Leviticus 26 36

Leviticus 26:36 kjv

And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

Leviticus 26:36 nkjv

'And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.

Leviticus 26:36 niv

"?'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them.

Leviticus 26:36 esv

And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues.

Leviticus 26:36 nlt

"And for those of you who survive, I will demoralize you in the land of your enemies. You will live in such fear that the sound of a leaf driven by the wind will send you fleeing. You will run as though fleeing from a sword, and you will fall even when no one pursues you.

Leviticus 26 verses

Leviticus 26 36 Meaning

Leviticus 26:36 describes a severe consequence of persistent disobedience to God's covenant: a deep, internal psychological torment inflicted by God. This punishment involves instilling such extreme fear and lack of courage in the hearts of the surviving Israelites in exile that they will live in a constant state of panic. Their fear will be so pervasive that even the slightest, most harmless sound, like a fluttering leaf, will cause them to flee as if facing a mortal sword threat, leading them to stumble and fall even when there is no actual pursuer or danger. It depicts a complete breakdown of their morale and spirit, leaving them in a perpetual state of self-induced terror.

Leviticus 26 36 Context

Leviticus chapter 26 is a pivotal section within the book, concluding the laws given at Mount Sinai with a comprehensive list of blessings for obedience to the covenant and curses for disobedience. This particular verse falls deep within the curses, specifically detailing the psychological and emotional consequences of unrepentant sin and rebellion against God. The curses escalate in severity, starting with natural calamities, moving to defeat by enemies, and culminating in exile from the land and internal spiritual degradation. Leviticus 26:36 illustrates the lowest point of this degradation, describing a people utterly broken not just physically or militarily, but deep within their spirits, haunted by an all-consuming fear even in the absence of a visible threat. This serves as a solemn warning to the original audience, the Israelites preparing to enter the Promised Land, about the dire ramifications of violating their covenant relationship with Yahweh.

Leviticus 26 36 Word analysis

• "And upon them that are left alive of you": This indicates a remnant, those who survive previous stages of judgment, particularly the widespread destruction and exile. The judgment is not just for a generation, but will affect survivors.
• "I will send a faintness" (מֹרֶךְ - morekh):
  • Word: Root m-r-kh suggests "softening" or "melting."
  • Meaning: Not merely physical weakness, but a profound moral and spiritual cowardice. It implies the "melting" of courage and conviction. It's a divine act of inflicting this state.
  • Significance: This faintness is a judgment from God, targeting the very spirit and inner strength.
• "into their hearts" (לְבָבָם - l'vavam):
  • Word: Lev (lebab) is the heart, the core of one's being in Hebrew thought—encompassing intellect, will, emotion, and character, not just emotion.
  • Meaning: The faintness permeates their entire inner person, affecting their ability to think clearly, make decisions, or show resolve.
  • Significance: The judgment is not merely external, but penetrates the deepest part of their being, stripping them of internal resilience.
• "in the lands of their enemies":
  • Meaning: This explicitly states their location of torment is in exile, a foreign land where they have no home or inherent safety.
  • Significance: The vulnerability of being an alien in a hostile environment amplifies their internal fear and humiliation.
• "and the sound (קֹול - qol) of a shaken leaf (עָלֶה נִדָּף - aleh niddaph)":
  • Words: Qol is a sound or voice; aleh is a leaf; niddaph is "driven, scattered, shaken off."
  • Meaning: The rustle or flutter of a light, inconsequential leaf.
  • Significance: An illustration of extreme, disproportionate fear. The harmless becomes terrifying. This is vivid imagery of an overwrought, traumatized psyche.
• "shall chase them" (הִרְדִּיף אֹתָם - hirdi'f otam):
  • Meaning: The sound itself becomes the pursuer. This is personification, emphasizing the irrationality of their terror. The imagined threat is more potent than any real one.
• "and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword" (וְנָסוּ מְנֻסַת חֶרֶב - v'nasu m'nusat cherev):
  • Meaning: A frantic, desperate flight, like escaping a deadly weapon or imminent death.
  • Significance: Hyperbolic language underscoring the severity of their perceived danger and panic. Their internal state manufactures life-threatening scenarios.
• "and they shall fall when none pursueth" (וְנָפְלוּ וְאֵין רֹדֵף - v'naf'lu v'ein rodeph):
  • Meaning: They stumble and collapse from sheer internal terror and exhaustion, not because a tangible enemy is chasing or striking them.
  • Significance: The ultimate image of psychological defeat. Their own fear incapacitates them. This signifies complete helplessness and a loss of personal agency, a total internal collapse orchestrated by divine judgment.

Leviticus 26 36 Bonus section

• Inverse of Blessings: This verse perfectly mirrors and inverts the promised blessings in the same chapter. Whereas obedience promised God making His presence known among them (Lev 26:11-12) and their enemies fleeing before them when none pursued (Lev 26:7-8), disobedience leads to God sending terror within them and they fleeing when none pursues.
• Theological Implication of Internal Judgment: This form of punishment is highly significant as it demonstrates God's sovereignty over the internal state and psyche of humanity. It's not merely external circumstances, but God directly affects the "heart," which in biblical thought, encompasses will, emotion, and intellect. This points to a holistic divine judgment, impacting all aspects of human existence.
• Historical Echoes: While the specific historical fulfillment is difficult to pinpoint perfectly, Israel's history during periods of exile, such as the Babylonian captivity, certainly included times of profound psychological suffering, shame, and despair, reflecting the conditions described. The proverbs like Proverbs 28:1 illustrate that this kind of fear and flight without cause is a general characteristic of the unrighteous or those alienated from God's favor.
• Prophetic Parallel: Prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel later depicted the shame, scattering, and spiritual brokenness of Israel and Judah, which aligns with the psychological torment of Lev 26:36. They detail how a once mighty people became an object of derision and internal distress due to their sin.

Leviticus 26 36 Commentary

Leviticus 26:36 unveils a terrifying dimension of divine judgment: the internal unraveling of the human spirit. Beyond external calamities and military defeat, God promises to directly inflict a debilitating faintness within the very core of His disobedient people's being. This "faintness" or "melting heart" means an utter loss of courage, resolve, and even common sense. The consequence is a life lived in constant, baseless terror where the rustling of a tiny leaf triggers a flight-or-fight response appropriate for a deadly sword. Their minds will create the very pursuers they flee, causing them to fall from self-induced panic rather than from any actual threat. This verse underscores that covenant breach incurs not only physical suffering but profound psychological and spiritual torment, stripping a people of their dignity, sanity, and inherent strength, leaving them captive to their own anxieties, a profound punishment orchestrated by God Himself. This vivid portrayal highlights the severity of breaking faith with the Living God and serves as a somber warning of a self-destructive cycle instigated by divine wrath.