Leviticus 26:33
New International Version
I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.

New Living Translation
I will scatter you among the nations and bring out my sword against you. Your land will become desolate, and your cities will lie in ruins.

English Standard Version
And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

Berean Standard Bible
But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.

King James Bible
And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

New King James Version
I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.

New American Standard Bible
You, however, I will scatter among the nations, and I will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become ruins.

NASB 1995
‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

NASB 1977
‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

Legacy Standard Bible
You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

Amplified Bible
I will scatter you among the nations and draw out the sword [of your enemies] after you; your land will become desolate and your cities will become ruins.

Christian Standard Bible
But I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw a sword to chase after you. So your land will become desolate, and your cities will become ruins.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw a sword to chase after you. So your land will become desolate, and your cities will become ruins.”

American Standard Version
And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

Contemporary English Version
After I destroy your towns and ruin your land with war, I'll scatter you among the nations.

English Revised Version
And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will scatter you among the nations. War will follow you. Your country will be in ruins. Your cities will be deserted.

Good News Translation
I will bring war on you and scatter you in foreign lands. Your land will be deserted, and your cities left in ruins.

International Standard Version
"I'll scatter you among the nations and draw the sword after you so that your land becomes desolate and your towns become ruins.

Majority Standard Bible
But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.

NET Bible
I will scatter you among the nations and unsheathe the sword after you, so your land will become desolate and your cities will become a waste.

New Heart English Bible
I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

World English Bible
I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you. Your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I scatter you among nations, and have drawn out a sword after you, and your land has been a desolation, and your cities are a ruin.

Young's Literal Translation
And you I scatter among nations, and have drawn out after you a sword, and your land hath been a desolation, and your cities are a waste.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I will scatter you among the nations, and I drew out after you a sword: and your land was a desert, and your cities shall be a desolation.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will scatter you among the Gentiles, and I will draw out the sword after you, and your land shall be desert, and your cities destroyed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then I will scatter you among the Gentiles, and I will unsheathe the sword after you. And your land will be deserted, and your cities will be demolished.

New American Bible
And you I will scatter among the nations at the point of my drawn sword, leaving your countryside desolate and your cities deserted.

New Revised Standard Version
And you I will scatter among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword against you; your land shall be a desolation, and your cities a waste.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I will scatter you among the Gentiles, and will draw out a sword against you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I shall scatter you among the nations and I shall unsheathe a sword after you, and destruction shall possess your land and your cities shall be a wilderness.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I will scatter you among the nations, and the sword shall come upon you and consume you; and your land shall be desolate, and your cities shall be desolate.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Punishments for Disobedience
32And I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who dwell in it will be appalled. 33But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste. 34Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies. At that time the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:64
Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.

Jeremiah 9:16
I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

Ezekiel 12:15
And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries.

Ezekiel 20:23
However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

Ezekiel 22:15
I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you throughout the lands; I will purge your uncleanness.

Ezekiel 36:19
I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the lands. I judged them according to their ways and deeds.

2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 25:21
There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.

Nehemiah 1:8
Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,

Psalm 44:11
You have given us up as sheep to be devoured; You have scattered us among the nations.

Isaiah 11:12
He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Isaiah 27:13
And in that day a great ram’s horn will sound, and those who were perishing in Assyria will come forth with those who were exiles in Egypt. And they will worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 13:24
“I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.

Jeremiah 18:17
I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

Jeremiah 29:14
I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”


Treasury of Scripture

And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

Deuteronomy 4:27
And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.

