Leviticus 20:23
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You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Punishments for the Vices and crimes Prohibited in Ch. 18 and 19. - The list commences with idolatry and soothsaying, which were to be followed by extermination, as a practical apostasy from Jehovah, and a manifest breach of the covenant.
Open source ↗The laws which before were made are in this chapter repeated and penalties annexed to them, that those who would not be deterred from sin by the fear of God might be deterred from it by the fear of punishment. If we will not avoid such and such practices because the law has made them sin (and it is most acceptable when we go on that principle of religion), surely we shall avoid them when the law has made them death, from a principle of self-preservation. In this chapter we have, I. Many particular crimes that are made capital. I. Giving their children to Moloch (Lev 20:1-5). 2. Consulting witches (Lev 20:6, Lev 20:27). 3. Cursing parents (Lev 20:9). 4. Adultery (Lev 20:10). 5. Incest (Lev 20:11, Lev 20:12, Lev 20:14, Lev 20:17, Lev 20:19-21). 6. Unnatural lusts (Lev 20:13, Lev 20:15, Lev 20:16, Lev 20:18). II. General commands given to be holy (Lev 20:7, Lev 20:8, Lev 20:22-26).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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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.
It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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.”
You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs.
For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled.
And in one month I dismissed three shepherds. My soul grew impatient with the flock, and their souls also detested me.
On hearing it, God was furious and rejected Israel completely.