Leviticus 26:11

Lev 26:11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

Ver. 11. I will set my tabernacle.] The philosopher could comfort himself, that though he had little else to trust to, yet ενθα και οι Yεοι ιεσιν, Here are the gods with me, meaning his household gods. And he in Plutarch said of the Scythians, That though they had no music, nor vines amongst them, yet they had gods. How much more may the saints glory in God’s presence! Habent omnia qui habent habentem omnia. {a}

{a} August.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lev 26:11-13. I will set my tabernacle among you — To crown all their blessings, God promises that his special presence, whereof the tabernacle was a symbol, should abide with them. I will walk among you — As I have hitherto done, both by my pillar of cloud and fire, and by my tabernacle, which have walked or gone along with you in all your journeys, and stayed among you in all your stations, to protect, conduct, instruct, and comfort you. And I will own you for that peculiar people which I have singled out of mankind, to bless you here, and to save you hereafter. Made you go upright — With heads lifted up, not pressed down with a yoke. It denotes their liberty, security, confidence, and glory.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will be daily present with you.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 11. I will set my tabernacle among you] This and the following verse contain the grand promise of the Gospel dispensation, viz. the presence, manifestation, and indwelling of God in human nature, and his constant in dwelling in the souls of his followers. So Joh 1:14 the WORD was made flesh, και εσκηνωσεν εν ἡμιν, and MADE HIS TABERNACLE among us. And to this promise of the law St. Paul evidently refers, 2Co 6:16-18 and 2Co 7:1

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(11) And I will set my tabernacle among you.—Better, And I will set my dwelling-place among you. (See Lev_15:31.) Not only will God bless them with these material blessings, but will permanently abide with them in the sanctuary erected in their midst.

My soul shall not abhor you.—That is, God has no aversion to them; does not regard it below His dignity to sojourn amongst them, and to show them His favour.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I will walk among you,.... As they journeyed from place to place, he walked among them, in the tabernacle built for him, see Sa2 7:6; it may be expressive of the familiarity and communion which the Lord grants to his people, in and through Christ:

and will be your God; to provide for them, and supply them with all the blessings of his goodness, both in providence and grace; and to protect and defend them against all their enemies, temporal and spiritual:

and ye shall be my people; appear to be a special and peculiar people of his, chosen, redeemed, and sanctified by him, and to whom he bore a special love, and took special care of; see Co2 6:16; the Targum of Jonathan of the whole is,"I will make the glory of my Shechinah dwell among you, and my Word shall be unto you for God the Redeemer, and ye shall be to my name for a people of Holy Ones.''

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

As I have placed it, so I will continue it among you, and not remove it from you, as once I did upon your miscarriage, Exo 33:7.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. My tabernacle among you — The highest possible honour and the richest source of blessings are found in the manifested and abiding presence of the gracious Jehovah in the midst of Israel, guiding their journeyings, forgiving their sins, and shielding them from their enemies by his outflashing glory. Exo_14:24. But still greater blessings are here prefigured for the obedient in these latter days which have seen God tabernacling in the humanity of Jesus Christ, (Joh_1:14, note,) “in whom,” says Paul, “ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” Eph_2:22. Christian privilege in this life culminates in the fulfilment of this wonderful promise of Christ, “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Joh_14:23. Greater only in external manifestations of glory will be the bliss of the saints in the new Jerusalem, when a great voice from heaven will say, “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them.”

Rev_21:3.

Abhor — Thrust you away.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I will set my tabernacle among you. This was fulfilled, spiritually, as shown to St. John in his vision of the new Jerusalem: "I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God". (Rev_21:3) And my soul shall not abhor you. The result of God"s abhorrence being his rejection of those whom he abhors. (see Lev_20:23)

God dwelling amongst men.

All possible methods were employed to attach the Israelites to the Law. Solemnity of its promulgation, judgment executed on transgressors, enticing promises and terrifying threats. Chief among inducements to obedience was the promise of the text.

I SETTING UP A TABERNACLE IMPLIES.

1. Settled residences in the midst of the people. This was more than an occasional appearance on the mountain-top or in the wilderness. A tent is, at least for a season, a fixed abode. The Almighty would never be far distant from his lieges as he had seemed to be in preceding years.

