Matthew Poole and continuators on Leviticus 26:40

40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me,

Heb. And they shall confess, where our translation and many others understand the particle if, which is also wanting and understood. Exod. 4. 23. Mal. 1. 2. and 3. 8. So here, And if they shall confess, &c. But there seems no necessity of any such supplement, but these and the following words may be taken as they lye in their plain and proper signification, to this purpose, ver. 40. And through the heaviness and extraordinariness of their affliction their consciences will force them to confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they have trespassed against me, i. e. with their prevarication with me and defection from me to Idolatry, which by way of eminency he calls their trespass: and that also they have walked contrary to me, v. 41. and that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies: i. e. that they are not come into these calamities by chance, nor by the misfortune of war, but by my just judgment upon them. All which confession is no more than Pharaoh made in his distresses, and than hypocrites in their affliction use to make. And therefore he addes, if then their uncircumcised, i. e. impure, carnal, profane, and impenitent, hearts be humbled, i. e. subdued, purged, reformed: if to this confession they adde sincere humiliation and reformation, I will do what follows.