Lev. 26 God commands them to shun idolatry, Lev. 26:1, keep his sabbaths, and reverence his sanctuary, Lev. 26:2, and walk in his statutes, Lev. 26:3; promising plenty, peace, victory, fruitfulness, his tabernacle and presence, Lev. 26:4–13.

A standing image, or, pillar, to wit, to worship it, or bow down to it, as it follows. Otherwise this was not simply prohibited, being practised by holy men both before and after this law. Compare Ex. 23:24, Deut. 16:22, Ex. 20:4.

Reverence my sanctuary, by purging and preserving it from all uncleanness, by approaching to it, and managing all the services of it, with reverence, and in such manner only as God hath appointed.

I will give you rain; therefore God placed them not in a land where there were such rivers as Nilus to water it and make it fruitful, but in a land which depended wholly upon the rain of heaven, the key whereof God kept in his own hand, that so he might the more effectually oblige them to…

Your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, i.e. you shall have so plentiful a harvest, that you shall not be able to thresh out your corn in a little time, but that work will last till the vintage.

Neither shall the sword go through your land, i.e. war, as the sword is oft taken, as Num. 14:3, 2 Sam. 12:10. Otherwise there is the sword of justice. It shall not enter into it, nor have passage through it, much less shall your land be made the seat of war.

Five of you, i.e. a small number; a certain number for an uncertain.

i.e. Actually perform all that I have promised you in my covenant made with you,

Bring forth the old, or, cast out, throw them away, as having no occasion to spend them, or give them to the poor, or even to your cattle, that you may make way for the new corn, which also is so plentiful, that of itself will fill up your barns.

As I have placed it, so I will continue it among you, and not remove it from you, as once I did upon your miscarriage, Ex. 33:7.

I will walk among you, as I have hitherto done, both by my pillar of cloud and fire, and by my tabernacle, which have walked or gone along with you in all your journeys, and stayed among you in all your stations, to protect, conduct, instruct, and comfort you.

With heads lifted up, not pressed down with a yoke. It notes their liberty, security, confidence, and glory. See Ex. 14:8, Num. 33:3.

i.e. Break your part or conditions of that covenant made between me and you, and thereby discharge me from the blessings promised on my part.

I will even appoint over you; I will give them power over you, that you shall not be able to avoid or resist them. Shall consume the eyes, by the decay of spirits, and affluence of ill humours.

The pride of your power, i.e. your strength, of which you are proud, your numerous and united forces, your kingdom, yea, your ark and sanctuary. Your earth as brass; the heavens shall yield you no rain, nor the earth fruits.

Your strength shall be spent in vain; ploughing, and sowing, and tilling the ground.

Contrary unto me, or, carelessly or heedlessly with me, or before me, i.e. so as to be careless and unconcerned whether you please me or offend me. This is opposed to exact and circumspect walking with God, as Abraham did, Gen. 17:1, and all are to do, Eph. 5:15.

By reason of the fewness of travellers and people, and the terror of wild beasts growing more numerous thereby.

Contrary unto you, or, carelessly with you or towards you, i.e. I will put you out of my care and protection.

The quarrel of my covenant, i.e. my quarrel with you for your breach of your faith and covenant made with me. Into the hand of the enemy; because those few that shall be left of the pestilence will be unable to defend you in your cities or strong holds.

Broken the staff of your bread; either, 1. By taking away that power and virtue of nourishing which I have put into bread or food, which when I withdraw it will be unable to nourish. Or rather, 2. By sending a famine, or scarcity of bread, which is the staff and support of man’s present life, Ps.

Contrary unto you in fury; or, in fury of rashness or carelessness with you or among you, like a raging lion breaking into a multitude of people, and destroying all he meets with promiscuously, or without any distinction, both righteous and wicked together, as is threatened Ezek. 21:3.

Through extreme hunger. See Lam. 4:10.

Your high places, in which you will sacrifice after the manner of the heathens. See Lev. 19:26, Num. 33:52. Your images; or, your images of the sun, made for the honour and worshipping of the sun, and having some resemblance to it. See 2 Chron. 34:7.

Your sanctuaries; either, 1. God’s sanctuary, called sanctuaries here, as also Ps. 73:17, Ps. 74:7, Jer. 51:51, Ezek. 28:18, because there were divers apartments in it, each of which was a sanctuary, or, which is all one, a holy place, as they are severally called.

Having driven you out and possessed your places. See Lam. 5:2.

The sword shall follow you into strange lands, and you shall have no rest there.

Either, 1. Because it shall be rid of you, who were the unprofitable and heavy burdens thereof, under whom it in a manner groaned. Or rather, 2. Because it shall now enjoy those sabbatical years of rest from tillage, which you through covetousness ofttimes would not give it, as the next verse…

Faintness: the word notes a tenderness and softness of mind, whereby they are disenabled from bearing the present miseries, and are in continual dread of further and sorer miseries.

They shall fall one upon another, as soldiers use to do when their ranks are broken, and they forced to flee away hastily from their pursuers. When non pursueth; your guilt and fear causing you to imagine that they do pursue you when indeed they do not.

Shall pine away, be consumed and melt away by degrees, through diseases, oppressions, griefs, and manifold miseries.

If they shall confess, Heb. And they shall confess, where our translation and many others understand the particle if, which is also wanting and understood, Ex. 4:23, Mal. 1:2, Mal. 3:8. So here, And if they shall confess, &c.

The Hebrew word avou commonly signifies iniquity, but it is oft used for the punishment of iniquity, as here and 1 Sam. 28:10, Ps. 31:10, Isa. 53:6, Isa. 53:11.

I will remember my covenant, to wit, so as to perform it, and make good all that I have promised in it. For words of knowledge or remembrance in Scripture do most commonly connote affection and kindness; of which there are many instances, some given before, and more hereafter.

Neither the desperateness of their condition, nor the greatness of their sins, shall make me wholly make void my covenant with them and their ancestors, but I will in due time remember them for good, and for my covenant’s sake return to them in mercy.

For their sakes, or rather, to or for them, i.e. for their good or benefit; for surely, if one considers what is said before concerning the wickedness of this people, he cannot say this deliverance was given them for their sakes, but must rather say with the prophet, Ezek. 36:22, Ezek.