2. Friendly, familiar intercourse with the people. He condescended to their manner of life, inhabiting a home as they did, passing as it were from one to the other. This is expressed in verse 12, "I will walk among you." Naught of pollution was suffered for the reason given in Deu_23:14, "The Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the comp." A special revelation of God is intimated, that he would be known, not as omnipresent in space, but as peculiarly present, interchanging visits with his people.

3. The assurance of Divine blessing. Guidance, assistance, forgiveness, all are herein included. God would be always near to be entreated. At the tabernacle sacrifices could be offered to purge away defilement. "The heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore", (Eze_37:28) God"s presence is superior to any of his works; if we have him, we have all good things guaranteed.

II THE PEOPLE OF GOD MAY WELL WONDER THAT HE SHOULD DELIGHT IN THEM AND NOT VIEW THEM WITH ABHORRENCE. To abide with man would be impossible if disgust were continually uppermost in the mind of God.

1. Consider man"s sinfulness. How repugnant to the pure and holy One of Israel is every thought of iniquity, much less its overt commission! How often must he be shocked at the sights and sounds that gratify sinful creatures? Peter, awakened to a sense of his unworthiness, cried out, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

2. Consider man"s imperfections, his ignorance and frailty, his dullness of perception, his insensibility to refined and elevated tastes and emotions. If one nurtured in good society revolts at the idea of close communion with those inferior in the social scale, whoso manner of life and habits of thinking are so different, how great must be the disparity between heaven and earth! what a descent must God feel it to be to consort with creatures of such petty selfish alms and. uncultured ways! Only real pitying love, a desire to benefit and raise these miserable objects, a vision of what it was possible for them to become by such fellowship with the Most High, could have invested men with sufficient interest in the eyes of God to permit him to dwell amongst them. If the people strive to fulfill the behests of the Law, much of their degradation will vanish, and be succeeded by integrity and righteousness, which shall gradually beautify their character and customs. "My soul shall not abhor you," if you honour my precepts by strict fidelity.

III THE PROMISE VERIFIED.

1. In the local habitation of God at Shiloh and Jerusalem. There God placed his Name and exhibited his power and favour.

2. In his personal manifestation in Christ Jesus. "In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." "The Word... dwelt among us." Then was answered the question, "Will God in very deed dwell with man upon the earth?" Christ sojourned like ourselves in a house of clay, mingling with men and women in their daily tasks, sat at the same table with publicans and sinners.

3. In the presence of God spiritually in the heart of the individual believer, in the Church of Christ as a whole, making it the temple of God, and in the various assemblies, small or great, of the saints. "Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them." The grandest fulfillment will be when the Lord God Almighty shall himself constitute the temple in which they shall offer their worship and service. "He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among (spread his tabernacle over) them." No more hungering nor thirsting, no death, sorrow, nor crying, when God shall thus absolutely completely draw near to his people. S.R.A.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will set - As I have placed it, so I will continue it among you, and not remove it from you, as once I did upon your miscarriage, Exod. xxxiii, 7.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

"I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not despise you." משׁכּן, applied to the dwelling of God among His people in the sanctuary, involves the idea of satisfied repose.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

I will place my tabernacle among you

"I will put my dwelling place among you"

I will not detest you

"I will accept you"

I will walk among you

Walking among them represents living with them. AT: "I will live with you" (See: Metaphor)

I have broken the bars of your yoke

God speaks of their slavery as if they had to wear a yoke that animals wear in order to do hard work. Breaking the bars of the yoke represents setting them free. AT: "I have set you free from the hard labor they made you do" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

tabernacle

people of God

Egypt

servant

yoke

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ונתתי משכני AND I WILL SET MY DWELLING [AMONGST YOU] — This means the Temple at Jerusalem (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 3 2; Eruvin 2a).

ולא תגעל נפשי אתכם This means AND MY SPIRIT SHALL NOT LOATHE YOU. The root געל wherever it occurs denotes the casting out (as though spewing) or something that has been absorbed in another substance. In a similar sense the verb is used in (II Samuel 1:21) “For there the shield of the mighty was נגעל, [the shield of Saul, as though it had never been anointed with oil]”, i. e. it did not show itself receptive to being anointed, but ejected, as it were, the oily substance with which it had been smeared; for they used to smear leather shields with boiled fat in order to make the blow of the arrow or the spear glide off, so that it should not penetrate the leather. (Thus, when two things have been in the closest association, the term געל may be used of that which finally discards the other. It spews it out, as it were, it is sick of it, loathes it.)

