Leviticus 26 19

Leviticus 26:19 kjv

And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

Leviticus 26:19 nkjv

I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

Leviticus 26:19 niv

I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.

Leviticus 26:19 esv

and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

Leviticus 26:19 nlt

I will break your proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze.

Leviticus 26 verses

Leviticus 26 19 Meaning

Leviticus 26:19 conveys a stern warning from God regarding the consequences of disobedience to His covenant. If Israel rebels and rejects His statutes, God declares He will "break the pride of their power." This refers to their reliance on their own strength, national might, or perceived security, challenging their self-sufficiency. As a direct result, He promises to make their "heavens like iron and their earth like bronze," which signifies severe, persistent drought and barrenness. The sky would yield no rain, and the land would become infertile and unproductive, leading to famine and ruin. It illustrates God's absolute sovereignty over creation and His capacity to bring about physical desolation as a consequence of spiritual rebellion and pride.

Leviticus 26 19 Context

Leviticus chapter 26 is a pivotal chapter known as the "Blessings and Curses" or the "Sanctions of the Covenant." It immediately follows a series of holiness codes and ethical instructions (chapters 18-25), serving as a divine summary of the covenant's implications. God reiterates the blessings Israel will receive for obedience (prosperity, peace, abundance) and details the severe curses they will incur for disobedience. Verse 19 falls within the section describing the escalating curses for unrepentant rebellion, which unfold in progressively intense stages (represented by sevenfold increase in severity). The initial curses focus on agricultural failure and foreign invasion. For an ancient agricultural society like Israel, deeply dependent on rainfall and fertile land, the threat of drought and barrenness was particularly devastating. The chapter emphasizes God's direct involvement in the prosperity or destruction of their land, thereby directly challenging the reliance on any fertility deities of surrounding nations, like Baal, who were worshipped to bring rain and good harvests. God alone holds sovereign control over the heavens and earth, and His covenant demands exclusive devotion.

Leviticus 26 19 Word analysis

• I will break: (Hebrew: וְשָׁבַרְתִּי, və·šā·var·tî)

  • This is an emphatic verb form indicating a decisive, destructive action. Shaver (שבר) means to shatter, break into pieces, demolish. It's often used for breaking bones, vessels, or military strength. Here, it denotes utter destruction of confidence and power. God directly intervenes to incapacitate them.

• the pride: (Hebrew: גְּאֹ֥ון, gə·’ō·wn)

  • Ga'on (גאון) can mean majesty, excellency, pomp, but in a negative context, it means arrogance, pride, or haughtiness. It speaks to human boasting, self-exaltation, or overconfidence in their own strength, resources, or achievements. It's the opposite of humility before God.

• of your power: (Hebrew: עָזְּכֶ֑ם, ‘o·zə·ḵem)

  • ‘Oz (עז) refers to strength, might, vigor, or prowess. It can denote military power, national resources, or physical robustness. Coupled with "pride," it describes a reliance on human or national strength rather than on God, leading to spiritual autonomy.

• I will make: (Hebrew: וְנָתַתִּ֥י, və·nā·ṯat·tî)

  • Natan (נתן) means to give, place, set. Here, it means God actively causes or appoints a condition. He is the divine agent orchestrating these circumstances.

• your heavens: (Hebrew: שְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם, šə·mê·ḵem)

  • Shamim (שמים) refers to the skies or atmosphere, specifically the source of rain and dew. "Your heavens" implies divine control over what provides for their very livelihood.

• like iron: (Hebrew: כַּבַּרְזֶל֙, ka·bar·zel)

  • Barzel (ברזל) is iron, known for its hardness and impermeability. The imagery portrays heavens that are closed, unyielding, and unable to release rain. It signifies extreme, persistent drought.

• and your earth: (Hebrew: וְאֶרְצְכֶ֖ם, və·’ar·ṣə·ḵem)

  • Eretz (ארץ) refers to the land, soil, or ground, which provides crops and sustenance.

• like bronze: (Hebrew: כַּנְּחֻשָֽׁה׃, kan·nə·ḥu·šāh)

  • Nechosheth (נחשת) refers to bronze or copper, which is hard and unyielding. It symbolizes a land that is parched, baked, and unable to produce, leading to barrenness and famine.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "I will break the pride of your power": This phrase targets Israel's inner disposition and outward display of self-sufficiency. It signifies God humbling them by destroying the very foundations they trust in—their strength, resources, and independence—demonstrating that their true power lies not in themselves but in their obedient relationship with God.
  • "I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze": This is a direct, vivid metaphor illustrating the severe, physical consequences of God's judgment. It paints a picture of extreme, pervasive drought where no rain falls from an unyielding sky and the land becomes barren and unproductive. This shows God's complete control over the natural order and His ability to withhold the most basic elements for survival.

Leviticus 26 19 Bonus section

The concept of a sky like "iron" and earth like "bronze" is a consistent theme throughout the prophetic literature when God threatens judgment due to sin. It emphasizes a supernatural closure of the natural order as a direct consequence of divine displeasure, contrasting sharply with the promised blessings of abundant rain and fertile land found elsewhere in Deuteronomy 28. This curse highlights God's authority over meteorological processes, proving His control far beyond what any fertility deity claimed. This progressive judgment implies a prolonged period of suffering, allowing for an opportunity for repentance before further, more severe curses manifest as described later in Leviticus 26. The humbling implied by "breaking the pride of your power" is often necessary for individuals and nations to turn back to God, recognizing their utter dependence on Him alone.

Leviticus 26 19 Commentary

Leviticus 26:19 encapsulates a profound theological truth: God opposes human pride and asserts His absolute sovereignty over creation. When His people rebel and rely on their own strength, He pledges to dismantle their misplaced confidence. The "breaking of the pride of your power" speaks to a divine humbling where their military might, economic prosperity, or perceived security, the very things they might boast in, will be rendered ineffective. This spiritual reality finds its painful manifestation in the physical realm: "heavens like iron" and "earth like bronze." This is not merely a threat of insufficient rain but of absolute, relentless drought and agricultural sterility. The vivid imagery depicts an impermeable sky yielding no life-giving water, and a hardened, parched land refusing to bear fruit. This curse profoundly impacted Israel, an agrarian society, cutting off their essential source of food and water, ultimately demonstrating that their sustenance came from God's hand, not their own ingenuity or any pagan deity. It serves as a stark reminder that true prosperity and security stem from covenant obedience and humble reliance on the Lord.