And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
Leviticus 26:7 gives a covenant blessing conditioned on obedience to God's statutes and commandments: if Israel obeys, they will chase their enemies in battle and defeat them, and those enemies will fall before them by the sword. The victory promised is that God gives His people triumph over their enemies as they pursue them to their fall by the sword. It stands as one of the promised blessings for obedience to the Lord's directions and commandments.
The victory belongs together with further blessings of peace and security in the land. The next verse magnifies it by declaring that a small number of Israelites will drive away many enemies.
The chapter sets this blessing against the opposite principle that disobedience brings punishment from God, including defeat and fear before enemies. Obedience brings God's favor and disobedience brings punishment, with victory over enemies belonging to an obedient people. The promise was conditional on obedience.
The later experience of the Jews in being ruled over by their enemies shows the fulfillment of those curses when they departed from God. Israel's history under this chapter warns later generations that they too must heed God's warnings in order to receive His favor.
Leviticus 26:7 gives a covenant blessing conditioned on obedience to God's statutes and commandments: if Israel obeys, they will chase their enemies in battle and defeat them, and those enemies will fall before them by the sword. The victory promised is that God gives His people triumph over their enemies as they pursue them to their fall by the sword. It stands as one of the promised blessings for obedience to the Lord's directions and commandments.
The victory belongs together with further blessings of peace and security in the land. The next verse magnifies it by declaring that a small number of Israelites will drive away many enemies.
The chapter sets this blessing against the opposite principle that disobedience brings punishment from God, including defeat and fear before enemies. Obedience brings God's favor and disobedience brings punishment, with victory over enemies belonging to an obedient people. The promise was conditional on obedience.
The later experience of the Jews in being ruled over by their enemies shows the fulfillment of those curses when they departed from God. Israel's history under this chapter warns later generations that they too must heed God's warnings in order to receive His favor.