The Meaning of Leviticus 26:38 Explained

Leviticus 26:38

KJV: And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

YLT: and ye have perished among the nations, and the land of your enemies hath consumed you.

Darby: And ye shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

ASV: And ye shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And ye shall perish  among the heathen,  and the land  of your enemies  shall eat you up. 

What does Leviticus 26:38 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 26:38 mean?

And You shall perish among the nations and shall eat up you the land of your enemies
וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם וְאָכְלָ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶ֖רֶץ אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם

וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם  And  You  shall  perish 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם  among  the  nations 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וְאָכְלָ֣ה  and  shall  eat  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֶ֖רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם  of  your  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.