The Meaning of Leviticus 26:45 Explained

Leviticus 26:45

KJV: But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.

YLT: then I have remembered for them the covenant of the ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations to become their God; I am Jehovah.'

Darby: But I will remember toward them the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations, that I might be their God: I am Jehovah.

ASV: but I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But I will for their sakes remember  the covenant  of their ancestors,  whom I brought forth  out of the land  of Egypt  in the sight  of the heathen,  that I might be their God:  I [am] the LORD. 

What does Leviticus 26:45 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 26:45 mean?

But I will remember for their sake the covenant of their ancestors whom I brought - out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations that I might be their God I [am] Yahweh
וְזָכַרְתִּ֥י לָהֶ֖ם בְּרִ֣ית רִאשֹׁנִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוֹצֵֽאתִי־ אֹתָם֩ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ מִצְרַ֜יִם לְעֵינֵ֣י הַגּוֹיִ֗ם לִהְיֹ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם לֵאלֹהִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה

וְזָכַרְתִּ֥י  But  I  will  remember 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
לָהֶ֖ם  for  their  sake 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
בְּרִ֣ית  the  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
רִאשֹׁנִ֑ים  of  their  ancestors 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הוֹצֵֽאתִי־  I  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
אֹתָם֩  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מֵאֶ֨רֶץ  out  of  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֜יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
לְעֵינֵ֣י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
הַגּוֹיִ֗ם  of  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
לִהְיֹ֥ת  that  I  might  be 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לֵאלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יְהוָֽה  [am]  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.