Leviticus 26:20

Translations

Modern

…and your strength will be spent in vain. For your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit.

Traditional

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.

Literal

And your power shall be spent in vain, and your land shall not yield its produce, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.

Latin

Consumetur incassum labor vester, non proferet terra germen, nec arbores poma præbebunt.

Original

Hebrew

English

…and your strength will be spent in vain. For your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit.

Notes

Leviticus 26:19–20

If God does not send rain, the ground will become hard and unproductive.

Leviticus 26:14–39

God punishes his people to change their behavior and restore their relationship with him. He acts like a perfectly righteous and loving parent would with a disobedient child. The punishments, meant to stop rebellious behavior, gradually increase. This gives Israel a chance to repent at any time (Leviticus 26:18–28). Even when Israel faced exile from the land in 722 and 586 BC, God was working to restore them (see, for example, Isaiah 40–66; Jeremiah 29:10; Amos 9:11–15).

Leviticus 26:3–39

These blessings and curses are similar to a key part of ancient Near Eastern treaties between a suzerain (a powerful king) and a vassal (a lesser king). In these treaties, the suzerain king promised to protect the vassal king and his land. In return, the vassal swore loyalty to the suzerain.

Blessings and curses followed, with curses usually being longer (compare Leviticus 26:3–13 with 26:14–39; see also Deuteronomy 27:15–28:68). These treaties often called upon gods as witnesses and enforcers. Yet, in God's covenant with Israel, God was one of the treaty parties, with Israel as the other. Since God could not swear by anyone greater, he swore by himself (see Hebrews 6:13; Genesis 22:16).

Theme notes and profiles

Ancient Law Codes Blessing Counsel from Others Curses and Blessings Famine God’s Covenants Oppression of God’s People Promised Land Retribution The Dangers of Sin The Land True Success

Related verses

Deuteronomy 11:17
…or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, nor will the land yield its produce, and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is giving you.
Psalm 127:1
A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.
Isaiah 49:4
But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
Leviticus 26:4
I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.
Habakkuk 2:13
Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
Haggai 2:16
…from that time, when one came expecting a heap of twenty ephahs of grain, there were but ten. When one came to the winepress to draw out fifty baths, there were but twenty.
Haggai 1:9–11
You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.
Job 31:40
…then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
Deuteronomy 28:18
The fruit of your womb will be cursed, as well as the produce of your land, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.
Deuteronomy 28:42
Swarms of locusts will consume all your trees and the produce of your land.
Psalm 107:34
…and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.
1 Corinthians 3:6
I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

Leviticus 26:20

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