Leviticus 20:23

Leviticus 20:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
• New International Version (NIV)You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.

Context of Leviticus 20:23

21“If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has violated his brother, and the guilty couple will remain childless. 22“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. Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them. 24But I have promised you, ‘You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from all other people. 25“You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any unclean animal or bird or creature that scurries along the ground. I have identified them as being unclean for you.

Leviticus 20:23 word by word

וְלֹ֤א תֵֽלְכוּ֙ בְּחֻקֹּ֣ת הַגּ֔וֹי אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֤י אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֙לֶּה֙ עָשׂ֔וּ וָאָקֻ֖ץ בָּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And ye shall not walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• in the mannersחֻקָּהchûqqâh · statuteH2708
• of the nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• which I cast outשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• you: for they committedעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• all these things, and therefore I abhorredקוּץqûts · to loatheH6973

Cross-references for Leviticus 20:23

• Leviticus 18:3So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.
• Deuteronomy 12:30do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’
• Jeremiah 10:1Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O Israel!
• Leviticus 18:27“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.
• Deuteronomy 9:5It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• Psalms 78:59When God heard them, he was very angry, and he completely rejected Israel.
• Zechariah 11:8I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep, and they hated me, too.

Commentaries on Leviticus 20:23

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22-26Verses 22-26 The ground is here again stated on which all these laws of holiness should be obeyed. See Leviticus 18:24-30 note. Leviticus 20:24 Compare the margin reference. Leviticus 20:25, Leviticus 20:26 The distinction between clean and unclean for the whole people, and not for any mere section of it, was one great typical mark of “the kingdom of priests, the holy nation.” See the Leviticus 11:42 note. Leviticus 20:25 Any manner of living thing that…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-27Verses 10-27 These verses repeat what had been said before, but it was needful there should be line upon line. What praises we owe to God that he has taught the evil of sin, and the sure way of deliverance from it! May we have grace to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; may we have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-27Pagan worship influenced ethics, so God has family rules follow those about pagan religious practices. Some laws in this section repeat parts from Leviticus 18:6–30, which come before the section on proper expressions of holiness (19:1–37). These issues connect. Proper worship of God leads to good behavior toward others, while improper worship leads to moral violations.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-272. Whosoever ... giveth any of his seed unto Molech--(See on Le 18:21). the people of the land shall stone him with stones, &c.--Criminals who were condemned to be stoned were led, with their hands bound, without the gates to a small eminence, where was a large stone placed at the bottom. When they had approached within ten cubits of the spot, they were exhorted to confess, that, by faith and repentance, their souls might be saved. When led forward to…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 20:23

• Canaanites
• Company
• Example

In the dictionaries

• Accomplish
• Alliance
• Crucifixion
• Heathen
• Wizard
• Clean
• Criticism
• Ezekiel
• Holiness
• Law in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Leviticus 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings