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 ; See Gill on Leviticus 26:21 . read more
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 the fury of his indignation on them, which must be terrible: and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins ; add new and many more chastisements, and that in hot displeasure, for... read more
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 F16 Torat Cohanim in Yalkut, par. 1. fol. 197. 1. tells us of one Doeg ben Joseph, who died and left a little one with his mother, who was very fond of him; but at this siege slew him with her own hands,... read more
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; See Gill on Ezekiel 6:13 , and cut down your images ; called Chammanim, either from Ham, the son of Noah, the first introducer of idolatrous worship after the flood, as some have thought; or from Jupiter Ammon, worshipped in Egypt,... read more
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, so called from the several apartments in it, the court, the holy place, and the most holy; or rather both sanctuaries or temples are intended, the first built by Solomon, and destroyed by... read more
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 your enemies which dwell therein ; having destroyed them, or cast them out, and sent them into other countries, and took possession of theirs in their room: shall be astonished at it ... read more
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 nations of the world: and will draw out a sword after you ; draw it out of its scabbard, and with it pursue after them, when fleeing or going whither they should not; as the remainder of the... read more
Ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, etc. - This was literally fulfilled at the siege of Jerusalem. Josephus, Wars of the Jews, book vii., chap. ii., gives us a particular instance in dreadful detail of a woman named Mary, who, in the extremity of the famine during the siege, killed her sucking child, roasted, and had eaten part of it when discovered by the soldiers! See this threatened, Jeremiah 19:9 ; (note). read more
Verse 29 29.And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons. This scourge is still more severe and terrible (than the others;) (229) yet we know that the Israelites were smitten with it more than once. This savage act would be incredible; but we gather from it how terrible it is to fall into the hands of God, when men, by adding crime to crime, cease not to provoke His wrath. Jeremiah (230) mentions this monstrous case among others: “The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children,” and... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 26:14-39
After God had set the blessing before them (the life and good which would make them a happy people if they would be obedient), he here sets the curse before them, the death and evil which would make them as miserable if they were disobedient. Let them not think themselves so deeply rooted as that God's power could not ruin them, nor so highly favoured as that his justice would not ruin them if they revolted from him and rebelled against him; no You only have I known, therefore I will punish... read more