And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.

LEVITICUS 26:39KJV
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Leviticus 26:39 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 26:39 mean?

Leviticus 26:39 says that those Israelites who survive after being scattered into enemy lands will waste away because of their own sins and the sins of their ancestors. The verse describes a lingering suffering, not just from their own wrongdoing, but also from the ongoing effects of their family’s past choices.

In this part of Leviticus, God is speaking through Moses to the Israelites, warning them about the consequences of breaking their covenant with Him. The verse comes near the end of a long list of warnings about what will happen if the people turn away from God’s ways, emphasizing that exile and hardship will follow disobedience, and that the effects of sin can last across generations.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 26:39

  • "Pine away" comes from the Hebrew word נָמַק (namak, H4743), which means to waste away, decay, or melt. This word paints a picture of slow, ongoing decline, not just a sudden punishment.
  • "Iniquity" is עָוֹן (avon, H5771), meaning guilt or wrongdoing, especially with the sense of the consequences that come from it. The verse repeats this word to stress both personal and inherited guilt.
  • "Enemies" is אֹיֵב (oyev, H341), meaning those who are hostile or adversarial. The verse highlights that this suffering happens in foreign, hostile lands, far from home.
  • "Lands" is אֶרֶץ (erets, H776), which can mean land, country, or territory. Here, it refers to the various places where the Israelites would be scattered.

Why Leviticus 26:39 matters

  • Leviticus 26:39 clarifies that consequences for wrongdoing can be both personal and generational, showing how actions ripple through families and history.
  • The verse emphasizes that exile is not just a physical displacement but also a spiritual and emotional decline, marked by regret and loss.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme in Leviticus 26 of blessings for obedience and warnings for disobedience, helping readers understand the seriousness with which the covenant was meant to be taken.

Where else these words appear

“away” Hebrew H4743 · used in 7 verses

  • Psalms 38:5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
  • Ezekiel 4:17 That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.
  • Ezekiel 33:10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?

“left” Hebrew H7604 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 7:23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
  • Joshua 13:2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
  • Nehemiah 1:2 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.