Leviticus 26:20-30

20 your travail shall be wasted in vain, neither the earth shall bring forth fruit, neither [the] trees shall give apples. (all your labour shall be in vain, the land shall not bring forth any harvest, nor shall the trees give forth any fruit.)
21 If ye go contrary to me, neither will hear me (and will not listen to me), I shall increase your wounds, either vengeances, till into sevenfold for your sins;
22 I shall send out into you cruel beasts of the field (I shall send cruel wild beasts among you), that shall waste you, and your beasts, and shall bring all things to fewness, and your (by)ways shall be forsaken.
23 That if neither so ye will receive doctrine, either chastising, but go contrary to me, (And if ye will still not receive chastising, or discipline, but continue to go contrary to me,)
24 also I shall go adversary against you, and I shall smite you seven times for your sins; (then I shall also be your adversary/then I shall also go contrary to you, and I shall strike you seven times for your sins;)
25 and I shall bring in on you the sword, venger of my bond of peace (the avenger of my covenant); and when ye flee into [your] cities, I shall send pestilence in[to] the midst of you, and ye shall be betaken in(to) the hands of [your] enemies,
26 after that I have broken the staff of your bread, so that ten women shall bake their loaves in one oven, and (they shall) yield, or deliver, those loaves at weight; and ye shall eat (them), and (yet) ye shall not be fulfilled.
27 But if neither by these things ye will hear me, but go against me, (And if, in spite of all these things, ye still will not listen to me, but continue to go against me,)
28 and I shall go against you in contrary strong vengeance, and I shall chastise you by seven vengeances for your sins, (then I also shall be contrary, and go against you with strong vengeance, and I shall chastise you seven times for your sins,)
29 so that ye (shall) eat the flesh of your sons, and of your daughters;
30 I shall destroy your high things, and I shall break your simulacra (I shall destroy your high places, or your hill shrines, and I shall break your idols); ye shall fall betwixt the fallings of your idols, and my soul shall have you abominable,

Leviticus 26:20-30 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.