John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 26:18

"And if ye will not yet for these things hearken unto me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins." — Leviticus 26:18 (ASV)

And if you will not yet for all this listen. The gradation of punishments mentioned here shows that they are so tempered by God’s kindness that He only lightly chastises those whose stupidity or hardness of heart He has not yet proved. But when obstinacy in sin is also added, the severity of the punishments is also increased. This is justly so, because those who, being admonished, do not care to repent, wage open war with God.

Hence, the more moderately He deals with us, the more attentive we should be to His corrections, so that even the gentle strokes, which He in His kindness softens and tempers, may be enough. Paul says that hypocrites heap up for themselves a treasure of greater vengeance if they take occasion from His forbearance to continue unmoved (Romans 2:4–5). For those who do not repent when admonished by light chastisements are less excusable.

Therefore, let us heed that exhortation of David, that we be not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle; because many sorrows shall be to the wicked. (Psalms 32:9–10). In sum, as soon as God has begun to put forth His hand to smite us, there is one remedy by which He may be appeased: that is, teachableness.

It would be more prudent for us to anticipate Him and to return to Him of our own accord, even if He should withhold punishment. But when we are smitten to no avail, it is a sin of obstinate wickedness. He threatens, therefore, that unless they repent when smitten with the cane, He will use the rod to correct them.

When He says, I will punish you seven times more, He does not mean to define the number but, according to the common phrase of Scripture, uses the number seven by way of amplification. In the next verse, He shows that there is a just cause for His becoming more severe: because they cannot be subdued except by violent means. For although the word גאון, ²²⁵geon, is not always used in a bad sense, still, in this passage, it signifies that they are disobedient, being puffed up with pride by their power. As Moses says elsewhere, Israel waxed fat, and kicked against God, just as horses grow restive by being overfed.

He therefore calls their obstinacy, in which they became more hardened even though God spared them, the pride of their power; for prosperity begets security, in which stubborn men test their strength against the scourges of God.

²²⁵ “Applied to men, it signifies superior honor, virtue; excellency, lustre; or pride, arrogance, haughtiness.” Taylor’s Concordance, in voce, גאה