Leviticus 26 39

Leviticus 26:39 kjv

And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.

Leviticus 26:39 nkjv

And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; also in their fathers' iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.

Leviticus 26:39 niv

Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their ancestors' sins they will waste away.

Leviticus 26:39 esv

And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them.

Leviticus 26:39 nlt

Those of you who survive will waste away in your enemies' lands because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.

Leviticus 26 verses

Leviticus 26 39 Meaning

Leviticus 26:39 describes a severe consequence of persistent disobedience to God's covenant: the gradual, debilitating decay and perishing of the remnant of the unfaithful Israelites in the lands of their captors. This "rotting away" signifies a slow, internal deterioration stemming from their own unconfessed and unrepented sin, as well as experiencing the ongoing consequences of the iniquities committed by their forefathers. It portends a loss of vitality, hope, and even a spiritual and moral dissolution while in exile.

Leviticus 26 39 Context

Leviticus chapter 26 is a pivotal section within the Book of Leviticus, often referred to as the "blessings and curses" chapter. It outlines the covenant agreement between God and Israel, detailing the prosperity and favor that would result from obedience to His commandments (vv. 3-13) and the dire consequences, including exile and desolation, for persistent disobedience and rebellion (vv. 14-39). The intensity of the curses escalates through five waves, each more severe than the last. Verse 39 falls under the final, most extreme wave of judgment, describing a prolonged and agonizing decay in the land of their enemies, depicting the complete antithesis of the abundant life promised in obedience. Historically, this prophecy found significant fulfillment in the Babylonian exile, where the nation suffered exactly these prolonged consequences.

Leviticus 26 39 Word analysis

• And those of you who are left shall rot away:
  • "And those of you who are left": Refers to the survivors of the earlier judgments, those not killed but exiled. It underscores the severity; even survivors face continued torment.
  • "shall rot away" (מָקַק - maqac): A verb conveying a sense of decay, pining away, wasting, melting, or decomposing. It is a powerful, vivid image not of instant death, but of a slow, debilitating internal deterioration—physically, morally, spiritually, and socially. It signifies a loss of vitality, substance, and hope, consistent with prolonged suffering in a foreign land. This imagery often links sin with a decaying, defiling effect.
• in their iniquity:
  • "iniquity" (עָוֹן - ʿawon): This term denotes sin, guilt, perversity, or the punishment due to sin. It emphasizes that their decay is a direct, internal consequence stemming from their own unconfessed and persistent moral failings and rebellion against God's covenant. It implies culpability and accountability. Their very being would be consumed by the fruit of their actions.
• in lands of your enemies:
  • This specifies the context of the "rotting away" – a foreign land, under the dominion of their foes. Exile, away from the Promised Land and the presence of God (tabernacle/temple), was the ultimate covenant curse, representing a profound loss of identity, security, and divine favor. In these lands, without the protective presence of YHWH, they would experience utter weakness and subjugation. This also serves as a polemic against reliance on foreign deities; those lands were supposed to be governed by different gods, but the God of Israel demonstrates His sovereignty even there through their continued suffering.
• also in the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away with them:
  • "iniquities of their fathers": Refers to the sins of previous generations. This highlights a concept of corporate solidarity, where the consequences of ancestral sin impact later generations, especially when those generations continue in the same patterns of disobedience. This is not necessarily inherited personal guilt, but rather the continuation of the effects, patterns, and judicial consequences of previous generations' actions that accumulate or pass down if repentance and breaking the cycle do not occur.
  • "they shall rot away with them": Reaffirms the debilitating, gradual decay. The weight of both their own sin and the unresolved sin of their ancestors combine to perpetuate their miserable state in exile.

Leviticus 26 39 Bonus section

• The maqac (rot away) verb implies a sense of internal dissolution and spiritual decomposition, not just external affliction. It is the opposite of life and flourishing, which are characteristic of God's blessings.
• The progression from individual responsibility to the impact of generational sin serves as a powerful call for collective repentance and breaking cycles of disobedience. While God judges justly, the corporate body of Israel could experience compounded suffering from persistent generational idolatry or unfaithfulness.
• This verse provides theological grounding for future lamentations in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, where prophets and the exiled people openly confessed "our sins and the sins of our fathers," recognizing the long shadow cast by previous generations' unfaithfulness.
• The prophetic nature of this verse, predicting an exile centuries before it happened (Babylonian captivity), serves as strong evidence of God's omnipotence and foreknowledge, as well as His unwavering commitment to His covenant.

Leviticus 26 39 Commentary

Leviticus 26:39 serves as a chilling culmination of the covenant curses, painting a grim picture of lingering judgment for sustained disobedience. The repeated phrase "rot away" underscores a process of gradual dissolution, a fate far more agonizing than swift destruction. This is not merely physical demise, but a comprehensive decay affecting national identity, hope, and spiritual vitality while dispersed among their adversaries. Their demise is intimately linked to their "iniquity," highlighting divine justice where the punishment directly flows from their unrighteousness. The inclusion of "the iniquities of their fathers" demonstrates a corporate dimension to divine judgment; while God holds individuals accountable, sin also has intergenerational consequences that impact the entire community unless actively broken through repentance. The exiled Israelites would bear the compounded weight of both their personal and communal rebellion, experiencing a prolonged and undignified end, a stark contrast to the promised flourishing in the land if they had been faithful.