This verse, Leviticus 26:20, is a curse or a warning of the consequences of disobedience to God's laws. Let's break it down:
"Your strength will be spent in vain...": This means that people will work hard and exert a lot of effort (their "strength") in farming, planting, and tending the land, but their efforts will be unproductive.
"...for your land won’t yield its increase...": The land will not produce good crops or harvests. Despite their hard work, the crops will fail.
"...neither will the trees of the land yield their fruit.": Similar to the land not producing crops, the fruit trees will also be barren and not produce fruit.
Overall Meaning:
The verse describes agricultural failure and famine as a consequence of disobeying God's commandments. It illustrates that disobedience can lead to a lack of blessing and provision, even when people work diligently. The passage is part of a larger section in Leviticus that outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. It's a stark warning emphasizing the importance of adhering to God's covenant. The work of the people would be fruitless (in vain) because God would withhold the land's ability to yield food.
This verse, Leviticus 26:20, is a curse or a warning of the consequences of disobedience to God's laws. Let's break it down:
"Your strength will be spent in vain...": This means that people will work hard and exert a lot of effort (their "strength") in farming, planting, and tending the land, but their efforts will be unproductive.
"...for your land won’t yield its increase...": The land will not produce good crops or harvests. Despite their hard work, the crops will fail.
"...neither will the trees of the land yield their fruit.": Similar to the land not producing crops, the fruit trees will also be barren and not produce fruit.
Overall Meaning:
The verse describes agricultural failure and famine as a consequence of disobeying God's commandments. It illustrates that disobedience can lead to a lack of blessing and provision, even when people work diligently. The passage is part of a larger section in Leviticus that outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. It's a stark warning emphasizing the importance of adhering to God's covenant. The work of the people would be fruitless (in vain) because God would withhold the land's ability to yield food.