Leviticus 18 28

Leviticus 18:28 kjv

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

Leviticus 18:28 nkjv

lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

Leviticus 18:28 niv

And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

Leviticus 18:28 esv

lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

Leviticus 18:28 nlt

So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now.

Leviticus 18 verses

Leviticus 18 28 Meaning

Leviticus 18:28 issues a stark warning to the Israelites: if they engage in the abhorrent sexual sins, idolatry, and abominable practices enumerated in the preceding verses of the chapter, the very land God is giving them will expel them. This expulsion will mirror how the land previously rejected and cast out the Canaanite nations who engaged in similar defilement. The verse underscores the sanctity of the Promised Land and the severe consequences of violating God's holy standards.

Leviticus 18 28 Context

Leviticus 18 is a central chapter in what is often called the "Holiness Code" (chapters 17-26). It sets out stringent laws prohibiting specific forms of sexual immorality and idolatry, which were common practices among the surrounding pagan nations, particularly the Egyptians (whom Israel had left) and the Canaanites (into whose land Israel was entering). The chapter begins by explicitly commanding Israel not to follow the practices of these nations (v. 3). The sins detailed include various forms of incest, child sacrifice to Molech, bestiality, and homosexual acts. Verse 28 serves as a culminating warning and a profound theological statement, asserting a direct, active link between human sin and the divine judgment manifested through the land itself. It presents the Promised Land not merely as property, but as a sacred entity responsive to human behavior, acting as an agent of divine justice. Historically, this warning anticipated the eventual exiles of Israel (by Assyria) and Judah (by Babylon) centuries later, a direct consequence of their widespread adoption of these very abominations. It stood as a powerful polemic against the worldview where such acts were accepted or even sanctified by pagan religions.

Leviticus 18 28 Word analysis

• "so that the land will not vomit you out"

  • "land": Hebrew אֶרֶץ (eretz). This refers specifically to the land of Canaan, the territory promised to Israel by God. Significantly, it is depicted anthropomorphically, as if it possesses sensory perception and a digestive system. This signifies that the land itself has an intrinsic sanctity and purity, and is profoundly affected by the moral condition of its inhabitants. The concept highlights a spiritual bond between God, the people, and the physical territory, where the land's well-being is intrinsically linked to Israel's covenant faithfulness.
  • "will not vomit you out": Hebrew תָּקִיא אֶתְכֶם (taqi' etchem). This is an incredibly graphic and powerful metaphor, stemming from the root קוּא (qu', "to vomit" or "to spew"). It implies absolute revulsion and total rejection. It suggests the sins enumerated are so vile and indigestible that the very ground finds them sickening, compelling it to violently expel its inhabitants. This isn't a gentle eviction but a forceful, repugnant expulsion, illustrating God's abhorrence for the defiling practices and signifying a divine judgment administered through the natural order. This judgment would manifest historically as various forms of societal decay, pestilence, and ultimately, forced exile from the land.

• "for defiling it"

  • "for defiling it": Hebrew בְּטַמַּאֲכֶם אֹתָהּ (betamma'akhem otah). The verb "defile" comes from the root טָמֵא (ṭāmē', "to be unclean," "to pollute"). This indicates that the sins listed in Leviticus 18 (sexual perversions, idolatry including child sacrifice) are not merely personal transgressions but have a profound, literal polluting effect on the land itself. These acts make the sacred land "unclean" in the eyes of God, necessitating its cleansing through the removal of the defilers. This underscores the severity and the pervasive impact of sin beyond the individual or community, extending to the physical environment.

• "as it vomited out the nations that were before you."

  • "as it vomited out": This phrase reiterates the preceding anthropomorphism of the land and underscores a consistent divine pattern of justice. God's judgment is impartial; the same consequence awaits His covenant people if they descend into the same immoralities as those who preceded them. This serves as both a historical explanation for the previous expulsion of the Canaanites and a chillingly direct warning for Israel's future.
  • "the nations that were before you": This explicitly refers to the Canaanite peoples and other inhabitants of the Promised Land whom Israel was commanded to dispossess. Their societies were characterized by the very abominable practices forbidden to Israel in this chapter. Their expulsion, therefore, serves as concrete evidence and a grim precedent for Israel. It clarifies that God's holiness demands righteous conduct from all inhabitants of His land, irrespective of their ethnic identity.

Leviticus 18 28 Bonus section

• The unique anthropomorphic portrayal of the land acting as a living entity ("vomiting") is not common throughout the Bible but profoundly emphasizes the severity of the specific transgressions in Leviticus 18. It paints a picture of creation itself groaning under the weight of human sin.
• This verse highlights that the Promised Land was not merely a physical inheritance, but a sacred trust. Living in it required maintaining a state of holiness commensurate with the character of the God who gave it. The land was not a blank slate, but consecrated space.
• The warning here implicitly conveys a promise: so long as Israel avoided these abominations, they would remain secure in the land. This established a critical link between the nation's spiritual well-being and its geographical security.
• The verse reveals God's righteous nature: His standard of holiness and justice applies universally. The previous nations were expelled for their practices, and Israel would face the same fate for the same transgressions, emphasizing divine impartiality.

Leviticus 18 28 Commentary

Leviticus 18:28 encapsulates the core covenantal principle that Israel's tenancy in the Promised Land was strictly conditional on their moral and spiritual fidelity to God's law. The visceral imagery of the land "vomiting out" its inhabitants profoundly communicates the utter revulsion God has for the pagan practices detailed earlier in the chapter—sexual depravity, idolatry, and child sacrifice. These sins were deemed so offensive that they rendered the land itself spiritually "sick," prompting its organic expulsion of the offenders. This demonstrates God's consistent standard of righteousness across all peoples and throughout history; He is impartial in His judgment against abominable wickedness. The prior expulsion of the Canaanites serves as both an illustrative example of divine justice and a solemn warning to Israel, making clear that their status as God's chosen people did not grant them immunity from the consequences of widespread rebellion. Ultimately, the later Babylonian Exile of Judah stands as the historical fulfillment of this very prophecy, demonstrating that when Israel collectively chose to defile God's land with such abominations, the land indeed "vomited them out."

• Example: Imagine a healthy body rejecting a harmful virus; the body reacts violently to expel the impurity to restore health. Similarly, the Holy Land reacts to deep moral infection by expelling the source of defilement.