You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘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.
- KJV Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.
- NKJV ‘You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out.
- NASB ‘You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances, and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.
- NLT “You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out.
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 keep all God's statutes so the land will not vomit them out. Persistent disobedience leads to expulsion from the promised land.
Overview
The vivid image of the land 'vomiting out' its inhabitants warns that holiness is the condition for dwelling in God's gift. Just as the Canaanites were cast out for their sin, Israel too would be removed if they imitated such practices. This sobering principle, fulfilled in the later exile, shows that covenant blessing is bound to covenant faithfulness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Lev 18:25–28Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.
- Ezek 36:27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
- Ps 119:160The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.
- Ps 119:145I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD! I will obey Your statutes.
- Ps 105:45that they might keep His statutes and obey His laws. Hallelujah!
- Ps 119:20My soul is consumed with longing for Your judgments at all times.
- Ps 119:80May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.
- Lev 18:4–5You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God.
- Isa 26:8–9Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.
- Ps 119:171My lips pour forth praise, for You teach me Your statutes.
- Exod 21:1“These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
- Deut 28:25–26The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
- Ps 19:8–11The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
- Lev 26:33But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.
- Deut 4:45These are the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances that Moses proclaimed to them after they had come out of Egypt,
- Deut 5:1Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I declare in your hearing this day. Learn them and observe them carefully.
- Ps 119:175Let me live to praise You; may Your judgments sustain me.
- Lev 19:37You must keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and follow them. I am the LORD.”
- Ps 119:164Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous judgments.
- Ps 119:106I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.
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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 20:22 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.