Bible Strands
Leviticus 26:24
then I will act with hostility toward you, and I will strike you sevenfold for your sins.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Yahweh addresses the Israelites within the covenant curse sequence, immediately following a warning that persistent rebellion will provoke reciprocal opposition. The declaration marks the transition from conditional discipline to active divine hostility.
The words — בְּקֶרִי (be./Ke.ri) literally means contrariness or hostile opposition, and הִכֵּיתִי (hi.kei.Ti) means to strike down or smite. These terms describe a direct, punitive divine response to continued covenant defiance.
The thread — The principle of reciprocal divine action appears in Psalms 18:26 and 2 Samuel 22:27, where God meets the crooked with shrewdness, and in Job 9:4, which states that no one successfully resists His strength.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that persistent covenant rebellion triggers measured divine opposition rather than passive allowance. It demands a sober understanding that defiance invites proportional consequences.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
Cross-references
- Psalms 18:26 to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
- 2 Samuel 22:27 to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
- Job 9:4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
- Isaiah 63:10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.