Leviticus 18:24-30 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

Summary Warning Of The Consequences Of Disobedience (Leviticus 18:24-30).

Leviticus 18:24

“Do not defile yourselves in any of these things, for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out from before you, and the land is defiled. That is why I am visiting its iniquity on it, and the land is vomiting (about to vomit) out her inhabitants.”

All that has been described is defiling. They are therefore to avoid doing such things. They should remember that it was this kind of behaviour that has caused God's anger to come against the Canaanites in order to drive them from the land. The land is vomiting the Canaanites out because it has been made sick because of their behaviour. And it is because of that that God is now visiting His judgment on them for it. Their iniquity has now peaked (compare Genesis 15:16). His purpose is to cleanse the land of them.

Leviticus 18:26-28

“You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the home-born, nor the stranger who sojourns among you, (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, who were before you, and the land is defiled); that the land vomit not you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.”

So Israel must now ‘keep' (take note of, observe and carry out) His statutes and His ordinances, His laws and His cultic requirements. Neither they nor those whom they allow to dwell among them must engage in such abominations. They are replacing the Canaanites in Yahweh's land in order to purify the land. If they do such things they too will be vomited out because they have defiled themselves and the land. For it is because of such abominations that the Canaanites are to be driven out in order to cleanse the land ready for their occupation.

We are reminded here how the Laodicean church made God vomit (Revelation 3:16). We should beware lest we too make God vomit through our disobedience and cold-heartedness.

Leviticus 18:29

“For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the people that do them shall be cut off from among their people.”

Therefore any who behave in any of these ways are to be cut off from among the people. The point is that they must be removed from among God's covenant people and from the land. It may be that God allowed the people to do the ‘cutting off' in whatever way they wished, by death or exile (as the Canaanites could be either killed or driven out), or that He intended to do it Himself.

Leviticus 18:30

“Therefore shall you keep my charge, that you do not practise any of these abominable customs, which were practised before you, and that you do not defile yourselves in them. I am Yahweh your God.”

So they are to keep God's charge, obey His will, and are not to practise any of the abominable things practised by the Canaanites. Such things are defiling, and they must remember with Whom they have to do. He is Yahweh, the Holy One, their God Who has spoken all these things and is there to ensure that they fulfil them (Yahweh - ‘the One Who is there').

It need hardly be said that it is also incumbent on us to ensure that we too avoid such ‘abominations'.

Leviticus 18:24-30

24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)

28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

30 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.