Tafsiran Imamat 26:25: Rashi, Sforno, Rashbam & Siftei Chakhamim

נקם ברית [AND I WILL BRING UPON YOU A SWORD AVENGING] THE VENGEANCE OF THE COVENANT — Scripture speaks of “the vengeance of the covenant” because there is vengeance which is not mentioned in “The Covenant” (i. e. in this chapter of Scripture) being in the manner of other acts of vengeance (i. e. like the barbarous acts of revenge that are customary among other peoples, but which are not threatened in the Torah), and such a one was the blinding of the eyes of king Zedekiah (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 1; cf. 2 Kings 25:7). Another explanation of נקם ברית is that it means vengeance for My covenant which you have transgressed. Wherever “bringing of the sword” is mentioned in Scripture it signifies a war waged by the enemies’ armies.

והבאתי עליכם חרב, as happened repeatedly during the periods when Israel was governed by its kings even though the Temple was standing. Kings II 8,12 describes a meeting of the prophet Elisha with King Ben Haddad of Aram (Syria) in which the prophet tells the king that the reason he is weeping is because he foresees the death and destruction which this king will cause his homeland.

נקם ברית, vengeance for the covenant which you broke. Compare what was written in verse 15.

ונאספתם AND YE SHALL GATHER YOURSELVES from outside (from the open country) WITHIN YOUR CITIES on account of the state of siege (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 1).