Leviticus 26:8

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand -your enemies will fall before your sword.

Berean Standard Bible:

Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

American Standard Version:

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 with Strong’s Numbers:

And five^{H2568} of you shall chase^{H7291} an hundred^{H3967}, and an hundred^{H3967} of you shall put ten thousand^{H7233} to flight^{H7291}: and your enemies^{H341} shall fall^{H5307} before^{H6440} you by the sword^{H2719}.

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Commentary for Leviticus 26:8

1. Themes:
- Divine Assistance: The verse emphasizes that with God's favor, a small force can overcome a much larger one, highlighting the theme of divine assistance in battle.
- Blessings for Obedience: This promise is part of a series of blessings that God will bestow upon the Israelites if they obey His commandments, illustrating the theme of blessings resulting from obedience.
- Security and Protection: The verse suggests that God will ensure the security and protection of His people against their enemies.

2. Historical Context:
- Leviticus 26:8 is set within the Holiness Code of the book of Leviticus, which contains laws and instructions intended to guide the religious and social life of the Israelites.
- The verse is part of a larger section (Leviticus 26:3-13) that outlines the blessings for obedience to God's covenant. This covenant was established with the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt and is a foundational element of their national identity.
- The promise of military success would have been particularly relevant to the Israelites as they were about to enter the Promised Land, a region inhabited by other nations they would need to displace or conquer.
- The historical context reflects a time when the Israelites were transitioning from a nomadic lifestyle to a more settled, agrarian society in Canaan, and military strength was crucial for their survival and prosperity.
- The verse reflects an ancient Near Eastern cultural expectation that deities would grant victory to those they favored, and it serves as a theological assertion that the God of Israel is more powerful than the gods of other nations.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H2568
   There are 273 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חָמֵשׁ
   Transliteration: châmêsh
   Pronunciation: khaw-maysh'
   Description: masculine חֲמִשָּׁה; a primitive numeral; five; fif(-teen), fifth, five ([idiom] apiece).
   
2. Strong's Number: H7291
   There are 135 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָדַף
   Transliteration: râdaph
   Pronunciation: raw-daf'
   Description: a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by); chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).
   
3. Strong's Number: H3967
   There are 512 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֵאָה
   Transliteration: mêʼâh
   Pronunciation: may-aw'
   Description: or מֵאיָה; properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction; hundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore.
   
4. Strong's Number: H7233
   There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רְבָבָה
   Transliteration: rᵉbâbâh
   Pronunciation: reb-aw-baw'
   Description: from רָבַב; abundance (in number), i.e. (specifically) a myriad (whether definite or indefinite); many, million, [idiom] multiply, ten thousand.
   
5. Strong's Number: H341
   There are 481 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֹיֵב
   Transliteration: ʼôyêb
   Pronunciation: o-yabe'
   Description: or (fully) אוֹיֵב; active participle of אָיַב; hating; an adversary; enemy, foe.
   
6. Strong's Number: H5307
   There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָפַל
   Transliteration: nâphal
   Pronunciation: naw-fal'
   Description: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down.
   
7. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
8. Strong's Number: H2719
   There are 372 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חֶרֶב
   Transliteration: chereb
   Pronunciation: kheh'-reb
   Description: from חָרַב; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement; axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.