1. Leviticus 26:15 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What is the root cause of covenant unfaithfulness?

Leviticus 26:15 (ESV)

15 if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,

Unfaithfulness to God is expressed by a hatred and rejection of his Word. Three Hebrew words emphasize the extent of the nation’s rejection. First, the term spurn (tim’āsû) means to reject. Second, the word abhor (tiḡ‛ǎl) means to loathe  or to feel disgust. Third, the Hebrew word break (prr) is a technical term which refers to the annulment of an agreement. These terms highlight the extent of Israel’s animosity towards God.