Leviticus 26:7 kjv
And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
Leviticus 26:7 nkjv
You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.
Leviticus 26:7 niv
You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.
Leviticus 26:7 esv
You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
Leviticus 26:7 nlt
In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords.
Leviticus 26 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 14:14 | The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. | God's direct intervention in battles. |
| Deut 28:7 | The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. | God promises enemy defeat for obedience. |
| Deut 32:30 | How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them... | Supernatural empowerment against foes. |
| Jos 23:10 | One man of you puts to flight a thousand, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you... | The Lord empowers His people for victory. |
| 2 Sam 22:38-40 | I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. | David's experience of God-given military victory. |
| Ps 18:37-40 | I pursued my enemies and overtook them... I struck them down... | A psalm celebrating divine assistance in battle. |
| Ps 44:5 | Through You we push back our foes... | God enables His people to conquer. |
| Ps 91:3-4 | Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you... | God's comprehensive protection and deliverance. |
| Prov 28:1 | The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. | Courage of the righteous vs. fear of the wicked. |
| Isa 30:15 | In quietness and trust is your strength... | Trust in God brings spiritual strength and security. |
| Zech 12:8 | In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem... | God's ultimate defense of His people and city. |
| Rom 8:31 | If God is for us, who can be against us? | New Covenant assurance of God's favor and invincibility. |
| 1 Cor 15:57 | But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Victory over spiritual foes through Christ. |
| Phil 4:13 | I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. | Divine strength for all of life's challenges. |
| Exo 23:27 | I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. | God sowing panic and disorder among adversaries. |
| Num 10:9 | When you go to war in your land against an enemy who oppresses you... the LORD your God will remember you... | God's remembrance and intervention in warfare. |
| Judg 4:14 | Up! This is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hand. | Direct divine declaration of imminent victory. |
| 2 Chron 14:11 | O LORD, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD... | Reliance on God for victory against overwhelming odds. |
| Neh 4:20 | Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us. | Assurance of divine assistance in defending themselves. |
| Joel 3:10 | Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am a warrior.’ | Spiritual and literal preparation for decisive battle. |
| Ps 20:7-8 | Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall... | Trust in God versus earthly power for victory. |
| Josh 1:5 | No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. | Assurance of sustained and complete triumph. |
| Heb 4:1 | Let us therefore fear lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. | Spiritual 'rest' related to obedience; applies principle of blessing/consequence. |
Leviticus 26 verses
Leviticus 26 7 Meaning
Leviticus 26:7 proclaims a divine promise to the nation of Israel: should they walk in obedience to God's covenant, they would be endowed with such military strength and divine favor that they would actively pursue their adversaries in battle, and these enemies would invariably be utterly defeated and slain before them. This promise emphasizes not just defense, but an overwhelming offensive victory supernaturally empowered by God, leading to the decisive overthrow of all who oppose His people.
Leviticus 26 7 Context
Leviticus 26 opens the culminating chapter of the Book of Leviticus, serving as God's concluding address to Israel following the intricate details of laws, rituals, and the holiness code. This chapter articulates the blessings promised for covenant obedience and the severe curses for disobedience. Verses 3-13 outline comprehensive blessings for faithfulness, encompassing agricultural abundance, national peace, personal security, rapid population growth, and, importantly, military victory. Leviticus 26:7 falls directly within this segment of promised military supremacy, guaranteeing that God himself will act as Israel's primary strategist and warrior, turning their enemies into targets of decisive defeat. Historically and culturally, this mirrors common ANE treaty formulations which specified benefits and penalties for adherence or breach. Uniquely, however, the power is vested solely in Yahweh, distinguishing Israel’s covenant God from the often-capricious and limited deities of surrounding nations, thereby presenting a polemic against idolatry and pagan beliefs in the source of national prosperity and military might.
