Leviticus 26:1-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 26:1-13

Here is, I. The inculcating of those precepts of the law which were of the greatest consequence, and by which were of the greatest consequence, and by which especially their obedience would be tried, Lev. 26:1, 2. They are the abstract of the second and fourth commandments, which, as they are by much the largest in the decalogue, so they are most frequently insisted on in other parts of the law. As, when a master has given many things in charge to his servant, he concludes with the repetition... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 26:1

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; See Gill on Leviticus 25:48 ; but this is rather mentioned as being a principal law, respecting the honour and glory of God, and the foundation of all religion and godliness, and the breach of it a capital... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 26:2

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, though Aben Ezra restrains it to the sabbatical years, or seventh year sabbaths, as he applies the sanctuary in the following clause to the jubilee year, which is said to be holy, Leviticus... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 26:3

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. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 26:4

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 the sowing of their seed, or a little after it, and the other a little before harvest; and when it was had in those times it was had in due season, and hence the word is in the plural number,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 26:5

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 supposed to, be in the month of July; for on the twenty ninth of Sivan, which was about the middle of June, was the time of the first ripe grapes, as appears; see Gill on Numbers 13:20 ; and that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 26:6

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 afraid ; that is, lie down upon their beds, and sleep quietly and comfortably, and not be in any fear of thieves and robbers breaking in upon them, Psalm 3:5 , and I will rid evil beasts out... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 26:7

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 multitudes of the enemy are killed in a pursuit. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Leviticus 26:1

Ye shall make you no idols - See note on Exodus 20:4 , and see the note on Genesis 28:18-19 ; (note), concerning consecrated stones. Not only idolatry in general is forbidden here, but also the superstitious use of innocent and lawful things. Probably the stones or pillars which were first set up, and anointed by holy men in commemoration of signal interposition of God in their behalf, were afterward abused to idolatrous and superstitious purposes, and therefore prohibited. This we know... read more

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