Charles Ellicott Commentary Leviticus 26

Ye shall make you no idols. —The first two verses of this chapter are still a part of the previous section in the Hebrew original. By separating them from their proper position and making them begin a new chapter, both the logical sequence and the significance of these two verses are greatly obscured.

As Leviticus 26:47-55 legislated for cases where Israelites were driven by extreme poverty to sell themselves to a Gentile, and when they might be compelled to continue in this service until the Year of Jubilee, and thus be obliged to witness idolatrous practices, the Lawgiver solemnly repeats the two fundamental precepts of Judaism, which they might be in danger of neglecting: namely, to abstain from idol-worship and to keep the Sabbath. These are two essential commandments of the Decalogue. The same two commandments, but in reverse order, are also joined together in Leviticus 19:3-4.

Idols. —For this expression, see Leviticus 19:4.

Nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image. —Better, nor shall you rear up for yourselves a graven image or pillar. A graven image is not only a plastic image of a pagan deity but also a visible or sensuous representation of the God of Israel (Exodus 20:19–20; Deuteronomy 4:15–16).

A standing image. —This expression, which only occurs once more in the text of the Authorized Version (Micah 5:13), and four times in the Margin (1 Kings 14:23; Jeremiah 43:13; Hosea 3:4; Hosea 10:1), is the rendering of a Hebrew word (matzebah), which is usually and more correctly translated “pillar” or “statue” (Genesis 28:18; Genesis 28:22; Genesis 31:13, and others).

This was a plain and unadorned stone without any image engraved on it, and was often erected to God Himself, but afterwards especially as a memorial to false deities (Genesis 28:18; Genesis 28:22; Genesis 31:13; Genesis 35:14, compared with Exodus 23:24; Exodus 34:13, and others).

Neither shall ye set up any image of stone. —The authorities during the Second Temple period interpreted the words here translated “images of stone” to denote beholding, or worshipping stones—that is, stones set in the ground in places of worship upon which the worshippers prostrated themselves to perform their devotions. The stone was therefore a kind of signal, calling the attention of the worshipper to itself, so that they might fall down upon it.

With such stones, these authorities assure us, the Temple was paved, since they were perfectly lawful in the sanctuary but must not be used in worship outside the Temple, or rather, outside the land, as these authorities understood the words in your land here to denote.

Thus, the Chaldee version paraphrases it: “and a painted stone you shall not place in your land to prostrate yourselves upon it, but a pavement adorned with figures and pictures you may put in the floor of your sanctuary, but not to bow down upon it”—that is, in an idolatrous manner.

Similarly, the ancient canon states: “in your own land (that is, in all other lands) you must not prostrate yourselves upon stones, but you may prostrate yourselves upon the stones in the sanctuary.”

You shall keep my sabbaths ... — This is exactly the same precept laid down in Leviticus 19:30, and is here repeated because of the danger of desecrating the Sabbath to which the Israelite is exposed who sells himself to a pagan. The Israelite will effectively guard against idol-worship, by keeping the Sabbath holy, and revering God’s sanctuary.

If ye walk in my statutes. —We have already remarked that this verse begins the section in the Hebrew and ought to have begun the chapter in English. Having set forth the ceremonial and moral injunctions which are necessary for the development and maintenance of holiness and purity in the commonwealth, the legislator now concludes by showing the happiness which will accrue to the Israelites from a faithful observance of these laws, and the punishments which await them if they transgress these Divine ordinances.

Then I will give you rain in due season. —Better, then I will give you your rains in due season, that is, the former and latter rains (Deuteronomy 11:14). In Palestine the proper season for the early rain is from about the middle of October until December, thus preparing the ground for receiving the seed, while that of the latter or vernal rain is in the months of March and April, just before the harvest. Thus, also, in the covenant which God is to make with His people, a similar promise is made, I will cause the showers to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing (Ezekiel 34:26).

And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage. —That is, the corn crop will be so plentiful that those employed in threshing around March will not complete it before the vintage, which was around July.

The vintage shall reach unto the sowing time. —The wine, again, will be so abundant that those engaged in gathering and pressing the grapes will not be able to finish before the sowing time arrives again, which is around October. A similar promise is made by Amos: the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sowed seed (Amos 9:13).