Leviticus 26:12-22

12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

13 I AM your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their slaves; and I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk with your faces uplifted.

14 But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these my commandments;

15 and if ye shall despise my statutes or if your soul should abhor my rights so that ye will not do all my commandments but that ye break my covenant,

16 I also will do this unto you: I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague that shall consume the eyes and torment the soul, and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

17 And I will place my wrath upon you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies; those that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when no one pursues you.

18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

19 And I will break the pride of your stronghold, and I will make your heaven as iron and your earth as bronze.

20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

21 And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

22 I will also send wild beasts among you which shall rapture your children and destroy your animals and make you few in number, and your ways shall be desolate.

Leviticus 26:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 26

In this chapter, after a repetition of some laws against idolatry, and concerning keeping sabbaths, and reverencing the sanctuary of God, Le 26:1,2; in order to encourage the Israelites to keep the various statutes and commandments in this book, and in the preceding, many promises are made of plenty, and peace, and safety from enemies, and of the presence of God with them, Le 26:3-13; and on the contrary, to such as should despise and break his commandments, the most grievous things are threatened, as diseases of body, destruction by their enemies, barrenness and unfruitfulness of land, the sore judgments of wild beasts, famine, sword, and pestilence, Le 26:14-39; and yet after all, when they should confess their sins, and were humbled for them, the Lord promises to remember the covenant he made with their ancestors, and would deal kindly with them, and not cast them away, and utterly destroy them, Le 26:40-46.