Leviticus 26:43

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Leviticus 26:43 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “The land also shall be left by them, and shall enjoy its sabbaths, while it lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected mine ordinances, and their soul abhorred my statutes.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

The land also shall be left by them, and shall enjoy its sabbaths, while it lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected mine ordinances, and their soul abhorred my statutes.
Leviticus 26:43 — American Standard Version

Context — Leviticus 26

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
43The land also shall be left by them, and shall enjoy its sabbaths, while it lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected mine ordinances, and their soul abhorred my statutes.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“The land also shall be left of them, etc.] This seems to refer to a second time, when this should be the case of the land of Judea again, as it was when subdued by the Romans, and the Jews were carried captive from it, and so it was left by them, as it has been ever since: and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while lieth desolate without them; shall be as in the sabbatical years, uncultivated, neither ploughed nor sown, nor reaped; and thus the land of Canaan, though once so very fruitful, is now desolate and barren, being without its former inhabitants, and so it is like to be until it is restored to them again; and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity; that is, when made sensible…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“As “the book of the covenant” Exodus 20:22-33 concludes with promises and warnings Exodus 23:20-33, so does this collection of laws contained in the Book of Leviticus. But the former passage relates to the conquest of the land of promise, this one to the subsequent history of the nation. The longer similar passage in Deuteronomy Deut. 27–30 is marked by broader and deeper promises and denunciations having immediate reference not only to outward consequences, but to the spiritual death incurred by transgressing the divine will. Leviticus 26:4 Rain in due season - The periodical rains, on which the fertility of the holy land so much depends, are here spoken of. There are two wet seasons,…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“shall enjoy: Lev 26:34, Lev 26:35 and they: Lev 26:41; Kg1 8:46-48; Ch2 33:12; Job 5:17, Job 34:31, Job 34:32; Psa 50:15; Psa 119:67, Psa 119:71, Psa 119:75; Isa 26:16; Jer 31:19; Dan 9:7-9, Dan 9:14; Heb 12:5-11 they despised: Lev 26:15; Kg2 17:7-17; Ch2 36:14-16 their soul: Lev 26:15, Lev 26:30; Psa 50:17; Amo 5:10; Zac 11:8; Joh 7:7, Joh 15:23, Joh 15:24; Rom 8:7 Leviticus 26:44”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification