Leviticus 26:19 Meaning and Explanation
“And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God will crush Israel's strength and seal the land from rain, making it barren.
The Context of Leviticus 26:19
The second curse tier intensifies: military failure combines with environmental catastrophe—drought and barrenness.
What Does Leviticus 26:19 Mean?
The pride of power—the confidence, strength, and military prowess—is broken. Then the very elements turn hostile: heaven becomes iron (unyielding, unreceptive), earth becomes brass (hard, sterile, unable to receive rain). The poetic language describes a land locked from heaven's moisture, cut off from the blessing that rain brings.
This is reversal of the opening blessing (verse 4): instead of rain in due season, heaven is sealed. Instead of the land yielding increase, the earth is hardened against all growth.
Leviticus 26:19 in the Original Language
etz (עֵצ), 'pride'—might, strength, stubbornness personified; the breaking of it means humiliation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leviticus 26:19
What does Leviticus 26:19 mean?
God will crush Israel's strength and seal the land from rain, making it barren.
What is the context of Leviticus 26:19?
The second curse tier intensifies: military failure combines with environmental catastrophe—drought and barrenness.