Leviticus 18:24
in Leviticus 18Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out from before you;
KJV
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
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This verse in Leviticus 18
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The land designed and consecrated for His people by Yahweh Lev 25:23 is here impersonated, and represented as vomiting forth its present inhabitants, in consequence of their indulgence in the abominations that have been mentioned. The iniquity of the Canaanites was now full. See Gen 15:16; compare Isa 24:1-6. The Israelites in this place, and throughout the chapter, are exhorted to a pure and holy life, on the ground that Yahweh, the Holy One, is their God and that they are His people. Compare Lev 19:
This site's exposition
Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices
on Leviticus 18:24-25
The ground of the conquest stated here is the conduct of the nations. Genesis 15:16 held Abraham's descendants back four hundred years until the iniquity of the Amorites was full.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
When we observe how ill sin looks in others we should use this as an argument with ourselves with the utmost care and caution to preserve our purity. For these and the like sins the Canaanites were to be destroyed; these filled the measure of the Amorites' iniquity ( Gen. xv.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things,....
5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the L ORD . After divers ceremonial institutions, God here returns to the enforcement of moral precepts. The former are still of use to us as types, the latter still binding as laws.
All sin is defiling to the conscience, but these are sins that have a peculiar turpitude in them. Our heavenly Father, in kindness to us, requires of us that we keep ourselves clean, and do not wallow in the dirt.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Defile not yourselves in any of these things--In the preceding verses seventeen express cases of incest are enumerated; comprehending eleven of affinity [Le 18:7-16], and six of consanguinity [Le 18:17-20], together with some criminal enormities of an aggravated and unnatural character.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּֽטַּמְּא֖וּ | titameu | you defile yourselves | H2930 → | 162 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | by all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵ֑לֶּה | ʾeleh | these [things] | H428 → | 746 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְכָל־ | vekhol- | by all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵ֙לֶּה֙ | ʾeleh | these [things] | H428 → | 746 times |
| נִטְמְא֣וּ | nitmeu | they have made themselves unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֔ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ | meshaleach | [am] about to send away | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מִפְּנֵיכֶֽם׃ | mipeneikhem | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּֽטַּמְּא֖וּyou defile yourselves
titameuH2930 →162 times
בְּכָל־by all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
אֵ֑לֶּהthese [things]
ʾelehH428 →746 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בְכָל־by all
vekhol-H3605 →5413 times
אֵ֙לֶּה֙these [things]
ʾelehH428 →746 times
נִטְמְא֣וּthey have made themselves unclean
nitmeuH2930 →162 times
הַגּוֹיִ֔םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ[am] about to send away
meshaleachH7971 →845 times
מִפְּנֵיכֶֽם׃from before you
mipeneikhemH6440 →2123 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 3:17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 6:18–20
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
- Ezekiel 43:12
This is the law of the temple: All its surrounding territory on top of the mountain will be most holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple.
- Numbers 19:20
But if a person who is unclean does not purify himself, he will be cut off from the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of purification has not…
- Ezekiel 7:22
I will turn My face away from them, and they will defile My treasured place. Violent men will enter it, and they will defile it.
- Ezekiel 5:11
Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon…
- 1 Corinthians 6:18–20
Through
Leviticus 18:30You 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.”
it leads to
- Leviticus 20:23
You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 20:23
Through
Deuteronomy 18:12For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 9:4
When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD…
- Deuteronomy 9:4
Through
Leviticus 18:3You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you.…
it leads to
- Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
- Exodus 23:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.