◄ Leviticus 26:39 ►
Those of you who survive in the lands of your enemies will waste away in their iniquity and will decay in the sins of their fathers.
Study Bible
Those of you who survive
This phrase refers to the remnant of the Israelites who endure the consequences of disobedience. The Hebrew root for "survive" is "שָׁאַר" (sha'ar), meaning to remain or be left over. Historically, the concept of a remnant is significant in the Bible, symbolizing hope and the possibility of restoration. Despite judgment, God preserves a group through whom He can fulfill His promises.

will waste away
The Hebrew word used here is "מָקַק" (maqaq), which conveys the idea of decay or withering. This imagery is powerful, illustrating the physical and spiritual decline that results from sin. It serves as a stark warning of the consequences of turning away from God, emphasizing the need for repentance and reliance on His grace.

in the lands of their enemies
This phrase highlights the reality of exile, a punishment for Israel's disobedience. Historically, the Israelites experienced this during the Babylonian captivity. Being in the land of their enemies signifies not only physical displacement but also spiritual alienation from God. It underscores the importance of faithfulness to God’s covenant to remain in His favor and protection.

because of their iniquity
"Iniquity" here is translated from the Hebrew "עָוֹן" (avon), meaning guilt or sin. This term indicates a moral failing that leads to separation from God. The verse emphasizes personal responsibility for sin, reminding believers of the need for confession and repentance to restore their relationship with God.

and they will also waste away
The repetition of "waste away" reinforces the severity of the consequences of sin. It serves as a literary device to emphasize the certainty and seriousness of divine judgment. This repetition calls believers to reflect on their spiritual state and the importance of living in obedience to God’s commands.

because of the iniquities of their fathers
This phrase introduces the concept of generational sin, where the consequences of one generation's sins affect subsequent ones. The Hebrew understanding of communal responsibility is evident here, reminding believers of the impact of their actions on future generations. It calls for a legacy of faithfulness and righteousness to break the cycle of sin.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Israelites
The primary audience of Leviticus, the Israelites are God's chosen people, receiving the laws and commandments through Moses.

2. Moses
The prophet and leader who delivered God's laws to the Israelites, including the blessings and curses outlined in Leviticus 26.

3. Promised Land
The land of Canaan, promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, where the Israelites were to live in obedience to God.

4. Enemies' Lands
Refers to the foreign lands where the Israelites would be exiled due to their disobedience and iniquity.

5. Iniquity
The sin and moral corruption that led to the Israelites' punishment and exile.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Sin
Sin has real and lasting consequences, not only for the individual but also for future generations. Understanding this can lead to a deeper commitment to living a life of obedience to God.

The Importance of Repentance
The Israelites' exile serves as a reminder of the need for genuine repentance. Turning back to God can restore our relationship with Him and bring healing.

God's Faithfulness in Discipline
Even in discipline, God remains faithful. His purpose is not to destroy but to correct and bring His people back to righteousness.

Generational Impact of Sin
Our actions can affect not only our lives but also those of future generations. This calls for a conscious effort to break cycles of sin through faith and obedience.

Hope in God's Promises
Despite the dire warnings, God's promises of restoration and blessing for obedience remain. This hope encourages perseverance and faithfulness.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the historical context of Leviticus 26:39 enhance our comprehension of its message?

2. In what ways can the concept of "wasting away" due to iniquity be observed in today's world?

3. How do the themes of Leviticus 26:39 relate to the New Testament teachings on sin and redemption?

4. What steps can we take to ensure that we do not repeat the iniquities of our "fathers" or previous generations?

5. How can we find hope and encouragement in God's promises, even when facing the consequences of sin?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter parallels Leviticus 26, detailing the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, emphasizing the consequences of turning away from God.

Ezekiel 4:17
This verse speaks of the Israelites wasting away due to their iniquity, echoing the theme of Leviticus 26:39.

Jeremiah 31:29-30
These verses discuss the concept of individual responsibility for sin, contrasting with the idea of suffering for the iniquities of the fathers.

