Leviticus 26:16-26

16 I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a ¹sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the ²soul to pine away; also, ³you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up.

17 'I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and ⁴those who hate you will rule over you, and ⁵you will flee when no one is pursuing you.

18 'If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you ⁶seven times more for your sins.

19 'I will also ⁷break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze.

20 '⁸Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.

21 'If then, you ⁹act with hostility against Me and are unwilling * to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you ¹⁰seven times according to your sins.

22 '¹¹I will let loose among you the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that ¹²your roads lie deserted.

23 '¹³And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me,

24 then I will ¹⁴act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you ¹⁵seven times for your sins.

25 'I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute ¹⁶vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send ¹⁷pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands.

26 '¹⁸When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will ¹⁹eat and not be satisfied.

Leviticus 26:16-26 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.

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 28:22; Psalms 78:33
• 2. 1 Samuel 2:33; Ezekiel 24:23; Ezekiel 33:10
• 3. Judges 6:3-6; Job 31:8
• 4. Psalms 106:41
• 5. Leviticus 26:36, 37; Psalms 53:5; Proverbs 28:1
• 6. Lev 26:21, 24, 28
• 7. Isaiah 28:1-3; Ezekiel 24:21
• 8. Psalms 127:1; Isaiah 17:10, 11; Isaiah 49:4; Jeremiah 12:13
• 9. Lev 26:23, 27, 40
• 10. Leviticus 26:18
• 11. 2 Kings 17:25
• 12. Judges 5:6
• 13. Leviticus 26:21; Jeremiah 5:3
• 14. Leviticus 26:28, 41
• 15. Leviticus 26:21
• 16. Jeremiah 50:28; Jeremiah 51:11
• 17. Numbers 14:12
• 18. Isaiah 3:1; Ezekiel 4:16, 17; Ezekiel 5:16
• 19. Micah 6:14

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "walk," and so throughout the ch
• [b] Lit "by weight"