Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 26:41

And [that] I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

41 . accept of ] acknowledge that the punishment was deserved and has had its remedial effect.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The Hebrew word avou commonly signifies iniquity, but it is oft used for

the punishment of iniquity, as here and 1Sa 28:10; Psa 31:10; Isa 53:6,11. The meaning is, if they sincerely acknowledge the righteousness of God, and their own wickedness, and patiently submit to his correcting hand, and would rather be in their present suffering condition than in their former sinful, though prosperous estate; if with David they are ready to say, it is good for them that they are afflicted, that they may learn Gods statutes, and obedience to them for the future, which is a good evidence of true repentance.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And [that] I also have walked contrary unto them,…. Showed no regard unto them, as if he took no care of them, or in a providential way concerned himself for them, but let what would befall them; yea, came out in the way of his judgments against them, as if he was an enemy to them, [See comments on Le 26:24];

and have brought them into the land of their enemies; should acknowledge the hand of God in it, that he himself brought them out of their own country into an enemy’s land, as Assyria, Babylon, and other nations: and that this was not the chance of war, or owing to the superior power or skill of their enemies, but to the just judgment of God upon them for their sins, who on that account delivered them up into the hands of their enemies:

if then their uncircumcised heart be humbled; their foolish proud heart, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; it signifies a sinful, wicked, hard, and impenitent heart, brought to a sense of sin, to repentance and humiliation for it. Jarchi interprets it, “or if their uncircumcised heart”, c. as in Ex 2:23 and observes another sense of the word, “perhaps their uncircumcised heart”, c. not only would in words confess their sins, but be truly humbled at heart for them:

and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity take it well at the hand of God, bear it patiently without murmuring, or thinking themselves hardly dealt by, but freely owning it is less than their iniquities deserve; or complete and finish the punishment of their sins, as Aben Ezra, which upon their humiliation should be put an end to, and cease. Jarchi takes the word in the sense of atonement and pacification, as if by their chastisement their sins were expiated d, and God was pacified toward them: but rather it denotes the free and full pardon of their sins, manifested to them upon their repentance and humiliation for sin.

d Siphri apud Yalkut, ut supra. (par. 1. fol. 197. 2.)

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(41) And that I also have walked contrary unto them.That is, and they shall also confess that through their walking contrary unto God, He also walked contrary unto them, and brought them into the land of their enemies.

If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled.Better, or rather, their uncircumcised hearts shall be humbled. This is a resumption of the statement made at the beginning of Lev. 26:40, viz., And they shall confess their iniquity . . . ; or rather, their uncircumcised hearts shall be humbled. That is, perverse and stubborn hearts; too proud to make an humble confession. (See Lev. 19:23, with Jer. 9:26.) The same metaphor is used by the Apostle: Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost (Act. 7:51).

Accept of the punishment of their iniquity.Rather, accept willingly, that is, they will acknowledge the justice of their punishment, and be in that frame of mind when they will freely own that the punishment is not commensurate with their guilt, and willingly accept the Divine retribution. The exact shade of meaning covered by this phrase in the original cannot adequately be given in a translation, since the verb here translated accept, or accept willingly, is the same which is translated enjoy in Lev. 26:34. The whole phrase denotes literally, they shall rejoice in their iniquity, or in the punishment of their iniquity; they will take it joyfully, as the best and most appropriate means to bring them to repentance. The nearest approach to it is the passage, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, for I have sinned against him (Mic. 7:9).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

41. And that I have brought Their captivity should be ascribed not merely to natural causes, after the style of the modern deist, but to the direct interposition of the personal God whose law had been broken.

Uncircumcised hearts Circumcision “the putting away the filthiness of the flesh” symbolizes the cleansing of the spiritual being through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Rom 2:29, note. Till this is accomplished, the people of God are uncircumcised in heart, and are very often in humiliating captivity to the world. For the entire Hebrew nation was in a true and vastly important sense a typical people, whose history is full of spiritual lessons to the Christian Church.

Accept of the punishment Recognise its justice and their own ill desert. The Hebrew verb ratsah is here used figuratively, and signifies to pay off, as a debt, and not, as Drs. Keil and Murphy render it, to enjoy.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments