The Meaning of Leviticus 26:16 Explained

Leviticus 26:16

KJV: 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.

YLT: I also do this to you, and I have appointed over you trouble, the consumption, and the burning fever, consuming eyes, and causing pain of soul; and your seed in vain ye have sowed, and your enemies have eaten it;

Darby: I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and fever, which shall cause the eyes to fail, and the soul to waste away; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

ASV: I also will do this unto you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Leviticus 26:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 26:1-20 - Results Of Obedience And Disobedience
There is a vast contrast between the ideal life of the first thirteen verses of this chapter and the remainder; just the distinction which God ever makes between a life of obedience and faith, and one of disobedience and disbelief. In our inner life we also may have that blessed rain of spiritual grace; the fruit-fullness and the peace, the safety and the victory, the old store reaching to the new, the breaking of our bars and the snapping of our yoke.
If these privileges are not yours, think back on your past to ascertain whether you are walking in all God's commandments, or are in anything walking contrary to them. Confess your sins and return, and dare to believe that He will bring you again, if penitent and believing, into the old glad position. But if "ye will not," Leviticus 26:14; Leviticus 26:18; Leviticus 26:21; Leviticus 26:23; Leviticus 26:27, heavy penalties must befall. God loves us too well to allow us to drift, unwarned and unrestrained, to perdition. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 26

1  Of idolatry
2  Reverence
3  A blessing to those who keep the commandments
14  A curse to those who break them
40  God promises to remember those who repent

What do the individual words in Leviticus 26:16 mean?

also I will do this to you And even I will appoint over you terror - wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart and you shall sow in vain your seed for shall eat it your enemies
אַף־ אֲנִ֞י אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ זֹּ֣את לָכֶ֗ם וְהִפְקַדְתִּ֨י עֲלֵיכֶ֤ם בֶּֽהָלָה֙ אֶת־ הַשַּׁחֶ֣פֶת וְאֶת־ הַקַּדַּ֔חַת מְכַלּ֥וֹת עֵינַ֖יִם וּמְדִיבֹ֣ת נָ֑פֶשׁ וּזְרַעְתֶּ֤ם לָרִיק֙ זַרְעֲכֶ֔ם וַאֲכָלֻ֖הוּ אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם

אַף־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־  will  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
זֹּ֣את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
לָכֶ֗ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
וְהִפְקַדְתִּ֨י  And  even  I  will  appoint 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
עֲלֵיכֶ֤ם  over  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בֶּֽהָלָה֙  terror 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֶּהָלָה  
Sense: dismay, sudden terror or ruin, alarm.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַשַּׁחֶ֣פֶת  wasting  disease 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁחֶפֶת  
Sense: consumption, wasting disease.
הַקַּדַּ֔חַת  fever 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קַדַּחַת  
Sense: fever.
מְכַלּ֥וֹת  which  shall  consume 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, feminine plural
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
עֵינַ֖יִם  the  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cd
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וּמְדִיבֹ֣ת  and  cause  sorrow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, feminine plural
Root: דּוּב  
Sense: to pine away, pass away.
נָ֑פֶשׁ  of  heart 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וּזְרַעְתֶּ֤ם  and  you  shall  sow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: זָרַע  
Sense: to sow, scatter seed.
לָרִיק֙  in  vain 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רִיק  
Sense: emptiness, vanity, empty, idle, vain.
זַרְעֲכֶ֔ם  your  seed 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
וַאֲכָלֻ֖הוּ  for  shall  eat  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם  your  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.