Deuteronomy 28:64-66
And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone…

Psalm 44:11
Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

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Cities Desolate Desolation Directions Draw Drawn Heathen However Laid Nations Pursue Ruins Scatter Sword Towns Uncovered Unsheathe Waste
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Cities Desolate Desolation Directions Draw Drawn Heathen However Laid Nations Pursue Ruins Scatter Sword Towns Uncovered Unsheathe Waste
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














I will scatter you among the nations
The phrase "I will scatter" comes from the Hebrew word "zāra," which conveys the idea of dispersing or spreading out. This scattering is not merely a physical displacement but a profound spiritual and cultural dislocation. Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled during the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, where the Israelites were forcibly removed from their homeland. Theologically, this scattering serves as a divine judgment for disobedience, emphasizing the covenant relationship between God and Israel. The scattering among "the nations" underscores the loss of identity and the challenge of maintaining faith in foreign lands, yet it also foreshadows the eventual gathering and restoration promised by God.

and will draw out a sword after you
The imagery of "drawing out a sword" is a vivid depiction of continued divine judgment and protection being withdrawn. The Hebrew word "ḥereb" for "sword" symbolizes war, destruction, and divine retribution. This phrase indicates that even in exile, the Israelites would face ongoing threats and violence, a consequence of their covenant unfaithfulness. Historically, this was evident as the exiled communities often faced hostility and persecution. Spiritually, it serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of turning away from God's commandments and the protective covering that obedience provides.

as your land becomes desolate
The term "desolate" is translated from the Hebrew "shāmēm," which means to be appalled, devastated, or laid waste. This desolation is both a physical and spiritual condition, reflecting the consequences of Israel's disobedience. Archaeologically, evidence of cities and lands left in ruins during periods of exile corroborates this prophecy. Theologically, the desolation of the land signifies the removal of God's blessing and presence, as the land was intimately tied to the covenant promises. It serves as a call to repentance and a return to faithfulness, highlighting the hope of restoration.

and your cities lie in ruins
The phrase "lie in ruins" comes from the Hebrew "ḥorbah," indicating a state of destruction and decay. This condition of the cities is a direct result of the people's failure to uphold their covenant with God. Historically, cities like Jerusalem were indeed left in ruins after invasions, serving as a tangible reminder of the consequences of sin. Scripturally, the ruin of the cities symbolizes the breakdown of community and society when God is not at the center. Yet, within this imagery of ruin, there is an implicit promise of rebuilding and renewal, as God is a God of restoration and hope for those who return to Him.

(33) And I will scatter you among the heathen.--They will not even be permitted to tarry among the ruins of their favoured places, but God Himself, who brings about the desolation, will disperse the surviving inhabitants far and wide.

And will draw out a sword after you.--To show how complete this dispersion is to be, God is represented with a drawn sword in His hand pursuing them and scattering them, so that both their land and every city in it should be denuded of them, and that there should be no possibility of any of them turning back. Thus the sword which God promised should not go through their land (see Leviticus 26:6) if they walk according to the Divine commandments, will now be wielded by Himself to bring about their utter dispersion from the land. A similar appalling scene is described by Jeremiah: "I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers hare known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them" (Jeremiah 9:16, with Jeremiah 42:16-18; Ezekiel 12:14).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
וְאֶתְכֶם֙ (wə·’eṯ·ḵem)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker | second person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

I will scatter
אֱזָרֶ֣ה (’ĕ·zā·reh)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2219: To toss about, to diffuse, winnow

you among the nations
בַגּוֹיִ֔ם (ḇag·gō·w·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

and will draw out
וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י (wa·hă·rî·qō·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7324: Arm, cast out, draw out, make empty, pour forth out

a sword
חָ֑רֶב (ḥā·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

after you
אַחֲרֵיכֶ֖ם (’a·ḥă·rê·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

as your land
אַרְצְכֶם֙ (’ar·ṣə·ḵem)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 776: Earth, land

becomes
וְהָיְתָ֤ה (wə·hā·yə·ṯāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

desolate
שְׁמָמָ֔ה (šə·mā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8077: Devastation, astonishment

and your cities
וְעָרֵיכֶ֖ם (wə·‘ā·rê·ḵem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

are laid
יִהְי֥וּ (yih·yū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

waste.
חָרְבָּֽה׃ (ḥā·rə·bāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2723: Waste, desolation, ruin


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OT Law: Leviticus 26:33 I will scatter you among the nations (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 26:32
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