Leviticus 26:15 kjv
And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
Leviticus 26:15 nkjv
and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
Leviticus 26:15 niv
and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,
Leviticus 26:15 esv
if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,
Leviticus 26:15 nlt
and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands,
Leviticus 26 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:14 | "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;" | Introduction to curses, basis for disobedience |
| Lev 26:16 | "I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror,..." | Immediate consequence of breaking covenant |
| Lev 20:23 | "And walk not in the manners of the nation... for they detested them." | Despising statutes linked to Gentile practices |
| Deut 28:15 | "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God..." | Parallel curse chapter, direct disobedience |
| Deut 31:20 | "For when I shall have brought them into the land... then they will turn... and break my covenant." | Foretells future covenant breaking |
| Josh 7:11 | "Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant,..." | Transgression of covenant leads to defeat |
| Judg 2:20 | "Because that this nation hath transgressed my covenant..." | Recurring theme of covenant violation |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." | Rebellion likened to detestable sins |
| Ps 78:56-58 | "Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies..." | Israel's history of disobedient heart |
| Ps 89:30-32 | "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod," | Breaking law and judgments leads to discipline |
| Isa 1:28 | "And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed." | Forsaking God and rebellion's outcome |
| Jer 3:20 | "Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD." | Covenant as marriage, Israel's treachery |
| Jer 9:13 | "And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;" | Forsaking law and disobedience |
| Eze 5:6 | "And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her:" | Greater sin in changing God's laws |
| Eze 16:59 | "For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant." | Direct reference to despising oath, breaking covenant |
| Rom 2:23 | "Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?" | Breaking the law dishonors God |
| Rom 8:7 | "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." | The rebellious heart's inability to obey |
| Heb 8:9 | "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord." | Old Covenant broken by Israel |
| Heb 10:29 | "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" | Despising New Covenant carries greater judgment |
| 2 Tim 3:5 | "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." | Hypocrisy in outwardly conforming, inwardly rejecting |
| Titus 1:16 | "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." | Actions reveal true heart |
| Matt 7:26-27 | "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man,..." | Disobedience to commands leads to ruin |
| Jam 2:10 | "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." | Integrity of God's law, a holistic failure to obey |
| 2 Pet 2:21 | "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." | Worse to know and reject the command |
| Mal 2:8-9 | "But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law." | Corruption of covenant by rejecting God's ways |
Leviticus 26 verses
Leviticus 26 15 Meaning
Leviticus 26:15 details a severe stage of disobedience, describing a progression of Israel's spiritual failure: from internally despising God's foundational laws (chuqqim), to outwardly abhorring His just rulings (mishpatim), resulting in a complete failure to keep His specific commands (mitzvot), ultimately culminating in a total breaking of the covenant relationship He established with them (berith). This verse emphasizes the heart attitude of contempt and rejection that precedes and underpins external rebellion, portraying it as a deliberate spurning of the divine relationship and its associated obligations.
Leviticus 26 15 Context
Leviticus 26 primarily presents God's covenant with Israel, detailing the blessings for obedience (vv. 3-13) and severe curses for disobedience (vv. 14-45). Verse 15 marks a pivotal point, initiating the description of escalating punishments by defining the profound internal rejection that triggers them. It is part of the final exhortations in the Book of Leviticus, which is fundamentally a guide for holy living in relationship with a holy God. The entire chapter serves as a covenant document, reflecting the ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaty pattern, where a powerful king (Suzerain, Yahweh) outlines terms for his subordinate people (Vassal, Israel), including both the rewards for loyalty and penalties for rebellion. This verse underscores that mere external non-compliance is rooted in a deep-seated spiritual rebellion and contempt for the divine authority.
Leviticus 26 15 Word analysis
- and if ye shall despise (Hebrew: na'ats, נָאַץ): To spurn, scorn, treat with contempt, contemn, or reject. This word indicates an active, willful, internal rejection and disdain, rather than passive ignorance or accidental failure. It is a posture of the heart.
- my statutes (Hebrew: chuqqim, חֻקִּים): Refers to the fixed decrees, ordinances, or established principles of God's law. These are the general, foundational requirements and permanent laws, often related to God's nature and character. The despising is directed at the very essence of God's divine will.
- or if your soul (Hebrew: nephesh, נֶפֶשׁ): The inner being, self, seat of emotions and will. Emphasizes that the rejection comes from the core of their person, indicating a deep, personal aversion.
