Leviticus 26:40-45

Leviticus 26:40-Romans : . Confession and Restoration.— The order of thought is— confession by the exiles of the sin of their own and of previous generations, Yahweh’ s memory of His ancient covenant, and His (implied) deliverance of His people. The order is simplified if Leviticus 26:41-John : is regarded as an insertion; “ if” ( Leviticus 26:41), which should be translated “ or,” suggests this. The double mention of the covenant (note the order of the names in Leviticus 26:42), and the reference to the respite of the land ( cf. Leviticus 26:34 f.), are arresting, but not related to the rest of the section. On confession, cf. Leviticus 5:5, Leviticus 16:21. Here the confession is of the whole nation’ s disobedience, past and present; until this is called forth by suffering, God’ s wrath remains. In Ezekiel’ s section on restoration, confession is replaced by self-loathing (after, not before, the return; Ezekiel 36:31). Ezekiel expressly denies the motive “ for their sakes,” and the ancient covenant ( Leviticus 26:45, contrast Ezekiel 36:22) and the influence of the past on the present, both for evil and good, is unmentioned by him.