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Leviticus 26:19

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And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

And I will break {H7665} the pride {H1347} of your power {H5797}; and I will make {H5414} your heaven {H8064} as iron {H1270}, and your earth {H776} as brass {H5154}:

I will break the pride you have in your own power. I will make your sky like iron, your soil like bronze -

I will break down your stubborn pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze,

And I will break the pride of your power: and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass;

Commentary

Context

Leviticus 26 is a pivotal chapter within the Pentateuch, outlining the blessings promised for obedience to God's covenant laws and the curses threatened for disobedience. Following a detailed list of positive outcomes for faithfulness (Leviticus 26:3-13), this verse introduces one of the severe consequences of rebellion against God. It is part of a series of escalating judgments intended to bring the Israelites back to repentance. The covenant was established at Mount Sinai, where God promised to be their God if they would be His people and obey His commandments.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Consequences: This verse clearly illustrates God's sovereign right to judge His people for their disobedience. It emphasizes that breaking the covenant has tangible and severe repercussions.
  • Humbling of Pride: The phrase "break the pride of your power" highlights that God directly confronts human arrogance and self-reliance. When a nation or individual relies on their own strength, wealth, or military might rather than on God, He will intervene to humble them. This theme is echoed throughout Scripture, as seen in Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goeth before destruction."
  • Drought and Barrenness: The vivid imagery of "heaven as iron, and your earth as brass" describes a devastating drought and subsequent infertility of the land. This was a particularly severe punishment in an agrarian society dependent on rain for survival. It directly counters the promised blessings of abundant harvests for obedience (Leviticus 26:4-5).

Linguistic Insights

The metaphors used in this verse are powerful and evocative:

  • "Pride of your power" (ga'on 'oz): The Hebrew word ga'on (pride) often carries a negative connotation of arrogance or haughtiness, especially when directed against God. 'Oz (power) refers to strength, might, or glory. Thus, God declares He will dismantle their self-sufficiency and perceived invincibility that stems from their defiance.
  • "Heaven as iron" (shamayim ka-barzel): Iron is hard, impenetrable, and unyielding. This imagery signifies a sky that will not yield rain, leading to severe lack and desolation.
  • "Earth as brass" ('eretz ka-nechoshet): Brass (or copper) is also hard and unyielding. This symbolizes ground that is parched, cracked, and utterly unproductive, incapable of bringing forth crops or sustaining life. This condition is a direct reversal of the fruitful land promised in blessing.

Related Scriptures

The warnings in Leviticus 26 are paralleled in other parts of the Old Testament:

  • The detailed list of curses in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 provides a more extensive and graphic description of the consequences of disobedience, including similar threats of drought and famine.
  • Prophets like Jeremiah frequently lamented the effects of such droughts, often linking them to the nation's sin, as seen in Jeremiah 14:1-6.
  • The theme of God opposing the proud is a consistent biblical principle, found in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 in the New Testament.

Practical Application

While this verse speaks to Israel under the Old Covenant, its underlying principles remain highly relevant:

  • Humility is Essential: It serves as a timeless reminder that pride, especially when it leads to forgetting God and His commands, invites divine correction. True strength and lasting prosperity come from humility and dependence on God, not self-reliance.
  • Consequences of Disobedience: God is just, and there are consequences for turning away from His ways. While not always physical drought, spiritual dryness, lack of fruitfulness, and brokenness can result from persistent rebellion against God's Word.
  • God's Sovereignty: This verse underscores God's absolute control over all aspects of creation, including weather and the productivity of the land. He uses these elements to draw His people back to Him.
  • Call to Repentance: The purpose of such warnings is not merely punishment but to call people to repentance and a renewed relationship with their Creator. When we acknowledge our pride and disobedience, God is faithful to restore.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 28:23 (7 votes)

    And thy heaven that [is] over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee [shall be] iron.

  • 1 Kings 17:1 (5 votes)

    ¶ And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, [As] the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

  • Luke 4:25 (3 votes)

    But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

  • Ezekiel 30:6 (3 votes)

    Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.

  • Isaiah 25:11 (3 votes)

    And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth [his hands] to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.

  • Daniel 4:37 (3 votes)

    Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works [are] truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

  • 1 Samuel 4:11 (3 votes)

    And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.