Leviticus 26:39 · Bible study
Leviticus 26:39 Commentary: Pining Away
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Leviticus 26:39 describes the remnant pining away for both their own iniquity and their fathers'.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The remnant will rot away in exile, suffering for both their own sin and the accumulated sin of their ancestors.
- Key words: maqaq (to rot, pine away), Niphal, denoting a slow, consuming decay; avon (iniquity), guilt and its consequence.
- Main debate: Whether this indicates strict hereditary guilt (God punishing descendants for the fathers' sins) or the natural, temporal consequences of a continuing legacy of rebellion.
- Theological theme: Covenant justice and mercy, sin has cumulative, intergenerational weight, yet confession leads to restoration.
- Best use: As a sober warning about persistent sin and as a bridge to the hope of repentance in the immediate context (vv.40, 45).
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Those of you who survive in the lands of your enemies will waste away in their iniquity and will decay in the sins of their fathers.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Those of you who are left will pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers they shall pine away with them.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And those who are left of you--they consume away in their iniquity, in the lands of your enemies; and also in the iniquities of their fathers, with them they consume away.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they that remain of you shall waste away through their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also through the iniquities of their fathers shall they waste away with them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And if of them also some remain, they shall pine away in their iniquities, in the land of their enemies: and they shall be afflicted for the sins of their fathers, and their own.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y los que quedaren de vosotros decaerán en las tierras de vuestros enemigos por su iniquidad; y por la iniquidad de sus padres decaerán con ellos:
E os que restarem de vós perecerão nas terras de vossos inimigos por sua iniquidade; e pela iniquidade de seus pais perecerão com eles:
Ceux d’entre vous qui survivront seront frappés de langueur pour leurs iniquités, dans les pays de leurs ennemis; ils seront aussi frappés de langueur pour les iniquités de leurs pères.
Welche aber von euch übrigbleiben, die sollen in ihrer Missetat verschmachten in der Feinde Land; auch in ihrer Väter Missetat sollen sie mit ihnen verschmachten.
En de overgeblevenen onder u zullen om hun ongerechtigheid in de landen uwer vijanden uitteren; ja, ook om de ongerechtigheden hunner vaderen zullen zij met hen uitteren.
I superstiti fra voi si struggeranno nei paesi de’ loro nemici, a motivo delle proprie iniquità; e si struggeranno pure a motivo delle iniquità dei loro padri.
A którzy z was zostaną, wywiędną dla nieprawości swojej w ziemi nieprzyjaciół swoich; także dla nieprawości ojców swych z nimi wywiędną.
а оставшиеся из вас исчахнут за свои беззакония в землях врагов ваших и за беззакония отцов своих исчахнут;
你們 剩下的人 必因自己的罪孽 和 祖宗 的罪孽 在仇敵 之地 消滅。
And those of you who are still living will be wasting away in their sins in the land of your haters; in the sins of their fathers they will be wasting away.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 26:39
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse delivers the final curse of the covenant: the remnant that survives the sword, famine, and pestilence will not escape judgment but will waste away gradually. Calvin describes this as a lingering death more wretched than a single blow, because the guilty conscience brings internal torment. Gill connects the phrase "iniquities of their fathers" to filling up the measure of ancestral sin (Matthew 23:32), noting that the survivors tread in the same steps as their fathers. Keil and Delitzsch focus on the Hebrew verb maqaq, meaning to rot or moulder, and explain that the fathers' iniquities are "with them", they carry these sins and must atone for them. The consensus is that this corporate consequence does not make the remnant innocent victims; they are participants in the same rebellion. Yet the very next verses (vv.40, 45) introduce the way back: confession, humility, and God's faithfulness to the covenant. So the verse teaches both the severity of sin's cumulative effect and the possibility of restoration.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Direct hereditary guilt: Exodus 20:5, Exodus 34:7 — God visits iniquity on third and fourth generation; seems to show direct divine judgment on descendants.
- Temporal consequences of legacy: Ezekiel 18:20 — 'the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father'; the survivors suffer because they continue the same sins, not as punishment for someone else's guilt.
