The Meaning of Leviticus 26:20 Explained

Leviticus 26:20

KJV: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

YLT: and consumed hath been your strength in vain, and your land doth not give her produce, and the tree of the land doth not give its fruit.

Darby: and your strength shall be spent in vain, and your land shall not yield its produce; and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.

ASV: and your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And your strength  shall be spent  in vain:  for your land  shall not yield  her increase,  neither shall the trees  of the land  yield  their fruits. 

What does Leviticus 26:20 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 26:20 mean?

And shall be spent in vain your strength and not shall yield for your land - its produce and the trees of the land nor shall yield their fruit
וְתַ֥ם לָרִ֖יק כֹּחֲכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־ תִתֵּ֤ן אַרְצְכֶם֙ אֶת־ יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֣ץ הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יִתֵּ֖ן פִּרְיֽוֹ

וְתַ֥ם  And  shall  be  spent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: תָּמַם  
Sense: to be complete, be finished, be at an end.
לָרִ֖יק  in  vain 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רִיק  
Sense: emptiness, vanity, empty, idle, vain.
כֹּחֲכֶ֑ם  your  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תִתֵּ֤ן  shall  yield 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אַרְצְכֶם֙  for  your  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
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.
יְבוּלָ֔הּ  its  produce 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יְבוּל  
Sense: produce, fruit, produce (of the soil).
וְעֵ֣ץ  and  the  trees 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִתֵּ֖ן  shall  yield 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
פִּרְיֽוֹ  their  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.