Leviticus 26:15
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse highlights a progression: it starts with simply not "doing all the commandments" but escalates to the soul abhorring God's rules, indicating a deep-seated rebellion, not just an occasional failure. This profound rejection is what ultimately constitutes breaking the covenant, showing that sin isn't just about actions, but a settled attitude of the heart.
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,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage follows the glorious promises of blessings for obedience, laying out the stark consequences if the Israelites choose rebellion instead. It's a transition from God's gracious invitation to a sobering declaration of how their willful disregard for His commands and standards will ultimately break the covenant they made with Him. If they despise His statutes and abhor His rules, they are actively choosing to invalidate the agreement, setting the stage for the severe judgments that follow.
Ever felt a growing disconnect from spiritual practices? Leviticus 26:15 shows that disobedience isn't just forgetting; it's a slide into active disdain.
This verse describes a progression in spiritual decline. It starts with a passive turning away from God's ways:
When this contempt takes root, the result is a complete rejection of obedience:
God's covenant wasn't a one-sided contract. Breaking it meant more than just breaking rules; it meant unraveling the very fabric of relationship.
Ask a follow-up
The phrase 'break my covenant' in Leviticus 26:15 is incredibly significant. The covenant here refers to the deep, relational agreement established between God and Israel at Mount Sinai (and with Abraham before that).
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.
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.
This passage directly parallels Leviticus 26:15 by warning that if the Israelites turn to idols and worship them, God's wrath will be kindled against them, leading to the withholding of rain and fruitful land—a consequence of breaking covenant.
Jeremiah 44:22This prophetic passage echoes the sentiment of Leviticus 26:15, explaining that because the people 'despised the word of the LORD' and 'turned from it,' they faced destruction and exile.
Romans 2:23Paul quotes Leviticus 26:15 (or a very similar sentiment) and applies it to the Jewish people who, despite boasting in the Law, break it and bring dishonor to God, illustrating the universal principle of covenant consequences.
Hebrews 8:9This New Testament passage refers to the failure of the old covenant, stating that the Israelites did not continue in God's covenant and therefore God 'looked away from them,' mirroring the idea in Leviticus 26:15 that breaking the covenant leads to divine disfavor.
gillLeviticus 26:15: "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:"
And if ye shall despise my statutes,.... Which is an aggravated sin; to be negligent hearers of the commands of God is bad, not to be doers of them worse, but to treat them with contempt is worse still: or if your soul abhor my judgments: which is worst of all, to despise them as if not wisely or righteously made is a dreadful ref…
clarkeLeviticus 26:15: "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:"
If ye shall despise my statutes - abhor my judgments - As these words, and others of a similar import, which point out different properties of the revelation of God, are frequently occurring, I Judge it best to take a general view of them, once for all, in this place, and show how they differ among themselves, and what property of…
The verse highlights a progression: it starts with simply not "doing all the commandments" but escalates to the soul abhorring God's rules, indicating a deep-seated rebellion, not just an occasional failure. This profound rejection is what ultimately constitutes breaking the covenant, showing that sin isn't just about actions, but a settled attitude of the heart.
This passage follows the glorious promises of blessings for obedience, laying out the stark consequences if the Israelites choose rebellion instead. It's a transition from God's gracious invitation to a sobering declaration of how their willful disregard for His commands and standards will ultimately break the covenant they made with Him. If they despise His statutes and abhor His rules, they are actively choosing to invalidate the agreement, setting the stage for the severe judgments that follow.
This passage follows the glorious promises of blessings for obedience, laying out the stark consequences if the Israelites choose rebellion instead. It's a transition from God's gracious invitation to a sobering declaration of how their willful disregard for His commands and standards will ultimately break the covenant they made with Him. If they despise His statutes and abhor His rules, they are actively choosing to invalidate the agreement, setting the stage for the severe judgments that follow.
"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," — The verse highlights a progression: it starts with simply not "doing all the commandments" but escalates to the soul abhorring God's rules, indicating a deep-seated rebellion, not just an occasiona…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
