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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Leviticus 18:30

You must keep my instruction to not do any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them; I am the Lord your God.”

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- The Topic Concordance - Obedience;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Sin-Offering;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Affinity;   Marriage;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Worship;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ethics;   Leviticus;   Pentateuch;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Sanctification, Sanctify;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Custom (2);   Law in the Old Testament;   Leviticus;   Ordinance;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Holiness;   Judaism;   Pharisees;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore you shall keep my charge, 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 the LORD your God.'"
King James Version
Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God.
Lexham English Bible
Thus you shall keep my obligation to not do any of the statutes regarding the detestable things that they did before you, so that you will not make yourselves unclean by them; I am Yahweh your God.'"
New Century Version
Keep my command not to do these hateful sins that were done by the people who lived in the land before you. Don't make yourself unclean by doing them. I am the Lord your God.'"
New English Translation
You must obey my charge to not practice any of the abominable statutes that have been done before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the Lord your God.'"
Amplified Bible
'So keep My command: do not practice any of the repulsive customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves by them; I am the LORD your God.'"
New American Standard Bible
'So you are to keep your commitment to Me not to practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore shall yee keepe mine ordinances that ye do not any of the abominable customes, which haue bene done before you, and that yee defile not your selues therein: for I am the Lorde your God.
Legacy Standard Bible
Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not do any of the abominable statutes which have been done before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am Yahweh your God.'"
Complete Jewish Bible
So keep my charge not to follow any of these abominable customs that others before you have followed and thus defile yourselves by doing them. I am Adonai your God.'" Haftarah Acharei Mot: Yechezk'el (Ezekiel) 22:1–19 (A); 22:1–16 (S) B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Acharei Mot: Romans 3:19–28; 9:30 –10:13; 1 Corinthians 5:1–13 with 2 Corinthians 2:1–11; Galatians 3:10–14; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 7:23–10:25
Darby Translation
And ye shall observe my charge, that ye commit not [any] of the abominable customs which were committed before you; and ye shall not make yourselves unclean therein: I am Jehovah your God.
Easy-to-Read Version
Other people have done these terrible sins, but you must obey my laws. You must not do any of these terrible sins. Do not make yourself filthy with these terrible sins. I am the Lord your God."
English Standard Version
So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God."
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore you shall keep my ordinance, and you shall not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and you shall not defile yourselves by them; I am the LORD your God.
Good News Translation
And the Lord said, "Obey the commands I give and do not follow the practices of the people who lived in the land before you, and do not make yourselves unclean by doing any of these things. I am the Lord your God."
Literal Translation
And you shall keep My charge, so as not to do any of the disgusting customs which were committed before you; and you shall not defile yourselves with them; I am Jehovah your God.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore kepe ye my statutes, that ye do not after ye abhominable customes, which were before you, that ye be not defyled therwith: For I am the LORDE youre God.
American Standard Version
Therefore shall ye keep my charge, that ye practise not any of these abominable customs, which were practised before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am Jehovah your God.
Bible in Basic English
So then, keep my orders, so that you may not do any of these disgusting things which were done before you, or make yourselves unclean through them: I am the Lord your God.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therefore shall ye kepe myne ordinaunces, that ye commit not one of these abhominable customes whiche were committed before you, and that ye defile not your selues therein: I am the Lorde your God.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Therefore shall ye keep My charge, that ye do not any of these abominable customs, which were done before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.
King James Version (1611)
Therefore shal ye keepe mine Ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customes, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not your selues therein: I am the Lord your God.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And ye shall keep mine ordinances, that ye may not do any of the abominable practices, which have taken place before your time: and ye shall not be polluted in them; for I am the Lord your God.
English Revised Version
Therefore shall ye keep my charge, that ye do not any of these abominable customs, which were done before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.
Berean Standard Bible
You 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."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Kepe ye myn heestis; nyle ye do tho thingis, whiche thei that weren bifor you diden, and be ye not defoulid in tho; Y am youre Lord God.
Young's Literal Translation
and ye have kept My charge, so as not to do [any] of the abominable statutes which have been done before you, and ye do not defile yourselves with them; I [am] Jehovah your God.'
Update Bible Version
Therefore you shall keep my charge, that you don't do any of these disgusting customs, which were done before you, and that you don't defile yourselves therein: I am Yahweh your God.
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore shall ye keep my ordinance, that [ye] commit not [any one] of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves in them; I [am] the LORD your God.
World English Bible
Therefore shall you keep my charge, that you not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you not defile yourselves therein: I am Yahweh your God.
New King James Version
"Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God."'
New Living Translation
So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the Lord your God."
New Life Bible
So do what I say. Do not do any of these sinful things that were done before you. Do not make yourselves sin by doing them. I am the Lord your God.'"
New Revised Standard
So keep my charge not to commit any of these abominations that were done before you, and not to defile yourselves by them: I am the Lord your God.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Therefore shall ye keep my charge, So that ye may have nothing to do with any of the abominable statutes with which they have had to do before you, So shall ye not make yourselves unclean thereby, - I - Yahweh, am your God.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Keep my commandments. Do not the things which they have done, that have been before you: and be not defiled therein. I am the Lord your God.
Revised Standard Version
So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you, and never to defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.'"

