‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these things the nations which I am driving out from you have become defiled.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.
- KJV Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
- BSB 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.
- NKJV ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.
- NLT “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel must not defile themselves with these sins, which defiled the nations God is driving out.
Overview
God explains that the Canaanites' very land was being judged for such practices. This shows that the moral standards of Leviticus 18 are not arbitrary cultural rules but reflect God's holiness binding on all peoples. It warns Israel that the same defilement would bring the same judgment, calling them to a holy distinctness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Deut 18:12For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Because of these abominations, Yahweh your God drives them out from before you.
- Lev 18:30Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am Yahweh your God.’”
- Lev 20:22–23“‘You shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them; that the land, where I am bringing you to dwell, may not vomit you out.
- Deut 12:31You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
- Matt 15:18–20But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.
- Lev 18:3You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes.
- Jer 44:4However I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, “Oh, don’t do this abominable thing that I hate.”
- 1 Cor 3:17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.
- Lev 18:6–23“‘None of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh.
- Mark 7:10–23For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 18:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.