Leviticus 26:16 Meaning and Explanation
“I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Disobedience brings disease, loss of harvest, and the terror of enemy invasion.
The Context of Leviticus 26:16
The first curse tier: plague, disease, and the hollowing-out of agricultural security.
What Does Leviticus 26:16 Mean?
The curses multiply: terror (divine judgment felt in the bones), consumption (wasting disease), burning ague (fever and plague). These strip Israel's strength and hope. The physical toll—consumed eyes, sorrow of heart—is both literal illness and the despair of watching oneself decline.
Agricultural failure compounds the misery: seed sown in vain, enemies eating the harvest. Israel becomes dependent on others, the reverse of the abundant self-sufficiency promised to the obedient.
Leviticus 26:16 in the Original Language
qadachat (קַדַּחַת), 'burning ague'—fever, burning, acute illness that consumes strength.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leviticus 26:16
What does Leviticus 26:16 mean?
Disobedience brings disease, loss of harvest, and the terror of enemy invasion.
What is the context of Leviticus 26:16?
The first curse tier: plague, disease, and the hollowing-out of agricultural security.