The Meaning of Leviticus 26:36 Explained

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.

YLT: And those who are left of you -- I have also brought a faintness into their heart in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a leaf driven away hath pursued them, and they have fled -- flight from a sword -- and they have fallen, and there is none pursuing.

Darby: And as to those that remain of you I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, that the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them, and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth;

ASV: And as for them that are left of you, I will send a faintness into their heart in the lands of their enemies: and the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as one fleeth from the sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Leviticus 26:36 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 26:21-46 - Desolation And Captivity For The Stubborn
Notwithstanding the solemn and appalling pictures placed before Israel in these verses, they forsook the Lord and served other gods. Thus, they brought upon themselves the sore judgments threatened against them, consisting of defeat, scarcity, wild beasts, pestilence and famine, the horrors of siege and desolation, followed by dispersion to the four winds of heaven. The book of Judges illustrates the first, and the destruction of Jerusalem, as told by Josephus, the last of these plagues.
Under the curse of this chapter the chosen people are suffering to this very hour. Scattered and peeled, wasted and outcast, they are monuments of God's truthfulness to His word. They teach an impressive lesson which the nations of the world would do well to lay to heart. Note that remarkable expression about accepting their punishment, as the necessary condition of forgiveness and restoration. The same condition always holds.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 26

1  Of idolatry
2  Reverence
3  A blessing to those who keep the commandments
14  A curse to those who break them
40  God promises to remember those who repent

What do the individual words in Leviticus 26:36 mean?

And as for those who are left of you and I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies and shall cause to flee them the sound of a leaf shaken and they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword and they shall fall and when no one pursues
וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בָּכֶ֔ם וְהֵבֵ֤אתִי מֹ֙רֶךְ֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔ם בְּאַרְצֹ֖ת אֹיְבֵיהֶ֑ם וְרָדַ֣ף אֹתָ֗ם ק֚וֹל עָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֔ף וְנָס֧וּ מְנֻֽסַת־ חֶ֛רֶב וְנָפְל֖וּ וְאֵ֥ין רֹדֵֽף

וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים  And  as  for  those  who  are  left 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
בָּכֶ֔ם  of  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
וְהֵבֵ֤אתִי  and  I  will  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מֹ֙רֶךְ֙  faintness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹרֶךְ  
Sense: weakness.
בִּלְבָבָ֔ם  into  their  hearts 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
בְּאַרְצֹ֖ת  in  the  lands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֹיְבֵיהֶ֑ם  of  their  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
וְרָדַ֣ף  and  shall  cause  to  flee 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
ק֚וֹל  the  sound 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
עָלֶ֣ה  of  a  leaf 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָלֶה  
Sense: leaf, leafage.
נִדָּ֔ף  shaken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָדַף  
Sense: to drive, drive away, drive asunder.
וְנָס֧וּ  and  they  shall  flee 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
מְנֻֽסַת־  as  though  fleeing  from 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מְנוּסָה  
Sense: .
חֶ֛רֶב  a  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וְנָפְל֖וּ  and  they  shall  fall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
וְאֵ֥ין  and  when  no  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
רֹדֵֽף  pursues 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.