Leviticus 26:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, a closed heaven represents a condition of brass, withholding assistance from the earth. Similarly, the earth turns to iron when it denies the emergence of new growth, harshly refusing the seeds that would typically thrive in its nurturing embrace. When has iron ever yielded fruit, or brass brought down rain?

In such times, the wicked face a tragic famine, as those who lack true reverence for the common Lord and Father are stripped of His paternal guidance and blessing. For them, the heavens become as brass, the air unyielding and hardened, while the earth becomes iron, failing to acknowledge its progeny and sowing discord, pushing them further into need. The hungry often resort to wrongful ways, inflicting harm upon others to satisfy their cravings.

If enmity among people is such that, by divine authority, wars erupt, it is indeed true that the earth resembles iron, filled with weapons while yielding little sustenance, abundant in suffering but lacking in nourishment. Where is the abundance? "Behold, I will show you bread" (Exodus 16:4), says the Lord. Let us be well and continue in love, for we cherish you.

He continued, proclaiming that He would dismantle the arrogance of their pride and shatter their stubborn defiance against Him, which they had displayed while disregarding the chastisements they had previously endured. Though they had suffered from crop failures, He indicated that He could intensify and prolong their hardships. He would make the heavens as unyielding as iron and their land as hard as bronze, leaving them without rain or dew. The dry, parched ground would become impenetrable, akin to solid copper, rendering it incapable of proper cultivation and nourishment.