(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
Parallel translations
- WEB (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled);
- BSB For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled.
- NKJV (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled),
- NASB (for the people of the land who were there before you did all these abominations, and the land has become defiled),
- NLT “All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled.
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
The previous inhabitants committed all these abominations and defiled the land.
Overview
This parenthetical explanation reinforces why Israel must avoid such sins: they were precisely what brought judgment on the Canaanites. It establishes a clear historical and moral cause for the conquest. The verse underscores that God's patience with sin has limits and that persistent wickedness invites judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ezek 22:11And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.
- Deut 25:16For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.
- Deut 20:18That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.
- Deut 23:18Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
- Deut 27:15Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
- 2 Kgs 16:3But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
- 2 Kgs 21:2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
- 1 Kgs 14:24And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
- 2 Chr 36:14Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
- Lev 18:24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
- Ezek 16:50And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
- Hos 9:10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 18:27 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.