- abhor (Hebrew: ga'al, גָּעַל): To loathe, detest, reject, disdain with revulsion. This is an even stronger term than "despise," indicating a visceral repulsion and utter rejection, viewing God's commands as disgusting or unacceptable. This signifies an emotional and intellectual antagonism toward divine authority.
- my judgments (Hebrew: mishpatim, מִשְׁפָּטִים): Refers to specific rulings, judicial decisions, and just ordinances. These are the practical applications of God's chuqqim (statutes) in everyday life, often dealing with equity, justice, and how to conduct life in covenant with God. Abhorring them means a hatred for divine justice and fairness.
- so that ye will not do all my commandments (Hebrew: mitzvot, מִצְוֹת): Specific divine injunctions or precepts, the concrete actions required by God. This phrase highlights that the internal attitudes of despising and abhorring manifest in overt disobedience—a deliberate failure to carry out the specific instructions of God's law. "All my commandments" indicates a total disregard, not merely occasional lapses.
- but that ye break my covenant (Hebrew: berith, בְּרִית): A solemn, binding agreement, specifically the covenant relationship God established with Israel at Sinai. Breaking the covenant means severing the divinely instituted relationship, abrogating its terms, and rejecting the unique identity and privileges it bestows. This is the ultimate consequence of the preceding internal disdain and outward disobedience, moving from disrespect for laws to repudiation of the relationship itself.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments": This progression highlights a movement from internal disdain for general principles ("statutes") to a deeper, visceral revulsion for specific applications and judicial equity ("judgments"). It shows a profound internal opposition to God's reign and moral order. The inclusion of "your soul" emphasizes the total personal engagement in this rejection.
- "so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant": This shows the fruit and culmination of the internal rebellion. The internal contempt and abhorrence (despising statutes, abhorring judgments) inevitably lead to practical inaction ("not do all my commandments"), which then definitively leads to the breaking of the sacred relationship ("break my covenant"). This links internal spiritual condition directly to outward conduct and relational rupture. The refusal to obey specific commands is not just negligence, but an active dissolution of the divine-human bond.
Leviticus 26 15 Bonus section
The progressive nature of sin described in Lev 26:15 is a crucial theological point often highlighted by scholars. It moves from internal attitude (despising, abhorring) to external action (not doing all commandments) to relational rupture (breaking the covenant). This mirrors psychological and spiritual processes where a hardening of the heart precedes outright rebellion and ultimate separation from God. This progression also underscores God's character: He is not quick to condemn for mere lapses, but addresses the deep-seated intentional rejection that leads to complete covenant breakdown. The polemic here is against any notion that one can maintain a relationship with God while inwardly despising His ways; the integrity of the covenant demands congruence between inward heart and outward obedience. Furthermore, this verse sets a stark warning for future generations (including Christians, by parallel application through the New Covenant): true spiritual health is rooted in loving God's commands from the heart, not merely performing rituals or outward adherence. Disregarding God's word is, at its root, a rejection of the Divine Word Himself, foreshadowing a greater responsibility under the New Covenant (Heb 10:29).
Leviticus 26 15 Commentary
Leviticus 26:15 delves beyond mere external acts of disobedience, piercing to the core of Israel's potential spiritual failing. It outlines a grave four-step descent into apostasy. First, the sin begins with a quiet, internal contempt: despising God's fundamental statutes. This isn't just ignorance or forgetfulness, but a conscious disdain for divine principles. Second, this disdain deepens into active repulsion, where their soul abhors God's specific judgments – His righteous ways of living and governing. It's a profound hatred for what is holy and just. Third, these internal dispositions inevitably manifest externally: they will not do all God's commandments. The practical effect of a scornful heart is total disobedience, neglecting the daily and seasonal requirements of the Law. Finally, the tragic climax is reached: ye break My covenant. This isn't just breaking a rule; it's severing the unique, intimate relationship God graciously established with them at Sinai. This verse makes it clear that the ultimate spiritual breach flows from a contemptuous heart that rejects God Himself, manifest in the spurning of His law, and ultimately, His covenant.
For example,
- A heart that secretly despises the purity commanded by God will eventually find His rules on sexual conduct detestable.
- An individual who deeply loathes justice will find God's commandments about fair dealings and honesty burdensome.
- A community that tolerates internal rejection of God's foundational laws will find it impossible to genuinely observe His specific commands, eventually collapsing their covenant identity.