The Meaning of Leviticus 26:25 Explained

Leviticus 26:25

KJV: And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

YLT: and I have brought in on you a sword, executing the vengeance of a covenant; and ye have been gathered unto your cities, and I have sent pestilence into your midst, and ye have been given into the hand of an enemy.

Darby: And I will bring a sword upon you that avengeth with the vengeance of the covenant, and ye shall be gathered together into your cities, and I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

ASV: And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant; and ye shall be gathered together within your cities: and I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will bring  a sword  upon you, that shall avenge  the quarrel  of [my] covenant:  and when ye are gathered together  within  your cities,  I will send  the pestilence  among  you; and ye shall be delivered  into the hand  of the enemy. 

What does Leviticus 26:25 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 26:21-46 - Desolation And Captivity For The Stubborn
Notwithstanding the solemn and appalling pictures placed before Israel in these verses, they forsook the Lord and served other gods. Thus, they brought upon themselves the sore judgments threatened against them, consisting of defeat, scarcity, wild beasts, pestilence and famine, the horrors of siege and desolation, followed by dispersion to the four winds of heaven. The book of Judges illustrates the first, and the destruction of Jerusalem, as told by Josephus, the last of these plagues.
Under the curse of this chapter the chosen people are suffering to this very hour. Scattered and peeled, wasted and outcast, they are monuments of God's truthfulness to His word. They teach an impressive lesson which the nations of the world would do well to lay to heart. Note that remarkable expression about accepting their punishment, as the necessary condition of forgiveness and restoration. The same condition always holds.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [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 26:25 mean?

And I will bring against you a sword that will execute the vengeance of the covenant and when you are gathered together within your cities and I will send pestilence among you and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy
וְהֵבֵאתִ֨י עֲלֵיכֶ֜ם חֶ֗רֶב נֹקֶ֙מֶת֙ נְקַם־ בְּרִ֔ית וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶל־ עָרֵיכֶ֑ם וְשִׁלַּ֤חְתִּי דֶ֙בֶר֙ בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם וְנִתַּתֶּ֖ם בְּיַד־ אוֹיֵֽב

וְהֵבֵאתִ֨י  And  I  will  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עֲלֵיכֶ֜ם  against  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.
חֶ֗רֶב  a  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
נֹקֶ֙מֶת֙  that  will  execute 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: נָקַם  
Sense: to avenge, take vengeance, revenge, avenge oneself, be avenged, be punished.
נְקַם־  the  vengeance 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָקָם  
Sense: vengeance.
בְּרִ֔ית  of  the  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּ֖ם  and  when  you  are  gathered  together 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
אֶל־  within 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עָרֵיכֶ֑ם  your  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וְשִׁלַּ֤חְתִּי  and  I  will  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
דֶ֙בֶר֙  pestilence 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶר 
Sense: pestilence, plague.
בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם  among  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
וְנִתַּתֶּ֖ם  and  you  shall  be  delivered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּיַד־  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אוֹיֵֽב  of  the  enemy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.