Leviticus 26:31
And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The phrase "your sanctuaries" carries a poignant sting. God is not just talking about the destruction of the Temple, but a complete disowning of it as His; it becomes "your" sanctuary, a place defiled and no longer belonging to Him, making the desolation and unaccepted offerings a direct consequence of their betrayal.
This verse comes at the climax of a long series of conditional curses outlined in Leviticus 26. God has detailed escalating punishments for Israel’s disobedience, starting with diseases and crop failures, progressing to enemy invasions and famine, and moving towards utter devastation and exile. This specific verse seals the fate of their cities and sacred places, signifying God’s complete rejection of their worship due to their persistent sin.
God's judgment isn't just about outward destruction; it strikes at the very heart of His relationship with His people.
In Leviticus 26:31, God declares, 'I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation.' This isn't merely about physical ruin. The word 'sanctuaries' likely refers to the Tabernacle and later the Temple—places where God's presence dwelled among His people. To lay these desolate means God is withdrawing His presence, leaving the people utterly exposed and abandoned.
This devastation signifies the breaking of the covenant. The very places built for worship, for experiencing God, become symbols of His absence due to their disobedience. It’s a profound spiritual homelessness.
What happens when the 'pleasing aromas' of worship turn sour in God's nostrils?
The verse concludes with a stark declaration: 'and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.' In the Old Testament, the aroma of sacrifices was a symbol of acceptance and pleasure to God (Leviticus 1:9). It signified a right relationship, a covenant honored.
When God says He will not smell these aromas, it’s a powerful statement of rejection. Their worship, their offerings, even the incense burned—all become meaningless, even offensive, because they are offered in disobedience and from hearts turned away from God. It's not the physical aroma that's the issue, but the spiritual condition behind it. God is saying, 'Your worship no longer communicates devotion to Me; it communicates defiance.'
Understand the original words
miqdash · Hebrew Noun
A place consecrated to God, where He manifests His presence and where worship, including sacrifices and offerings, is conducted. It represents the focal point of fellowship between God and His covenant people.
reah nihoah · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A technical term for the sacrificial system, signifying an offering that is acceptable and pleasing to God, demonstrating the worshiper's devotion and the efficacy of the atonement.
This passage echoes the sentiment by stating that sacrifices and incense offered by a disobedient people are not pleasing to God, directly paralleling the refusal to 'smell' the aroma of worship.
Isaiah 1:11Here, God explicitly rejects the worship of a sinful people, declaring that the multitude of their sacrifices is meaningless and that He is weary of them, mirroring the rejection of their 'sweet odours'.
Psalm 74:7This psalm describes the desecration of the sanctuary, crying out that enemies have set fire to God’s sanctuary and defiled the dwelling place of His name, reflecting the theme of desolation and God's displeasure with what happens in His sacred spaces.
Hosea 2:11This verse speaks of God ending all religious festivals and celebrations, including their sacrifices and new moons, because of their unfaithfulness, which is akin to God refusing to 'smell' their offerings.
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…
pooleLeviticus 26:31: "And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours."
Your sanctuaries; either, 1. God’s sanctuary, called sanctuaries here, as also Psalm 73:17 74:7 Jeremiah 51:51 Ezekiel 28:18 , because there were divers apartments in it, each of which was a sanctuary, or, which is all one, a holy place, as they are severally called. And your emphatically, not mine, for I disown and abhor it, and all the service…
The phrase "your sanctuaries" carries a poignant sting. God is not just talking about the destruction of the Temple, but a complete disowning of it as His; it becomes "your" sanctuary, a place defiled and no longer belonging to Him, making the desolation and unaccepted offerings a direct consequence of their betrayal.
This verse comes at the climax of a long series of conditional curses outlined in Leviticus 26. God has detailed escalating punishments for Israel’s disobedience, starting with diseases and crop failures, progressing to enemy invasions and famine, and moving towards utter devastation and exile. This specific verse seals the fate of their cities and sacred places, signifying God’s complete rejection of their worship due to their persistent sin.
This verse comes at the climax of a long series of conditional curses outlined in Leviticus 26. God has detailed escalating punishments for Israel’s disobedience, starting with diseases and crop failures, progressing to enemy invasions and famine, and moving towards utter devastation and exile. This specific verse seals the fate of their cities and sacred places, signifying God’s complete rejection of their worship due to their persistent sin.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Leviticus 26:31 is available in the Sola app.
"And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas." — The phrase "your sanctuaries" carries a poignant sting. God is not just talking about the destruction of the Temple, but a complete disowning of it as His; it becomes "your" sanctuary, a place defi…
