The Meaning of Leviticus 26:22 Explained

Leviticus 26:22

KJV: I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

YLT: and sent against you the beast of the field, and it hath bereaved you; and I have cut off your cattle, and have made you few, and your ways have been desolate.

Darby: And I will send the beasts of the field among you, that they may rob you of your children, and cut off your cattle, and make you few in number; and your streets shall be desolate.

ASV: And I will send the beast of the field among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your ways shall become desolate.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I will also send  wild  beasts  among you, which shall rob you of your children,  and destroy  your cattle,  and make you few in number;  and your [high] ways  shall be desolate. 

What does Leviticus 26:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 26:21-46 - Desolation And Captivity For The Stubborn
Notwithstanding the solemn and appalling pictures placed before Israel in these verses, they forsook the Lord and served other gods. Thus, they brought upon themselves the sore judgments threatened against them, consisting of defeat, scarcity, wild beasts, pestilence and famine, the horrors of siege and desolation, followed by dispersion to the four winds of heaven. The book of Judges illustrates the first, and the destruction of Jerusalem, as told by Josephus, the last of these plagues.
Under the curse of this chapter the chosen people are suffering to this very hour. Scattered and peeled, wasted and outcast, they are monuments of God's truthfulness to His word. They teach an impressive lesson which the nations of the world would do well to lay to heart. Note that remarkable expression about accepting their punishment, as the necessary condition of forgiveness and restoration. The same condition always holds.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 26

1  Of idolatry
2  Reverence
3  A blessing to those who keep the commandments
14  A curse to those who break them
40  God promises to remember those who repent

What do the individual words in Leviticus 26:22 mean?

And I will send among you - beasts wild and which shall rob you of your children and destroy your livestock and make few in number you and shall be desolate your highways
וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּ֨י בָכֶ֜ם אֶת־ חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְשִׁכְּלָ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהִכְרִ֙יתָה֙ בְּהֶמְתְּכֶ֔ם וְהִמְעִ֖יטָה אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְנָשַׁ֖מּוּ דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם

וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּ֨י  And  I  will  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בָכֶ֜ם  among  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חַיַּ֤ת  beasts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  wild 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
וְשִׁכְּלָ֣ה  and  which  shall  rob  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מְשַׁכֶּלֶת 
Sense: to be bereaved, make childless, miscarry.
אֶתְכֶ֔ם  of  your  children 
Parse: Direct object marker, second person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וְהִכְרִ֙יתָה֙  and  destroy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
בְּהֶמְתְּכֶ֔ם  your  livestock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
וְהִמְעִ֖יטָה  and  make  few  in  number 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָעַט  
Sense: to be or become small, be few, be diminished.
וְנָשַׁ֖מּוּ  and  shall  be  desolate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמֵם  
Sense: to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy.
דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם  your  highways 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.