase—Rain seldom fell in Judea except at two seasons—the former rain at the end of autumn, the seedtime; and the latter rain in spring, before the beginning of harvest (Jer 5:24).
5. your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time, &c.—The barley harvest in Judea was about the middle of April; the wheat harvest about six weeks after, or in the beginning of June. After the harvest came the vintage, and fruit gathering towards the latter end of July. Moses led the Hebrews to believe that, provided they were faithful to God, there would be no idle time between the harvest and vintage, so great would be the increase. (See Am 9:13). This promise would be very animating to a people who had come from a country where, for three months, they were pent up without being able to walk abroad because the fields were under water.
10. ye shall eat old store—Their stock of old corn would be still unexhausted and large when the next harvest brought a new supply.
13. I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright—a metaphorical expression to denote their emancipation from Egyptian slavery.
Le 26:14-39. A Curse to the Disobedient.
14, 15. But if ye will not hearken unto me, &c.—In proportion to the great and manifold privileges bestowed upon the Israelites would be the extent of their national criminality and the severity of their national punishments if they disobeyed.
16. I will even appoint over you terror—the falling sickness [Patrick].
consumption, and the burning ague—Some consider these as symptoms of the same disease—consumption followed by the shivering, burning, and sweating fits that are the usual concomitants of that malady. According to the Septuagint, "ague" is "the jaundice," which disorders the eyes and produces great depression of spirits. Others, however, consider the word as referring to a scorching wind; no certain explanation can be given.
18. if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more—that is, with far more severe and protracted calamities.
19. I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass—No figures could have been employed to convey a better idea of severe and long-continued famine.
22. I will also send wild beasts among you—This was one of the four judgments threatened (Eze 14:21; see also 2Ki 2:4).
your highways shall be desolate—Trade and commerce will be destroyed—freedom and safety will be gone—neither stranger nor native will be found on the roads (Isa 33:8). This is an exact picture of the present state of the Holy Land, which has long lain in a state of desolation, brought on by the sins of the ancient Jews.
26. ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, &c.—The bread used in families is usually baked by women, and at home. But sometimes also, in times of scarcity, it is baked in public ovens for want of fuel; and the scarcity predicted here would be so great, that one oven would be sufficient to bake as much as ten women used in ordinary occasions to provide for family use; and even this scanty portion of bread would be distributed by weight (Eze 4:16).
29. ye shall eat the flesh of your sons—The revolting picture was actually exhibited at the siege of Samaria, at the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (La 4:10), and at the destruction of that city by the Romans. (See on De 28:53).
30. I will destroy your high places—Consecrated enclosures on the tops of mountains, or on little hillocks, raised for practising the rites of idolatry.
cut down your images—According to some, those images were made in the form of chariots (2Ki 23:11); according to others, they were of a conical form, like small pyramids. Reared in honor of the sun, they were usually placed on a very high situation, to enable the worshippers to have a better view of the rising sun. They were forbidden to the Israelites, and when set up, ordered to be destroyed.
cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, &c.—Like the statues of idols, which, when broken, lie neglected and contemned, the Jews during the sieges and subsequent captivity often wanted the rites of sepulture.
31. I will make your cities waste—This destruction of its numerous and flourishing cities, which was brought upon Judea through the sins of Israel, took place by the forced removal of the people during, and long after, the captivity. But it is realized to a far greater extent now.
bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours—the tabernacle and temple, as is evident from the tenor of the subsequent clause, in which God announces that He will not accept or regard their sacrifices.
33. I will scatter you among the heathen, &c.—as was done when the elite of the nation were removed into Assyria and placed in various parts of the kingdom.
34. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, &c.—A long arrear of sabbatic years had accumulated through the avarice and apostasy of the Israelites, who had deprived their land of its appointed season of rest. The number of those sabbatic years seems to have been seventy, as determined by the duration of the captivity. This early prediction is very remarkable, considering that the usual policy of the Assyrian conquerors was to send colonies to cultivate and inhabit their newly acquired provinces.
38. the land of your enemies shall eat you up, &c.—On the removal of the ten tribes into captivity, they never returned, and all traces of them were lost.
40-45. If they shall confess their iniquity, &c.—This passage holds out the gracious promise of divine forgiveness and favor on their repentance, and their happy restoration to their land, in memory of the covenant made with their fathers (Ro 2:1-29).
46. These are the statutes and judgments and laws—It has been thought by some that the last chapter was originally placed after the twenty-fifth [Adam Clarke], while others consider that the next chapter was added as an appendix, in consequence of many people being influenced by the promises and threats of the preceding one, to resolve that they would dedicate themselves and their possessions to the service of God [Calmet].