1. Ye shall make you no
idols—Idolatry had been previously forbidden (Exodus 20:4;
Exodus 20:5), but the law was
repeated here with reference to some particular forms of it that were
very prevalent among the neighboring nations.
a standing image—that
is, "upright pillar."
image of stone—that is,
an obelisk, inscribed with hieroglyphical and superstitious
characters; the former denoting the common and smaller pillars of the
Syrians or Canaanites; the latter, pointing to the large and
elaborate obelisks which the Egyptians worshipped as guardian
divinities, or used as stones of adoration to stimulate religious
worship. The Israelites were enjoined to beware of them.
2. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and
reverence my sanctuary—Very frequently, in this Book of the
Law, the Sabbath and the sanctuary are mentioned as antidotes to
idolatry.
. A BLESSING TO THE
OBEDIENT.
3. If ye walk in my statutes—In
that covenant into which God graciously entered with the people of
Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings, so
long as they continued obedient to Him as their Almighty Ruler; and
in their subsequent history that people found every promise amply
fulfilled, in the enjoyment of plenty, peace, a populous country, and
victory over all enemies.
4. I will give you rain in due
season, and the land shall yield her increase—Rain seldom fell
in Judea except at two seasons—the former rain at the end of
autumn, the seedtime; and the latter rain in spring, before the
beginning of harvest (Jeremiah 5:24).
5. your threshing shall reach unto
the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time,
c.—The barley harvest in Judea was about the middle of April the
wheat harvest about six weeks after, or in the beginning of June.
After the harvest came the vintage, and fruit gathering towards the
latter end of July. Moses led the Hebrews to believe that, provided
they were faithful to God, there would be no idle time between the
harvest and vintage, so great would be the increase. (See ). This promise would be very animating to a people who had
come from a country where, for three months, they were pent up
without being able to walk abroad because the fields were under
water.
10. ye shall eat old store—Their
stock of old corn would be still unexhausted and large when the next
harvest brought a new supply.
13. I have broken the bands of your
yoke, and made you go upright—a metaphorical expression to
denote their emancipation from Egyptian slavery.
. A CURSE TO THE
DISOBEDIENT.
14, 15. But if ye will not hearken
unto me, &c.—In proportion to the great and manifold
privileges bestowed upon the Israelites would be the extent of their
national criminality and the severity of their national punishments
if they disobeyed.
16. I will even appoint over you
terror—the falling sickness [PATRICK].
consumption, and the burning
ague—Some consider these as symptoms of the same
disease—consumption followed by the shivering, burning, and
sweating fits that are the usual concomitants of that malady.
According to the Septuagint, "ague" is "the
jaundice," which disorders the eyes and produces great
depression of spirits. Others, however, consider the word as
referring to a scorching wind; no certain explanation can be given.
18. if ye will not yet for all this
hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more—that
is, with far more severe and protracted calamities.
19. I will make your heaven as iron,
and your earth as brass—No figures could have been employed to
convey a better idea of severe and long-continued famine.
22. I will also send wild beasts
among you—This was one of the four judgments threatened (; see also 2 Kings 2:4).
your highways shall be
desolate—Trade and commerce will be destroyed—freedom and
safety will be gone—neither stranger nor native will be found on
the roads (Isaiah 33:8). This is
an exact picture of the present state of the Holy Land, which has
long lain in a state of desolation, brought on by the sins of the
ancient Jews.
26. ten women shall bake your bread
in one oven, c.—The bread used in families is usually baked by
women, and at home. But sometimes also, in times of scarcity, it is
baked in public ovens for want of fuel and the scarcity predicted
here would be so great, that one oven would be sufficient to bake as
much as ten women used in ordinary occasions to provide for family
use; and even this scanty portion of bread would be distributed by
weight (Ezekiel 4:16).
29. ye shall eat the flesh of your
sons—The revolting picture was actually exhibited at the siege
of Samaria, at the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (), and at the destruction of that city by the Romans. (See on
).