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND I WILL SET MY TABERNACLE AMONG YOU. “This means the Sanctuary [at Jerusalem].” AND MY SOUL SHALL NOT ‘THIG’AL’ (ABHOR) YOU. “This means that My spirit shall not reject you. Every [form of the term] ge’ilah is an expression of spewing out something that has been absorbed in another substance, such as: for there ‘nig’al’ the shield of the mighty, meaning that the shield was not receptive to the oil with which it was anointed; for they used to anoint a leather shield with boiled [fat], in order to make the blows of arrows or spears glance off it, so that it should not pierce the leather.” This is Rashi’s language.But I do not know what would be the meaning of this, that the Holy One, blessed be He, should say that if we keep all the commandments and do His will, He will not reject us and His soul will not abhor us! Similarly when [speaking of] our transgressing His covenant [with us], and committing great provocations, He said, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them! And the prophet [Jeremiah] said at the time of cursing [i.e., the prediction of the destruction of the First Sanctuary], Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? Hast Thy soul loathed Zion? But this subject is one of the secrets of the mysteries of the Torah. Scripture is thus stating that He will set His Tabernacle among us, and that “the soul” from which the Tabernacle comes, will not spew us forth as a pot which we scour in hot water [in order to cleanse it of substances it has absorbed], but instead our garments will always be white and new. For the term ge’ilah denotes, as Rashi said, “casting out,” related to the expression, his bull gendereth and doth not ‘yag’il’ (allow the cow to reject as loathsome), his cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. He states here My soul [and ‘My soul’ shall not abhor you] similar to the expression, the Eternal G-d hath sworn by His soul. And the prophet [Jeremiah] thus is saying by way of amazement: “Hast Thou loathed Zion, itself which is a city and a mother in Israel, and hast Thou cast her from before thee, so that all her sons are clothed with filthy garments, polluted [with sin]?”Now according to their simple sense, these blessings, which are many and [stated in] general terms [affecting the people as a whole], — such as rain, plenitude, peace and the fruitfulness of people — are unlike the blessings with which He has already blessed [the people] in brief, saying, And He will bless thy bread, and thy water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. For there He assured them that their food and drink would be [a source of] blessing, so that no sickness will occur to our bodies, and therefore the organs of procreation will be complete and healthy and we will give birth properly, and live full lives, as He said, None shall miscarry, nor be barren in thy Land, the number of thy days will I fulfill, Verse 26. and similarly He said at the beginning, for I am the Eternal that healeth thee., 15:26. The reason for this [division of the blessings into two sections] is that [all] the blessings [mentioned in the Torah], although they are miraculous, are hidden miracles of which the whole Torah is full, as I have explained. in the Book of Exodus (Vol. II, pp. 174-175). They apply even to an individual who serves [Him], for when there is a pious man who keeps all the commandments of his G-d, the Eternal G-d will guard him from sickness, barrenness and bereavement, and he will live out his days in goodness. But these blessings which are stated in this section are general ones applying to the people [as a whole], and they [take effect] when the whole of our people shall all be righteous. Therefore He mentions here always the Land: and the Land shall yield; in your Land safely; peace in the Land; out of the Land; it shall not go through your Land. Now we have already explained in the Book of Exodus (Vol. II, pp. 174-175). that all these blessings are miracles, for it is not natural that the rains should come [in their due season], and that we should have peace from our enemies, and that they should have faintness of heart so that a hundred of them flee before five, as a result of us observing the statutes and commandments of G-d, nor that everything should be the opposite [i.e., that none of these things should happen] because of us planting in the Seventh year [which we are forbidden to do]. But although they are hidden miracles, for they are [brought about] by means of the natural events of the world occurring according to their habit, yet [the Torah mentions them separately because] they come to be known [as miracles] because of their constant and continuous occurrence in the whole Land. For if one righteous man lives and G-d takes away sickness from him, and he lives out his days, this also happens to some wicked people [and is thus not acknowledged as miraculous]. But when an entire land and a whole people always have rains coming in their season, and plenitude, security, peace, health, strength and defeat of their enemies, in a manner unparalleled in the whole world, it becomes known to all that this is the Eternal’s doing. Therefore He said [in connection with these blessings], And all the peoples shall see that the Name of the Eternal is called upon thee, and they shall be afraid of thee. And the opposite of this will occur because of the curses, when punishments will come upon the [whole] Land, just as He said, and I will make your heaven as iron, and punishments of sickness, as He said, and sore sickness, and of