Leviticus 26:46
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse isn't just a simple summary; it powerfully frames these laws as a binding agreement, a covenant, established "between himself and the people of Israel." This highlights that God wasn't just issuing commands, but was entering into a relational commitment with them, drawing them into His favor through obedience.
These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse acts as a formal conclusion to the extensive instructions given in Leviticus, particularly the warnings and promises detailed in chapter 26. It ties all these laws and statutes directly back to their divine origin with God and Moses on Mount Sinai, framing them as the established covenant relationship between God and Israel. The preceding verses had laid out severe consequences for disobedience and incredible blessings for faithfulness, making this final statement a powerful summation of the entire book's purpose.
When we hear 'law,' we often think of a dry list of do's and don'ts. But Leviticus 26:46 paints a different picture.
The wording here emphasizes that these statutes, judgments, and laws weren't just commandments handed down. They were the very fabric of a covenant relationship established between God and Israel.
A Two-Way Street
Think of a covenant like a sacred agreement, a promise sealed by oath. God wasn't just exercising his authority; he was expressing his favor and desire for communion with his people. In return, Israel's obedience was meant to flow from a place of holy love and fear, not just obligation. This transformed the 'law' into a path for ongoing relationship, a way to live out their devotion to God.
More Than Rules
This perspective shifts our understanding. It wasn't about checking boxes, but about embracing a way of life that reflected God's character and nurtured his presence among them. It was a framework for intimacy, not just obedience.
Every great agreement needs a trustworthy messenger. In this pivotal moment, one man stood between the Holy God and the nation of Israel.
Leviticus 26:46 clearly states these laws were given 'by the hand of Moses.' This highlights Moses' crucial role not just as a leader, but as a .
Ask a follow-up
God's Chosen Voice
Moses was the unique conduit through whom God communicated his will to Israel. He received the detailed statutes, judgments, and laws directly from the Lord on Mount Sinai. This wasn't a negotiation where Moses added his own ideas; he faithfully delivered God's words, ensuring the Israelites understood the terms of their covenant.
A Model for Ministry
His role as mediator reminds us of the importance of faithful messengers in God's plan. Just as Moses conveyed God's heart, those who share God's Word today are called to do so with integrity and reliance on divine guidance.
This verse acts as a capstone, bringing together a vast body of divine instruction. What does its placement tell us about God's intent?
The concluding nature of Leviticus 26:46 is significant. It signals that the preceding chapters, detailing statutes, judgments, and laws, represent a complete and foundational set of instructions from God.
More Than Just Leviticus
Scholars note that this verse serves as a concluding statement not just for chapter 26, but potentially for the entire Law of Holiness section, and even the larger corpus of laws given at Sinai (drawing from Exodus through Deuteronomy).
A Unified Whole
This implies that God provided a comprehensive framework for Israel's life – covering their worship, social conduct, and justice. These weren't isolated rules but interconnected parts of a unified system designed to guide them in holy living and maintain their covenant relationship with Him. The inclusion of promises and threatenings within these laws underscores the seriousness and scope of God's communication.
Understand the original words
chuqqim · Hebrew Noun
A prescribed ordinance or regulation, often denoting a permanent or binding decree from God that governs the conduct and life of His people. It implies a fixed, authoritative commandment.
mishpatim · Hebrew Noun
Judicial decisions, ordinances, or customs that define right living and justice. They often refer to the practical application of God's moral law in the daily life of the community.
torah · Hebrew Noun
God's instruction or revelation, encompassing the entirety of His revealed will. It refers to the divine teaching that guides, directs, and teaches the believer how to live in relationship with the Creator.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The covenant name of the one true God, signifying His eternal self-existence, His faithfulness to His promises, and His redemptive relationship with His chosen people.
berit · Hebrew Noun/Implied
A solemn, binding agreement between God and His people, establishing a formal relationship characterized by divine promise, mutual obligation, and faithful commitment. In this context, it refers to the mediated arrangement established at Sinai.
Mosheh · Hebrew Proper Noun
One drawn out or rescued, specifically the man chosen by God to serve as the mediator and lawgiver who brought the covenant from God to the nation of Israel.
Sinay · Hebrew Proper Noun
A mountain associated with the manifestation of God’s glory and the giving of the Law. It represents the place of divine revelation and the inauguration of the formal covenantal relationship between God and Israel.
This passage echoes Leviticus 26:46 by marking the initial delivery of the Ten Commandments directly from God to Israel on Mount Sinai, establishing the foundational laws given through Moses.
Deuteronomy 5:22This verse in Deuteronomy recounts the same event at Mount Sinai, emphasizing how God spoke His laws directly to the people and then entrusted Moses to relay further instruction, highlighting the communal and mediatorial aspects of the law-giving.
Nehemiah 9:14This prayer reflects on God's faithfulness in giving His 'good laws and true ordinances' through Moses on Mount Sinai, underscoring the enduring significance of the covenant established there, even centuries later.
Acts 7:38Stephen's speech points back to Moses receiving the 'living words' from God on Mount Sinai, framing the law given at Sinai as a sacred trust that Israel eventually failed to keep, paralleling the covenant context of Leviticus.
ellicottLeviticus 26:46: "These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses."
(46) These are the statutes and judgments. —That is, the statutes and judgments contained in Leviticus 25:1 to Leviticus 26:45 . In Mount Sinai.—That is, in the mountainous district of Sinai. This group of statutes therefore concludes with the very phrase with which it began (see Leviticus 25:1), thus showing that it forms a section by…
gillLeviticus 26:46: "These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses."
These are the statutes, and judgments, and laws,.... Which refer not only to those in this chapter, but in all the preceding chapters in this book, and respect them all, whether ceremonial, moral, or judicial, which may be signified by these three words: which the Lord made between him and the children of Israel; the Targums of Onkelos…
This verse isn't just a simple summary; it powerfully frames these laws as a binding agreement, a covenant, established "between himself and the people of Israel." This highlights that God wasn't just issuing commands, but was entering into a relational commitment with them, drawing them into His favor through obedience.
This verse acts as a formal conclusion to the extensive instructions given in Leviticus, particularly the warnings and promises detailed in chapter 26. It ties all these laws and statutes directly back to their divine origin with God and Moses on Mount Sinai, framing them as the established covenant relationship between God and Israel. The preceding verses had laid out severe consequences for disobedience and incredible blessings for faithfulness, making this final statement a powerful summation of the entire book's purpose.
This verse acts as a formal conclusion to the extensive instructions given in Leviticus, particularly the warnings and promises detailed in chapter 26. It ties all these laws and statutes directly back to their divine origin with God and Moses on Mount Sinai, framing them as the established covenant relationship between God and Israel. The preceding verses had laid out severe consequences for disobedience and incredible blessings for faithfulness, making this final statement a powerful summation of the entire book's purpose.
"These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai." — This verse isn't just a simple summary; it powerfully frames these laws as a binding agreement, a covenant, established "between himself and the people of Israel." This highlights that God wasn't jus…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
