Leviticus 26:14-16
“But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, 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, then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse begins with a stark conditional: "But if you will not listen to me..." This sets up a clear cause-and-effect, but the emphasis isn't just on disobedience, but on a complete refusal to listen. It highlights that the ensuing consequences aren't simply a penalty for mistakes, but a direct result of a stubborn heart that refuses to engage with God's voice at all.
After laying out abundant blessings for obedience, Moses now turns to the stark consequences of disobedience. This passage begins a severe warning: if the Israelites refuse to listen to God and follow His commands, they will face a series of escalating judgments that will utterly disrupt their lives and national existence. This sets the stage for the detailed curses that will unfold if they break their covenant with God.
God laid out incredible blessings for obedience, but this verse marks the turning point. What does it mean to 'not hearken'?
Leviticus 26 begins with a beautiful picture of God's blessings for obedience – prosperity, peace, and security. But this verse, Leviticus 26:14, is the stark, crucial pivot. It's the door opening to the consequences of disobedience. 'Not hearken' isn't just about not listening; it's a deep-seated refusal to heed God's voice, to disregard His commands, and ultimately, to reject His authority. It's a choice to turn away from the path He's laid out.
Think of it like this: God gave clear instructions, like a roadmap for a thriving life. 'Not hearkening' is like throwing the map away and choosing to wander aimlessly, ignoring all the warning signs and potential dangers. This verse emphasizes that obedience isn't optional; it's the very foundation of the covenant relationship God established with Israel.
The consequences of not listening aren't minor setbacks. They escalate dramatically, impacting every part of life.
This verse is the introduction to a severe, detailed list of judgments. The commentators highlight that God's response to disobedience is not arbitrary but a direct, proportionate consequence. He has laid out the blessings, and now He lays out the curses.
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'Not doing all these commandments' isn't a small oversight; it signifies a rejection of the entire covenant. The ensuing punishments are designed to be a 'seven times' greater chastisement (as seen later in the chapter), showing the escalating severity when warnings are ignored. This isn't just about external problems like failed crops or enemy invasions; it's about a profound reversal of the promised blessings, leading to internal terror, sorrow, and a loss of security even in their own land.
Understand the original words
berit · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, binding agreement or treaty between God and His people, characterized by mutual obligations, divine blessings for obedience, and curses for disobedience.
mitsvah · Hebrew Noun
Authoritative instructions or revealed laws from God that define the expected conduct and life of His people, reflecting His holiness.
chuqqah · Hebrew Noun
Formal, prescribed regulations or ordinances established by God to govern the moral and religious life of His people.
mishpat · Hebrew Noun
Judicial decisions or formal rulings given by God that clarify right behavior; they carry the weight of divine authority and justice.
ma'as · Hebrew Verb
To reject, despise, or treat with contempt; often used in the context of rejecting God's authority or His revealed will.
paqad · Hebrew Verb
Refers to God's active intervention or inspection, either for blessing or, as in this context, for judgment and punishment. It signifies that God is personally present to deal with the moral condition of His people.
behalah · Hebrew Noun
A condition of extreme terror or sudden dread, often resulting from divine judgment. It describes the psychological and spiritual state of those who realize they are under the immediate displeasure of God.
shachepeth · Hebrew Noun
A term used to describe the consequences of disobedience, reflecting the covenantal stipulations where rebellion against God leads to physical and national decay. It represents a systematic loss of vitality and life.
This passage mirrors Leviticus 26, detailing the curses that will befall Israel if they disobey God's commands, highlighting the serious consequences of not hearkening.
Jeremiah 7:23-26The prophet Jeremiah rebukes Israel for not listening to God's commands, drawing a direct parallel to the disobedience addressed in Leviticus 26 and the resulting judgment.
Romans 2:4-5Paul speaks of the 'riches of God's kindness, forbearance, and patience' leading to repentance, but warns that those who are stubborn and unrepentant 'heap up wrath' against themselves, echoing the escalating consequences of disobedience in Leviticus.
Galatians 3:10This verse states that 'all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse,' directly connecting the curse in Leviticus 26 to the failure to perfectly obey all of God's commandments.
gillLeviticus 26:14: "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;"
But if ye will not hearken unto me,.... To his commandments, as the rule of their duty, and to his promises, as an encouragement to it, or to his prophets and ministers, explaining and enforcing his law, and exhorting to a cheerful obedience to it; so the Targum of Jonathan,"if ye will not hearken to the doctrine of them that teach my laws;''which was the sin of the Jews in later times, for which capt…
calvinLeviticus 26:14-45: "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;"
I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain; for your enemies shall eat it.
Etiam ego faciam hoc vobis: constituam super vos terrorem, tabem, et febrem, consumentia oculos, et dolore afficientia animam, seretisque frustra semen vestrum: nam co…
The verse begins with a stark conditional: "But if you will not listen to me..." This sets up a clear cause-and-effect, but the emphasis isn't just on disobedience, but on a complete refusal to listen. It highlights that the ensuing consequences aren't simply a penalty for mistakes, but a direct result of a stubborn heart that refuses to engage with God's voice at all.
After laying out abundant blessings for obedience, Moses now turns to the stark consequences of disobedience. This passage begins a severe warning: if the Israelites refuse to listen to God and follow His commands, they will face a series of escalating judgments that will utterly disrupt their lives and national existence. This sets the stage for the detailed curses that will unfold if they break their covenant with God.
After laying out abundant blessings for obedience, Moses now turns to the stark consequences of disobedience. This passage begins a severe warning: if the Israelites refuse to listen to God and follow His commands, they will face a series of escalating judgments that will utterly disrupt their lives and national existence. This sets the stage for the detailed curses that will unfold if they break their covenant with God.
"“But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, 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, then I will do this to you: I will vi…" — The verse begins with a stark conditional: "But if you will not listen to me..." This sets up a clear cause-and-effect, but the emphasis isn't just on disobedience, but on a complete *refusal to li…
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