- Corporate solidarity: Leviticus 26:39 together with v.40 — 'they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers,' suggesting a shared participation in a continuing rebellion.
What is clear: The verse teaches that sin has severe, intergenerational consequences for the covenant community, but the immediate context offers a way of restoration through confession and humility.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate vs. individual guilt | All traditions agree that the remnant suffers real, temporal consequences for sin that includes the patterns of their ancestors. | Some traditions (e.g., certain Reformed readings) see the children as directly punished for the fathers' iniquity as a judicial act; others (e.g., Wesleyan, many modern evangelicals) argue the children suffer only because they continue in the same sins, not as personal punishment for someone else's guilt. |
| Nature of the punishment | The pining away is a physical and psychological decay under exile, a real, historical judgment. | Some read it as purely temporal and national (the end of the covenant nation's political existence); others see it as a type of final judgment and the need for a new covenant. |
| The role of repentance | Verse 39 is immediately followed by a call to confession, and God promises to remember the covenant if they humble themselves. | The precise relationship between human repentance and divine restoration is understood differently across Arminian and Calvinist traditions (conditionality vs. monergistic grace). |
| Interpretation of 'with them' (אִתָּם) | The phrase indicates that the iniquities of the fathers are present with the survivors in some way. | Keil and Delitzsch take it as the fathers' iniquities that the survivors carry and must atone for. Others see it as simply stating that the survivors and their fathers share the same punishment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 26 is the covenant conclusion to the Holiness Code (chapters 17, 26). It presents two paths: blessings for obedience (vv.1, 13) and escalating curses for disobedience (vv.14, 39). The curses come in five groups, each more severe. Verse 39 belongs to the fifth and final group, which culminates in the exile of the nation and the desolation of the land. The structure mirrors ancient Near Eastern treaty documents, where a suzerain announces sanctions for a vassal who breaks the pact.
The phrase "iniquities of their fathers" echoes the second commandment (Exodus 20:5; 34:7), where God visits iniquity on the third and fourth generation of those who hate him. In Israel's corporate identity, the nation is a single covenant entity across generations. The sins of the fathers become the inheritance of the children when the children continue in the same rebellion. The specific image of pining away (literally rotting) suggests a slow dissolution, the opposite of the promised prosperity and multiplication. The land will finally enjoy its sabbaths (v.35), a theme that runs throughout the passage.
This verse is not the final word. Immediately following (vv.40, 45), the text moves from judgment to the possibility of repentance. The same God who threatens to "pine away" the remnant also promises to remember the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The historical context of exile, whether the Assyrian deportation of the northern kingdom or the later Babylonian exile, shows this prophecy fulfilled, yet the prophet's call to confess (Nehemiah 1:9) confirms that the curse always carried a seed of hope.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Leviticus 26:39 is stable across the Masoretic tradition. The Septuagint and Peshitta show no significant variation in meaning. The verbal form יִמַּקּוּ (Niphal imperfect) is consistent. The consulted sources note no meaningful variants.
Reception History
Jewish tradition read Leviticus 26:39 as underscoring the principle that sin accumulates across generations, but also that repentance can break the cycle. The rabbis often linked this verse to the confession of Daniel (Daniel 9) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9), where the exiles confess the sins of their fathers. In Christian history, the verse was cited by church fathers like Jerome in discussions of original sin, though with caution: the survivor's personal sin is always included. The verse has been used in hymns of lament and exile, most notably in settings of Psalm 137 and the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The Wesleyan tradition focused on the conditionality of the curse, emphasizing that confession and humility open the door to restoration. In modern pastoral care, it has served as a scriptural basis for addressing generational sin patterns while always pointing to the grace of Christ.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A Lingering Judgment, The remnant wastes away slowly. God's discipline is not always a quick blow; it can be the gradual erosion of strength, peace, and hope. This warns against presuming that delayed judgment means no judgment.
- Corporate Consequences, The survivors suffer for their own sin and the sins of their fathers. When we persist in rebellion, we not only reap our own harvest but also pass on a legacy of brokenness to the next generation.