Leviticus 26 7 Word analysis
- And you will pursue (וּרְדַפְתֶּ֖ם, u-r'daf-tem): This derives from the Hebrew verb radaph (רדף), meaning "to chase, to pursue, to follow hotly after." The phrase indicates an aggressive and sustained act of chasing down the enemy, not merely fending them off or allowing them to escape. It speaks to a total routing where the fleeing enemy is systematically hunted and destroyed. The plural "you" refers to the collective Israelite nation.
- your enemies (אֶת־אֹ֣יְבֵיכֶ֑ם, 'et-'oy-ve-khem): From the Hebrew noun oyev (אויב), signifying "adversary, foe." This term clearly identifies those hostile forces or nations that would pose a threat to Israel's peace and security. The possessive "your" specifies these as direct threats to God's covenant people.
- and they shall fall (וְנָפְל֤וּ, v'naf-lu): Originating from the Hebrew verb naphal (נפל), which means "to fall, to lie prostrate, to collapse." In a military context, this signifies absolute defeat, severe casualties, and the complete disarray or death of the opposing forces. It conveys an assured, unavoidable demise for the adversaries.
- before you (לִפְנֵיכֶם, li-fnei-khem): Literally "to your face" or "in your presence." This idiomatic phrase powerfully denotes a visible, undeniable, and decisive defeat. The enemies will be overthrown and brought low in full view of the Israelites, emphasizing the public and unambiguous nature of God-granted victory. It also implies their surrender or being rendered helpless.
- by the sword (בֶּחָֽרֶב, ba-charev): From the Hebrew noun cherev (חרב), referring to "a sword, a dagger, a cutting blade." This indicates the primary weapon used in ancient warfare to inflict lethal defeat. While God is the ultimate power granting victory, He orchestrates His will through human action and established means, such as the weapons wielded by the Israelite army. It specifies the decisive nature of their demise.
Words-group analysis:
- "And you will pursue your enemies, and they shall fall...": This constructs a direct, divinely assured consequence of obedience: active pursuit by Israel leading inevitably to the enemy's defeat. The active pursuit is enabled by God, making the outcome a direct result of His covenant faithfulness.
- "fall before you by the sword": This phrase paints a complete picture of military triumph. The act of "falling before you" signifies humiliation and submission, while "by the sword" specifies the total and fatal nature of the defeat, leaving no doubt about the conclusive victory granted by God.
Leviticus 26 7 Bonus section
This promise of divine military assistance for the nation of Israel echoes throughout the Old Testament narratives, being concretely manifested in events such as the defeat of the Amalekites (Exo 17:8-16), the campaigns under Joshua (Jos 10:42), and various victories during the periods of the Judges and the United Monarchy. It underscores the concept of a "holy war," where God is the general. The inverse of this blessing, wherein Israelites flee before their enemies (Lev 26:17, 36-37), emphasizes the stark conditional nature of the covenant and the consequences of disobedience. In a New Covenant understanding, while physical warfare has often given way to spiritual battle, the principle remains: believers, through Christ, are equipped and empowered by God to overcome spiritual enemies (sin, death, spiritual wickedness) through obedience and faith (Eph 6:10-18; 1 Pet 5:8-9). The promise of "enemies falling before you" spiritually anticipates the ultimate triumph of Christ and His church over all opposing forces at the consummation of the ages.
Leviticus 26 7 Commentary
Leviticus 26:7 stands as a powerful covenant promise within a conditional framework. It illustrates God's commitment to fight for and empower His obedient people, providing them not just defense, but the ability to actively conquer their enemies. The verse shows that Israel's military success was not to be measured by their own might, but by the overwhelming divine intervention in their battles. This signifies God as the true "Warrior of Israel," turning a pursued foe into one inevitably overcome. The use of "sword" confirms that God's intervention would lead to real, tangible battlefield victory, through human instruments but by divine power. This divine partnership guarantees profound security and dominance, rooting the nation's welfare in its faithful relationship with the Almighty. The spiritual principle extends to believers, suggesting that walking in obedience empowers them to effectively pursue and overcome spiritual adversaries, for God is ultimately their strength and victory.