And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

EXODUS 15:26KJV
Know the Bible

Exodus 15:26 (KJV)

What does Exodus 15:26 mean?

Exodus 15:26 describes God telling the Israelites that if they listen carefully to His voice, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commandments, and keep all His rules, He will not bring on them the diseases He sent on the Egyptians, because He is the Lord who heals them. This verse connects obedience to God with protection and healing, showing God as both a lawgiver and a healer.

In this scene, Moses is speaking to the Israelites shortly after their escape from Egypt, as they travel through the wilderness. The people have just experienced God's power in the plagues against Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. Here, God sets out a condition: if the Israelites will truly listen ("diligently hearken") and follow His ways, they will be spared from the kinds of plagues and troubles that struck Egypt, because God identifies Himself as their healer.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 15:26

  • The word "diligently hearken" comes from שָׁמַע (shama‘), which means "to listen" or "to hear." The Hebrew repeats this word for emphasis, suggesting not just hearing but truly paying attention and responding.
  • "Healeth" is רָפָא (rapha’), meaning "to heal" or "to restore." Here, God is not only a judge but also the one who brings restoration and health, highlighting a caring aspect of His character.
  • "Statutes" is חֹק (choq), which refers to specific rules or decrees. This word points to the detailed instructions God gives, not just general moral commands.
  • "Diseases" is מַחֲלָה (machalah), meaning "sicknesses" or "plagues." The same word is used for the afflictions that struck Egypt, making a direct link between the Israelites’ obedience and their physical well-being.

Why Exodus 15:26 matters

  • Exodus 15:26 helps clear up the idea that God’s laws were only about ritual or ceremony; here, they are directly tied to the people’s health and well-being.
  • The verse emphasizes God’s identity as healer (רָפָא, rapha’), not just as a deliverer or judge, which is a key theme in the journey of the Israelites.
  • This verse connects the story of the plagues in Egypt with the Israelites’ future, showing that the same God who judged Egypt can protect and heal His own people if they follow Him.

Where else these words appear

“diseases” Hebrew H4245 · used in 6 verses

  • Exodus 23:25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
  • 1 Kings 8:37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;
  • 2 Chronicles 21:15 And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.

“ear” Hebrew H238 · used in 41 verses

  • Genesis 4:23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
  • Psalms 5:1 To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
  • Psalms 141:1 A Psalm of David. LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

“healeth” Hebrew H7495 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
  • 2 Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.
  • Jeremiah 6:14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

“right” Hebrew H3477 · used in 119 verses

  • Numbers 23:10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
  • 2 Chronicles 29:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
  • Proverbs 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.