long continuance, meaning that the food will be spoiled and bring about sickness, and thus the miracle will be made known to all because of its continued existence amongst the whole people. Therefore it is written, And the generation to come, your children that shall rise up after you, and the foreigner that shall come from a far land, shall say when they see the plagues of that Land, and its sicknesses., 29:21. For they will not wonder at that [single] man upon whom all the curse that is written in this book shall lie, Verse 19. for it happens many times in the natural order of the world, among all nations, that bad happenings come upon a certain individual. It is only with reference to that Land, 29:21. that they will wonder, and that all the nations will ask, Wherefore hath the Eternal done thus unto this Land?, Verse 23. for all will see and understand that the hand of the Eternal hath done this. And [by way of reply] they will say, Because they forsook the covenant of the Eternal, the G-d of their fathers. In general then, when Israel is in perfect [accord with G-d], constituting a large number, their affairs are not conducted at all by the natural order of things, neither in connection with themselves, nor with reference to their Land, neither collectively nor individually, for G-d blesses their bread and their water, and removes sickness from their midst, so that they do not need a physician and do not have to observe any of the rules of medicine, just as He said, for I am the Eternal that healeth thee. And so did the righteous ones act at the time when prophecy [existed], so that even if a mishap of iniquity overtook them, causing them sickness, they did not turn to the physicians, but only to the prophets, as was the case with Hezekiah when he was sick. And Scripture states [of Asa, king of Judah, by way of rebuke], Yet in his disease he sought not to the Eternal, but to the physicians. Now had the practice of [consulting] physicians been customary among them, why should the verse mention [as a sinful act Asa’s consulting] the physicians, since his guilt was only because he did not [also] seek G-d? But the verse can be compared to someone saying: “That person did not eat unleavened bread on the Festival of Passover, but instead [ate] leavened bread.” during Passover, which is forbidden by a negative commandment (ibid., Vol. II, pp. 194-195). In the same way Scripture states that Asa committed two sins: he failed to seek G-d, and he consulted the physicians. This shows that consulting the physicians was not customary. For he who seeks the Eternal through a prophet, will not consult the physicians. And what part do the physicians have in the house of those who do the will of G-d, after He has assured us, and He will bless thy bread, and thy water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee, whereas the physicians are concerned [mostly] with food and drink, warning [the patient] against [eating] certain foods and commanding him [to eat] others. 4:15). Thus also the Rabbis said: “During all the twenty-two years that Rabbah reigned [as head of the Academy at Pumbeditha], Rav Yoseph did not call even a blood letter to his house” [as he, being a righteous person, was protected directly by G-d and needed no physicians], and they also say by way of proverb: “A gate which is not open for the commandments [i.e., a house wherein the commandments are not observed] is open for the physician.” This is also the meaning of their saying: “People should not have to take medicaments, but they have become accustomed to do so.” [That is to say]: had they not accustomed themselves to [taking] medicines, people would become sick according to the degree of punishment corresponding to their sin, and would be healed by the will of G-d, but since they accustomed themselves to medicaments, G-d has left them to natural happenings. This is also the intent of the Rabbis’ interpretation: “And he shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. From here [you deduce the principle] that permission has been given to the physician to heal.” They did not say that “permission was given to the sick to be healed” [by the physician], but instead they stated [by implication] that since the person who became sick comes [to the physician] to be healed, because he has accustomed himself to seeking medical help and he was not of the congregation of the Eternal whose portion is in this life, the physician should not refrain from healing him; whether because of fear that he might die under his hand, since he is qualified in this profession, or because he says that it is G-d alone Who is the Healer of all flesh, since [after all] people have already accustomed themselves [to seeking such help]. Therefore when men contend and one smites the other with a stone or his fist the one who smote must pay for the healing, for the Torah does not base its laws upon miracles, just as it said, for the poor shall never cease out of the Land, knowing [beforehand] that such will be the case. But when a man’s ways please the Eternal, he need have no concern with physicians.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

I will set My Sanctuary among you. You need not fear that you will ever lack, for My Honor dwells with you. Hashem is not like a human being who grows weary of living in one place. Another explanation: When you are in exile in your enemy’s land and the Sanctuary is no longer with you, My Honor will walk among you. I will be your God, and you will be My people, because for this reason I brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.