The Meaning of Leviticus 26:8 Explained

Leviticus 26:8

KJV: And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

YLT: and five of you have pursued a hundred, and a hundred of you do pursue a myriad; and your enemies have fallen before you by the sword.

Darby: and five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; and your enemies shall fall beside you by the sword.

ASV: And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And five  of you shall chase  an hundred,  and an hundred  of you shall put ten thousand  to flight:  and your enemies  shall fall  before  you by the sword. 

What does Leviticus 26:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 26:1-20 - Results Of Obedience And Disobedience
There is a vast contrast between the ideal life of the first thirteen verses of this chapter and the remainder; just the distinction which God ever makes between a life of obedience and faith, and one of disobedience and disbelief. In our inner life we also may have that blessed rain of spiritual grace; the fruit-fullness and the peace, the safety and the victory, the old store reaching to the new, the breaking of our bars and the snapping of our yoke.
If these privileges are not yours, think back on your past to ascertain whether you are walking in all God's commandments, or are in anything walking contrary to them. Confess your sins and return, and dare to believe that He will bring you again, if penitent and believing, into the old glad position. But if "ye will not," Leviticus 26:14; Leviticus 26:18; Leviticus 26:21; Leviticus 26:23; Leviticus 26:27, heavy penalties must befall. God loves us too well to allow us to drift, unwarned and unrestrained, to perdition. [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 26:8 mean?

And shall chase of you Five a hundred and a hundred ten thousand shall put to flight and shall fall your enemies before you by the sword
וְרָדְפ֨וּ מִכֶּ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ מֵאָ֔ה וּמֵאָ֥ה רְבָבָ֣ה יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ וְנָפְל֧וּ אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם לֶחָֽרֶב

וְרָדְפ֨וּ  And  shall  chase 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
מִכֶּ֤ם  of  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
חֲמִשָּׁה֙  Five 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
מֵאָ֔ה  a  hundred 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
וּמֵאָ֥ה  and  a  hundred 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
רְבָבָ֣ה  ten  thousand 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: רְבָבָה  
Sense: multitude, myriad, ten thousand.
יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ  shall  put  to  flight 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
וְנָפְל֧וּ  and  shall  fall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם  your  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לֶחָֽרֶב  by  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.