30. I will destroy your high
places—Consecrated enclosures on the tops of mountains, or on
little hillocks, raised for practising the rites of idolatry.
cut down your
images—According to some, those images were made in the form of
chariots (2 Kings 23:11);
according to others, they were of a conical form, like small
pyramids. Reared in honor of the sun, they were usually placed on a
very high situation, to enable the worshippers to have a better view
of the rising sun. They were forbidden to the Israelites, and when
set up, ordered to be destroyed.
cast your carcases upon the
carcases of your idols, &c.—Like the statues of idols,
which, when broken, lie neglected and contemned, the Jews during the
sieges and subsequent captivity often wanted the rites of sepulture.
31. I will make your cities
waste—This destruction of its numerous and flourishing cities,
which was brought upon Judea through the sins of Israel, took place
by the forced removal of the people during, and long after, the
captivity. But it is realized to a far greater extent now.
bring your sanctuaries unto
desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours—the
tabernacle and temple, as is evident from the tenor of the subsequent
clause, in which God announces that He will not accept or regard
their sacrifices.
33. I will scatter you among the
heathen, &c.—as was done when the elite of the nation were
removed into Assyria and placed in various parts of the kingdom.
34. Then shall the land enjoy her
sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, &c.—A long arrear
of sabbatic years had accumulated through the avarice and apostasy of
the Israelites, who had deprived their land of its appointed season
of rest. The number of those sabbatic years seems to have been
seventy, as determined by the duration of the captivity. This early
prediction is very remarkable, considering that the usual policy of
the Assyrian conquerors was to send colonies to cultivate and inhabit
their newly acquired provinces.
38. the land of your enemies shall
eat you up, &c.—On the removal of the ten tribes into
captivity, they never returned, and all traces of them were lost.
40-45. If they shall confess their
iniquity, &c.—This passage holds out the gracious promise
of divine forgiveness and favor on their repentance, and their happy
restoration to their land, in memory of the covenant made with their
fathers (Romans 2:1-29).
46. These are the statutes and
judgments and laws—It has been thought by some that the last
chapter was originally placed after the twenty-fifth [ADAM
CLARKE], while others
consider that the next chapter was added as an appendix, in
consequence of many people being influenced by the promises and
threats of the preceding one, to resolve that they would dedicate
themselves and their possessions to the service of God [CALMET].
CHAPTER 26
Leviticus 26:1; Leviticus 26:2. OF IDOLATRY.
1. Ye shall make you no idols—Idolatry had been previously forbidden (Exodus 20:4; Exodus 20:5), but the law was repeated here with reference to some particular forms of it that were very prevalent among the neighboring nations.
a standing image—that is, "upright pillar."
image of stone—that is, an obelisk, inscribed with hieroglyphical and superstitious characters; the former denoting the common and smaller pillars of the Syrians or Canaanites; the latter, pointing to the large and elaborate obelisks which the Egyptians worshipped as guardian divinities, or used as stones of adoration to stimulate religious worship. The Israelites were enjoined to beware of them.
2. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary—Very frequently, in this Book of the Law, the Sabbath and the sanctuary are mentioned as antidotes to idolatry.
. A BLESSING TO THE OBEDIENT.
3. If ye walk in my statutes—In that covenant into which God graciously entered with the people of Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings, so long as they continued obedient to Him as their Almighty Ruler; and in their subsequent history that people found every promise amply fulfilled, in the enjoyment of plenty, peace, a populous country, and victory over all enemies.
4. I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase—Rain seldom fell in Judea except at two seasons—the former rain at the end of autumn, the seedtime; and the latter rain in spring, before the beginning of harvest (Jeremiah 5:24).
5. your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time, c.—The barley harvest in Judea was about the middle of April the wheat harvest about six weeks after, or in the beginning of June. After the harvest came the vintage, and fruit gathering towards the latter end of July. Moses led the Hebrews to believe that, provided they were faithful to God, there would be no idle time between the harvest and vintage, so great would be the increase. (See ). This promise would be very animating to a people who had come from a country where, for three months, they were pent up without being able to walk abroad because the fields were under water.
