Focused Passage

Leviticus 18:24-30

Sexual Holiness, Covenant Distinction, and the Land That Vomits Out Defilement

The LORD commands Israel not to imitate Egypt or Canaan but to obey His laws and decrees. He then forbids a series of sexual unions and practices, including close-kin sexual relations, sexual relations during menstrual impurity, adultery, child sacrifice to Molek, male same-sex intercourse, and bestiality. The chapter concludes with a warning that these practices defile persons and land, leading the land to vomit out its inhabitants.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

24 Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.

25 Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.

26 But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you.

27 For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled.

28 So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you.

29 Therefore anyone who commits any of these abominations must be cut off from among his people.

30 You must keep My charge not to practice any of the abominable customs that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 24

Original words

Do not אַל־ H408 Adverb defile תִּֽטַּמְּא֖וּ H2930 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine plural yourselves by any בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of these practices אֵ֑לֶּה H428 Pronoun - common plural for כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction by all בְכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct these things אֵ֙לֶּה֙ H428 Pronoun - common plural the nations הַגּוֹיִ֔ם H1471 Article | Noun - masculine plural - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am driving out מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ H7971 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular before you מִפְּנֵיכֶֽם׃ H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural have defiled themselves נִטְמְא֣וּ H2930 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Verse 25

Original words

Even the land הָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular has become defiled וַתִּטְמָ֣א H2930 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular so I am punishing it וָאֶפְקֹ֥ד H6485 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular for its sin עֲוֺנָ֖הּ H5771 Noun - common singular construct | third person feminine singular and the land הָאָ֖רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular . . . עָלֶ֑יהָ H5921 Preposition | third person feminine singular will vomit out וַתָּקִ֥א H6958 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular its אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker inhabitants יֹשְׁבֶֽיהָ׃ H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 26

Original words

But you אַתֶּ֗ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker are to keep וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם H8104 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural My statutes חֻקֹּתַי֙ H2708 Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and ordinances מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י H4941 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular and you must not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle commit תַעֲשׂ֔וּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural any מִכֹּ֥ל H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of these הָאֵ֑לֶּה H428 Article | Pronoun - common plural abominations הַתּוֹעֵבֹ֖ת H8441 Article | Noun - feminine plural neither your native-born הָֽאֶזְרָ֔ח H249 Article | Noun - masculine singular nor the foreigner וְהַגֵּ֖ר H1616 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular who lives הַגָּ֥ר H1481 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular among you בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃ H8432 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 27

Original words

For כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the men אַנְשֵֽׁי־ H582 Noun - masculine plural construct who were in the land הָאָ֖רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative before you לִפְנֵיכֶ֑ם H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural committed עָשׂ֥וּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct these הָאֵ֔ל H411 Article | Pronoun - common plural abominations הַתּוֹעֵבֹ֣ת H8441 Article | Noun - feminine plural and the land הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular has become defiled וַתִּטְמָ֖א H2930 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Verse 28

Original words

So if you defile בְּטַֽמַּאֲכֶ֖ם H2930 Preposition-b | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | second person masculine plural - אֹתָ֑הּ H853 Direct object marker | third person feminine singular the land הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular . . . וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle it will vomit you out תָקִ֤יא H6958 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular - אֶתְכֶ֔ם H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine plural as כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative it spewed out קָאָ֛ה H6958 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the nations הַגּ֖וֹי H1471 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative before you לִפְנֵיכֶֽם׃ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 29

Original words

Therefore כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction anyone כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct who אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative commits יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular any מִכֹּ֥ל H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of these הָאֵ֑לֶּה H428 Article | Pronoun - common plural abominations הַתּוֹעֵב֖וֹת H8441 Article | Noun - feminine plural must be cut off וְנִכְרְת֛וּ H3772 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural . . . הַנְּפָשׁ֥וֹת H5315 Article | Noun - feminine plural . . . הָעֹשֹׂ֖ת H6213 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural from among מִקֶּ֥רֶב H7130 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct his people עַמָּֽם׃ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 30

Original words

You must keep וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם H8104 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My charge מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֗י H4931 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular not לְבִלְתִּ֨י H1115 Preposition-l to practice עֲשׂ֜וֹת H6213 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct [any] of the abominable הַתּֽוֹעֵבֹת֙ H8441 Article | Noun - feminine plural customs מֵחֻקּ֤וֹת H2708 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural construct that אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative were practiced נַעֲשׂ֣וּ H6213 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural before you לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural so that you do not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle defile yourselves תִֽטַּמְּא֖וּ H2930 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine plural by them בָּהֶ֑ם Preposition | third person masculine plural I אֲנִ֖י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃פ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.