Leviticus 26:27-33 Meaning: Walking Contrary to God
27“‘If you in spite of this won’t listen to me, but walk contrary to me,
28then I will walk contrary to you in wrath. I will also chastise you seven times for your sins.
29You will eat the flesh of your sons, and you will eat the flesh of your daughters.
30I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul will abhor you.
31I will lay your cities waste, and will bring your sanctuaries to desolation. I will not take delight in the sweet fragrance of your offerings.
32I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it will be astonished at it.
33I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you. Your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
27And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;
28Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
29And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.
30And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.
31And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.
32And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.
33And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
27And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;
28then I will walk contrary unto you in wrath; and I also will chastise you seven times for your sins.
29And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.
30And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your sun-images, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul shall abhor you.
31And I will make your cities a waste, and will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors.
32And I will bring the land into desolation; and your enemies that dwell therein shall be astonished at it.
33And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
27`And if for this ye hearken not to Me, and have walked with Me in opposition,
28then I have walked with you in the fury of opposition, and have chastised you, even I, seven times for your sins.
29`And ye have eaten the flesh of your sons; even flesh of your daughters ye do eat.
30And I have destroyed your high places, and cut down your images, and have put your carcases on the carcases of your idols, and My soul hath loathed you;
31and I have made your cities a waste, and have made desolate your sanctuaries, and I smell not at your sweet fragrances;
32and I have made desolate the land, and your enemies, who are dwelling in it, have been astonished at it.
33And you I scatter among nations, and have drawn out after you a sword, and your land hath been a desolation, and your cities are a waste.
27And if for this ye hearken not to me, but walk contrary unto me,
28then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven-fold for your sins.
29And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.
30And I will lay waste your high places, and cut down your sun-pillars, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols; and my soul shall abhor you.
31And I will lay waste your cities and desolate your sanctuaries; and I will not smell your sweet odours.
32And I will bring the land into desolation; that your enemies who dwell there in may be astonished at it.
33And I will scatter you among the nations, and will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be desolation, and your cities waste.
Meaning in one sentence
What does 'walk contrary to me' mean in Leviticus 26? The Hebrew phrase reveals the deep connection between sin and its consequences.
Context
Leviticus 26 is the covenant chapter that closes the book. It presents two paths: obedience brings blessing; disobedience brings escalating judgment. Earlier in the chapter, lesser punishments are described, disease, famine, wild animals, military defeat. But these verses form the final, severest stage. If the people still refuse to listen and persist in walking contrary to God, He says He will walk contrary to them in wrath. The language is shocking, cannibalism, obliterated worship sites, abandoned cities, exile. These are not arbitrary threats. They are the logical outcome of a relationship broken by persistent rebellion. The passage forces Israel (and us) to see sin as a breach of covenant with a holy God, and to understand that His discipline, however terrible, is a response to their choices.
Key Words
Three Hebrew phrases carry the weight of this passage. The first is halakh beqeri, translated “walk contrary to me.” The root qeri means hostility, an encounter turned against someone. It pictures two people walking in opposite directions, colliding. When Israel walks beqeri, in stubborn opposition, God does not stand aside. He walks the same way back. The verb halakh (to walk) is the same for both sides. Covenant relationship becomes a head-on collision.
Second, the word sheva (seven times) appears repeatedly. Seven in Hebrew often signals completeness. The punishment is not random multiplying; it is full, measured response to sins that have stacked up. The third word is ga'al in verse 30, “my soul will abhor you.” This is strong language of loathing. God does not merely punish; He turns away in revulsion from what His people have become. The idols are called gillulim, a derogatory term meaning dung pellets. The people have become attached to what is worthless, and God’s response is a holy separation.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions read this passage as a sobering reminder of God’s holiness. Reformed commentators like Calvin emphasize that the severity shows how terrible it is to fall into the hands of the living God when sin is unconfessed. Wesleyan interpreters, following Wesley, highlight that the judgments are graduated, God gives chances to repent at each stage, but persistent refusal leads to consequence. Catholic tradition often reads these verses as both historical warning (fulfilled in the destructions of Jerusalem and the exile) and spiritual allegory: the soul that turns from God experiences a kind of famine and desolation. All traditions agree that the passage points to the gravity of covenant unfaithfulness and the patience of God before judgment falls.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this passage shows God as angry and vengeful, punishing arbitrarily. In fact, the phrase “if you in spite of this won’t listen to me” (v.27) makes clear that God has been patient through earlier stages of discipline. The escalating curses are not God changing, they are the natural fruit of persistent rebellion. The same chapter opens with blessings for obedience. God’s wrath here is His holy love taking sin seriously, not a loss of temper.
Living This Out
This week, consider the small ways you might be “walking contrary” to God, not dramatic rebellion, but a steady ignoring of His voice. Maybe it is a habit you know is wrong but defend, or a relationship where you refuse to forgive. The passage does not ask you to fix everything overnight. It asks you to stop walking in that direction. Confession is the turn. You do not have to fear God’s fury if you come back to Him. The same God who warns also promises restoration in the verses that follow (v.40-45). You can take one step toward Him today.
Main takeaway: Persistent disobedience brings severe consequences, but God’s warnings are an invitation to turn back before it is too late.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God wants us to listen to Him. When we keep doing wrong things, our lives get messy and sad. But God is always ready to forgive when we say sorry.
For ages 9, 12
These verses sound scary because Israel kept ignoring God. God warned them with smaller problems first, but they didn’t change. So things got worse. God didn’t enjoy punishing them, He wanted them to turn back. The same is true for us. When you feel far from God, the answer is not to keep going away. It’s to stop, turn around, and talk to Him.
Questions People Ask
Why does God threaten to make people eat their own children in Leviticus 26:29?
This is a horrifying image that actually happened during later sieges (2 Kings 6:28-29; Lamentations 4:10). It shows the extreme desperation caused by covenant-breaking. God is not commanding this; He is warning that persistent sin leads to conditions so terrible that normal human bonds break down. It underscores the seriousness of rebellion.
What does 'walk contrary to me' mean in Hebrew?
The key phrase is 'halakh beqeri.' The word 'qeri' means opposition or hostility, like walking straight into someone. It pictures a relationship where two parties are moving in opposite directions and colliding. When Israel walks contrary, God says He will walk contrary back. It is a relational image, not just a legal one.
Does this passage mean God is vengeful and cruel?
No. The passage is part of a covenant treaty: blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. Throughout Leviticus 26, God warns step by step, giving chances to repent. The harsh language shows how seriously God takes sin, but the chapter ends with hope, if the people confess, God will remember His covenant (v.40-45). His discipline aims at restoration, not destruction.
How do Christians interpret these curses today?
Many Christians see them as historical warnings for ancient Israel that also illustrate spiritual principles: sin has consequences, and God is patient but just. Some traditions also see them as pointing to Christ, who bore the ultimate curse on the cross (Galatians 3:13). The passage reminds believers to take sin seriously and cling to God’s mercy.
For pastors & researchers
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