10. ye shall eat old store—Their stock of old corn would be still unexhausted and large when the next harvest brought a new supply.
13. I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright—a metaphorical expression to denote their emancipation from Egyptian slavery.
. A CURSE TO THE DISOBEDIENT.
14, 15. But if ye will not hearken unto me, &c.—In proportion to the great and manifold privileges bestowed upon the Israelites would be the extent of their national criminality and the severity of their national punishments if they disobeyed.
16. I will even appoint over you terror—the falling sickness [PATRICK].
consumption, and the burning ague—Some consider these as symptoms of the same disease—consumption followed by the shivering, burning, and sweating fits that are the usual concomitants of that malady. According to the Septuagint, "ague" is "the jaundice," which disorders the eyes and produces great depression of spirits. Others, however, consider the word as referring to a scorching wind; no certain explanation can be given.
18. if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more—that is, with far more severe and protracted calamities.
19. I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass—No figures could have been employed to convey a better idea of severe and long-continued famine.
22. I will also send wild beasts among you—This was one of the four judgments threatened (; see also 2 Kings 2:4).
your highways shall be desolate—Trade and commerce will be destroyed—freedom and safety will be gone—neither stranger nor native will be found on the roads (Isaiah 33:8). This is an exact picture of the present state of the Holy Land, which has long lain in a state of desolation, brought on by the sins of the ancient Jews.
26. ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, c.—The bread used in families is usually baked by women, and at home. But sometimes also, in times of scarcity, it is baked in public ovens for want of fuel and the scarcity predicted here would be so great, that one oven would be sufficient to bake as much as ten women used in ordinary occasions to provide for family use; and even this scanty portion of bread would be distributed by weight (Ezekiel 4:16).
29. ye shall eat the flesh of your sons—The revolting picture was actually exhibited at the siege of Samaria, at the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (), and at the destruction of that city by the Romans. (See on ).
30. I will destroy your high places—Consecrated enclosures on the tops of mountains, or on little hillocks, raised for practising the rites of idolatry.
cut down your images—According to some, those images were made in the form of chariots (2 Kings 23:11); according to others, they were of a conical form, like small pyramids. Reared in honor of the sun, they were usually placed on a very high situation, to enable the worshippers to have a better view of the rising sun. They were forbidden to the Israelites, and when set up, ordered to be destroyed.
cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, &c.—Like the statues of idols, which, when broken, lie neglected and contemned, the Jews during the sieges and subsequent captivity often wanted the rites of sepulture.
31. I will make your cities waste—This destruction of its numerous and flourishing cities, which was brought upon Judea through the sins of Israel, took place by the forced removal of the people during, and long after, the captivity. But it is realized to a far greater extent now.
bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours—the tabernacle and temple, as is evident from the tenor of the subsequent clause, in which God announces that He will not accept or regard their sacrifices.
33. I will scatter you among the heathen, &c.—as was done when the elite of the nation were removed into Assyria and placed in various parts of the kingdom.
34. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, &c.—A long arrear of sabbatic years had accumulated through the avarice and apostasy of the Israelites, who had deprived their land of its appointed season of rest. The number of those sabbatic years seems to have been seventy, as determined by the duration of the captivity. This early prediction is very remarkable, considering that the usual policy of the Assyrian conquerors was to send colonies to cultivate and inhabit their newly acquired provinces.
38. the land of your enemies shall eat you up, &c.—On the removal of the ten tribes into captivity, they never returned, and all traces of them were lost.
40-45. If they shall confess their iniquity, &c.—This passage holds out the gracious promise of divine forgiveness and favor on their repentance, and their happy restoration to their land, in memory of the covenant made with their fathers (Romans 2:1-29).
46. These are the statutes and judgments and laws—It has been thought by some that the last chapter was originally placed after the twenty-fifth [ADAM CLARKE], while others consider that the next chapter was added as an appendix, in consequence of many people being influenced by the promises and threats of the preceding one, to resolve that they would dedicate themselves and their possessions to the service of God [CALMET].