- Hope on the Other Side, The immediate context (vv.40, 45) opens a door: confession, humility, and acceptance of punishment lead to covenant remembrance. Even the worst curse has a hinge toward restoration.
Five-point outline
- The severity of sin: the verb maqaq, to rot, to fester.
- The persistence of judgment: even the surviving remnant does not escape.
- The weight of ancestral patterns: “the iniquities of their fathers with them.”
- The call to humility: the uncircumcised heart must be humbled (v.41).
- The promise of restoration: God remembers the covenant and the land.
Illustration hooks
- A tree that looks healthy on the outside but has rot spreading from the core. The decay is invisible at first, then the branches fall one by one. That is sin’s work in a life or a community.
- A family where patterns of anger or addiction are passed down. Each generation thinks they can stop it, but without confession and change, the cycle continues.
- A nation that ignores its past injustices, the consequences pile up and affect children born decades later. The call is to repent of the sins of the fathers.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it fair for God to punish children for their parents’ sins? How does this verse relate to personal responsibility?
- What does it mean to “confess the iniquity of our fathers”? Do we admit guilt for what we did not personally do?
- How can we break generational sin patterns in our families and church?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the end of a long list of curses, yet it is immediately followed by an invitation to confess and return. The tension between corporate judgment and individual repentance is one that every generation must face. As you discuss, notice both the seriousness of sin and the nearness of mercy.
Discussion questions
- Read Leviticus 26:39 in its context (vv.36, 45). What stands out to you about the way God describes the fate of the remnant?
- The Hebrew verb for “pine away” or “rot” (maqaq) is strong. Why do you think God uses such vivid language?
- Verse 39 mentions both “their iniquity” and “the iniquities of their fathers.” How does this relate to the principle in Exodus 20:5 and Ezekiel 18:20?
- How does the offer of restoration in vv.40, 45 change the way we read v.39? Is the curse final or conditional?
- In what ways do we see the consequences of past generations’ sins in our own lives, communities, or nations?
- What would it look like for a group of believers to confess “the iniquity of their fathers” today? Should we do that?
- How does Jesus Christ fulfill the covenant that Israel broke? Where do we see hope for those who have pined away under sin?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 20:5 | you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, |
| Exodus 34:7 | keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation.” |
| Numbers 14:18 | ‘Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’ |
| Deuteronomy 5:9 | You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me |
| Deuteronomy 28:65 | Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul. |
| Deuteronomy 30:1 | It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations where Yahweh your God has driven you, |
| Nehemiah 1:9 | but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’ |
| Psalms 32:3 | When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that God's judgment on the wicked extends beyond violent death to a lingering internal torment. He argues that an evil conscience fills them with trembling, making them flee from imagined threats. This self-inflicted fear is far more wretched than being killed outright.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator explains that "in the iniquities of their fathers" means sharing in the accumulated guilt their fathers helped create. "With them" can mean either following the same sinful pattern or clinging to those inherited wrongs. The focus is on continuity of disobedience across generations.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the survivors will not escape judgment. They will waste away in exile, suffering both for their own sins and for the sins of their ancestors. God's punishment falls on the entire nation, even the remnant who remain.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws attention to the gradual nature of the judgment: "pine away" means a slow wasting, not sudden death. He also notes that the people suffer for their fathers' sins as well as their own, because they follow the same evil practices and thus fill up the measure of their fathers' transgressions.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasizes that the people still suffering would rot or moulder away under their own iniquities, compounded by the iniquities of their fathers which they carry with them. The phrase "with them" means these sins remain attached as a burden that must be atoned for.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists the blessings and curses address the whole nation of Israel, not individuals. He sees a progressive, conditional pattern: national disobedience brings escalating punishment, but the covenant is never entirely broken, leaving room for the nation's eventual restoration through repentance.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the escalating punishments as a deliberate progression aimed at reformation, not mere revenge. Each new wave of judgment is designed to break stubborn resistance and drive the people back to obedience, with the severity rising until they finally heed God's call.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley reads "pine away" as a slow, gradual wasting, not a sudden destruction. He specifies that this consumption comes through a combination of diseases, external oppressions, internal griefs, and manifold miseries working together over time.