Contextual Overview

19“You are not to approach a woman during her menstrual impurity to have sexual intercourse with her. 20You are not to have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her. 21“You are not to sacrifice any of your children in the fire to Molech. Do not profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. 22You are not to sleep with a man as with a woman; it is detestable. 23You are not to have sexual intercourse with any animal, defiling yourself with it; a woman is not to present herself to an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion. 24“Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves by all these things. 25The land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its iniquity, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. 26But you are to keep my statutes and ordinances. You must not commit any of these detestable acts—not the native or the alien who resides among you. 27For the people who were in the land prior to you have committed all these detestable acts, and the land has become defiled. 28If you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it has vomited out the nations that were before you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

abominable: Leviticus 18:3, Leviticus 18:26, Leviticus 18:27, Leviticus 20:23, Deuteronomy 18:9-12

that ye defile: Leviticus 18:24

I am: Leviticus 18:2, Leviticus 18:4

Reciprocal: Exodus 29:46 - I am 2 Chronicles 15:8 - abominable idols Jeremiah 10:3 - customs Ezekiel 18:17 - that hath not Romans 12:2 - be not Hebrews 9:1 - had

Cross-References

Genesis 18:8
Then Abraham took curds and milk, as well as the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served them as they ate under the tree.
Genesis 18:9
“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
Genesis 18:11
Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
Genesis 18:16
The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off.
Genesis 18:28
suppose the fifty righteous lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”
Genesis 18:29
Then he spoke to him again, “Suppose forty are found there?”
Genesis 44:18
But Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.
Judges 6:39
Gideon then said to God, “Don’t be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me to make one more test with the fleece. Let it remain dry, and the dew be all over the ground.”
Job 40:4
I am so insignificant. How can I answer you?I place my hand over my mouth.
Psalms 9:12
For the one who seeks an accountingfor bloodshed remembers them;he does not forget the cry of the oppressed.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance,.... Whatever the Lord appointed them and commanded, whether contained in this chapter, or elsewhere:

that [ye] commit not [anyone] of these abominable customs; for attending to the ordinances of God, and a close in them, they would be preserved from the commission of such abominable things, and giving in to such detestable customs as before warned against:

which were committed before you; by the inhabitants of Canaan; and by the punishment on them for them they might be deterred from doing the same:

and that ye defile not yourselves therein; for though the land is so often said to be defiled, yet, properly speaking, and chiefly, it was the inhabitants that were defiled by their abominable customs; and so would the Israelites also, should they observe the same, and thereby become abominable in the sight of God, and incur his displeasure, and be liable to his vengeance:

I [am] the Lord your God; who had a sovereign authority over them, and a right to give out what commands he pleased, both negative and affirmative; and to whom they were under obligations to obey, as the God of nature and providence, from whom they had their beings, and were supported in them, and as their covenant God, who had bestowed special and spiritual favours on them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The land designed and consecrated for His people by Yahweh Leviticus 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 Genesis 15:16; compare Isaiah 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 Leviticus 19:2. It is upon this high sanction that they are peremptorily forbidden to defile themselves with the pollutions of the pagan. The only punishment here pronounced upon individual transgressors is, that they shall “bear their iniquity” and be “cut off from among their people.” We must understand this latter phrase as expressing an “ipso facto” excommunication or outlawry, the divine Law pronouncing on the offender an immediate forfeiture of the privileges which belonged to him as one of the people in covenant with Yahweh. See Exodus 31:14 note. The course which the Law here takes seems to be first to appeal to the conscience of the individual man on the ground of his relation to Yahweh, and then Leviticus 20:0 to enact such penalties as the order of the state required, and as represented the collective conscience of the nation put into operation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 30. Shall ye keep mine ordinance — The only way to be preserved from all false worship is seriously to consider and devoutly to observe the ordinances of the true religion. He who in the things of God goes no farther than he can say, Thus it is written, and thus it behoves me to do, is never likely to receive a false creed, nor perform a superstitious act of worship.

1. How true is that word, The law of the Lord is PERFECT! In a small compass, and in a most minute detail, it comprises every thing that is calculated to instruct, direct, convince, correct, and fortify the mind of man. Whatever has a tendency to corrupt or injure man, that it forbids; whatever is calculated to comfort him, promote and secure his best interests, that it commands. It takes him in all possible states, views him in all connections, and provides for his present and eternal happiness.

2. As the human soul is polluted and tends to pollution, the great doctrine of the law is holiness to the Lord: this it keeps invariably in view in all its commands, precepts, ordinances, rites, and ceremonies. And how forcibly in all these does it say, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; and thy neighbour as thyself! This is the prominent doctrine of the preceding chapter; and this shall be fulfilled in all them who believe, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to them that believe.

Reader, magnify God for his law, for by it is the knowledge of sin; and magnify him for his Gospel, for by this is the cure of sin. Let the law be thy schoolmaster to bring thee to Christ, that thou mayest be justified by faith; and that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in thee, and that thou mayest walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.


 
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