Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

LEVITICUS 26:28KJV
Know the Bible

Leviticus 26:28 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 26:28 mean?

Leviticus 26:28 means that God warns the Israelites He will respond to their persistent disobedience with intense opposition and repeated discipline, punishing them seven times over for their sins. This verse stresses that God’s response will be direct and severe if they continue to break His covenant.

In this chapter, God is speaking through Moses to the people of Israel, laying out the consequences for ignoring His laws and commands. The phrase “walk contrary unto you also in fury” shows that God’s actions will mirror their stubbornness, but with righteous anger. The mention of being chastised “seven times” highlights the completeness and seriousness of the discipline, not just a literal number but a way to say the punishment will be thorough.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 26:28

  • “Walk” (הָלַךְ, halakh): This word means to go or move, but here it is used to describe God’s active opposition, matching Israel’s own contrary behavior.
  • “Contrary” (קֶרִי, qeri): This word suggests hostility or opposition, showing that God will deliberately act against them, not just passively allow trouble.
  • “Fury” (חֵמָה, chemah): This means intense anger or wrath, emphasizing the seriousness of God’s response.
  • “Chastise” (יָסַר, yasar): This word means to discipline or correct, often with the purpose of instruction, not just punishment.
  • “Times” (שֶׁבַע, sheva): The number seven in Hebrew often represents completeness or fullness, so “seven times” means the discipline will be full and thorough.
  • “Sins” (חַטָּאָה, chatta’ah): This refers to wrongdoing or offenses against God’s commands.

Why Leviticus 26:28 matters

  • Leviticus 26:28 clarifies that God’s discipline is not random or vindictive, but a direct response to persistent disobedience, matching the people’s attitude with a just and measured reaction.
  • The verse emphasizes the seriousness of breaking the covenant, showing that repeated warnings will be followed by increasingly severe consequences if ignored.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme of Leviticus 26, where blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience are laid out, helping the reader see the covenant relationship as two-sided and deeply relational.

Where else these words appear

“contrary” Hebrew H7147 · used in 7 verses

  • Leviticus 26:21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.
  • Leviticus 26:24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
  • Leviticus 26:40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;

“even” Hebrew H637 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
  • Deuteronomy 33:20 And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
  • 1 Chronicles 8:32 And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them.

“chastise” Hebrew H3256 · used in 38 verses

  • Leviticus 26:18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
  • Psalms 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
  • Proverbs 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

“fury” Hebrew H2534 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 27:44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;
  • Psalms 140:3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
  • Lamentations 4:11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.