Romans 5:12
This New Testament verse connects the concept of inherited sin from Adam, providing a broader theological context for understanding iniquity.

Hebrews 12:5-11
Discusses God's discipline as a sign of His love, relevant to understanding the purpose behind the Israelites' suffering and exile.
Sermons
Temporal Rewards and PunishmentsR.M. Edgar Leviticus 26:1-46
Promises and ThreateningsR.A. Redford Leviticus 26:3-39
Divine RetributionW. Clarkson Leviticus 26:14-39
Prophetic MaledictionsJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 26:14-39
Desolation Threatened to IsraelW. H. Jellie.Leviticus 26:27-39
God's Determination to Punish SinnersWm. Sleigh.Leviticus 26:27-39
People
Egyptians, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Consume, Enemies, Fathers, Forefathers, Haters, Iniquities, Iniquity, Lands, Pine, Rot, Sins, Waste, Wasting
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 26:39

     5724   offspring
     5979   waste
     6142   decay
     6160   fathers, sin of

Leviticus 26:14-39

     5827   curse
     6026   sin, judgment on

Leviticus 26:27-42

     6702   peace, destruction

Leviticus 26:36-39

     5714   men

Library
Emancipated Slaves
I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.'--LEV. xxvi. 13. The history of Israel is a parable and a prophecy as well as a history. The great central word of the New Testament has been drawn from it, viz. 'redemption,' i.e. a buying out of bondage. The Hebrew slaves in Egypt were 'delivered.' The deliverance made them a nation. God acquired them for Himself, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Lii. Trust in God.
15th Sunday after Trinity. S. Matt. vi. 31. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness." INTRODUCTION.--We read in ancient Roman history that a general named Aemilius Paulus was appointed to the Roman army in a time of war and great apprehension. He found in the army a sad condition of affairs, there were more officers than fighting men, and all these officers wanted to have their advice taken, and the war conducted in accordance with their several opinions. Then Aemilius Paulus …
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

A Reformer's Schooling
'The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2. That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet
We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the most venerable parts of creation; "contend with the mountains" by taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet reminds the people of …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Repentance
Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Acts 11: 18. Repentance seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,' &c. Matt 4: 17. In his last farewell, when he was ascending to heaven, he commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name.' Luke 24: 47. Repentance is a pure gospel grace. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Second Commandment
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of then that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.' Exod 20: 4-6. I. Thou shalt not …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
The duty of Covenanting is founded on the law of nature; but it also stands among the arrangements of Divine mercy made from everlasting. The promulgation of the law, enjoining it on man in innocence as a duty, was due to God's necessary dominion over the creatures of his power. The revelation of it as a service obligatory on men in a state of sin, arose from his unmerited grace. In the one display, we contemplate the authority of the righteous moral Governor of the universe; in the other, we see …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied in Ancient Rabbinic Writings
THE following list contains the passages in the Old Testament applied to the Messiah or to Messianic times in the most ancient Jewish writings. They amount in all to 456, thus distributed: 75 from the Pentateuch, 243 from the Prophets, and 138 from the Hagiorgrapha, and supported by more than 558 separate quotations from Rabbinic writings. Despite all labour care, it can scarcely be hoped that the list is quite complete, although, it is hoped, no important passage has been omitted. The Rabbinic references …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Mercy of God
The next attribute is God's goodness or mercy. Mercy is the result and effect of God's goodness. Psa 33:5. So then this is the next attribute, God's goodness or mercy. The most learned of the heathens thought they gave their god Jupiter two golden characters when they styled him good and great. Both these meet in God, goodness and greatness, majesty and mercy. God is essentially good in himself and relatively good to us. They are both put together in Psa 119:98. Thou art good, and doest good.' This …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Leviticus 26:39 NIV
Leviticus 26:39 NLT
Leviticus 26:39 ESV
Leviticus 26:39 NASB
Leviticus 26:39 KJV

Leviticus 26:39 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Leviticus 26:38
Top of Page
Top of Page