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;

LEVITICUS 26:40KJV
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Leviticus 26:40 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 26:40 mean?

Leviticus 26:40 says that if the Israelites admit their own wrongdoing, as well as the wrongdoing of their ancestors, and recognize how they have acted against God, this is the first step toward restoration. The verse highlights the importance of honest confession about both personal and inherited failures in their relationship with God.

In this verse, God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses, laying out what should happen if they find themselves suffering because they have turned away from God’s ways. The context is a warning about the consequences of disobedience, but also a promise that confession and acknowledgment of sin—both their own and their ancestors’—can open the way for reconciliation with God.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 26:40

  • יָדָה (yadah, H3034) — "confess": This word means to acknowledge or admit openly, not just privately. It carries the sense of making a clear, public admission of guilt, which is more than just feeling sorry.
  • עָוֹן (avon, H5771) — "iniquity": This word refers to guilt or wrongdoing, often with a sense of something twisted or perverted from what is right. The verse uses it for both the people’s own actions and those of their ancestors, stressing that both need to be faced honestly.
  • מַעַל (ma'al, H4604) — "trespass": This word points to a breach of trust or faithfulness, especially in a relationship. Here, it highlights that their wrong was not just breaking a rule, but betraying a relationship with God.
  • הָלַךְ (halak, H1980) + קֶרִי (qeri, H7147) — "walked contrary": This phrase means to live in opposition or hostility toward God, not just making mistakes but choosing a path that is deliberately against Him.

Why Leviticus 26:40 matters

  • Leviticus 26:40 clarifies that confession is not only about personal mistakes but also about recognizing the patterns of failure passed down from previous generations.
  • The verse emphasizes that the real issue is not just breaking rules, but walking in a way that is deliberately opposed to God, which deepens the seriousness of what is being confessed.
  • This verse marks a turning point in the chapter, showing that even after severe consequences, there is a way back through honest acknowledgment and humility, setting up the hope found in the verses that follow.

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 26:28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

“trespass” Hebrew H4604 · used in 29 verses

  • Leviticus 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
  • Joshua 22:22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD,(save us not this day,)
  • Ezra 9:4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

“trespassed” Hebrew H4603 · used in 35 verses

  • Leviticus 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
  • 1 Chronicles 5:25 And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.
  • Ezra 10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

“confess” Hebrew H3034 · used in 111 verses

  • Genesis 29:35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
  • Psalms 9:1 To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
  • Psalms 107:15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!