Leviticus 20:24 kjv
But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.
Leviticus 20:24 nkjv
But I have said to you, "You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
Leviticus 20:24 niv
But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations.
Leviticus 20:24 esv
But I have said to you, 'You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.' I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
Leviticus 20:24 nlt
But 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.
Leviticus 20 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | Initial promise of the land to Abraham. |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land..." | Covenant ratification of land promise. |
| Exod 3:8 | So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey... | God's intention to bring Israel to the promised land. |
| Exod 13:5 | When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites... a land flowing with milk and honey... | Reiterates the quality of the land. |
| Num 14:8 | If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey... | Confirms God's power to deliver the promise. |
| Deut 1:8 | See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land... | Command to possess the already given land. |
| Deut 4:1 | Hear therefore, O Israel, the statutes and the judgments which I teach you... that you may live, and go in and possess the land... | Obedience tied to land possession. |
| Deut 6:3 | ...so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey... | Blessings in the land linked to obedience. |
| Deut 7:6 | For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. | Israel's distinct, chosen status. |
| Deut 26:18-19 | And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession... that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God... | God affirms Israel as His peculiar people. |
| Josh 1:6 | "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." | Command to inherit and take possession. |
| Psa 105:8-11 | He remembers his covenant forever... which he made with Abraham... saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance." | God's eternal remembrance of the land covenant. |
| Isa 43:20-21 | The wild animals honor me... because I provide water in the wilderness... to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. | God's provision for His distinct people. |
| Jer 11:5 | So I may keep the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey... | God's faithfulness to His oath. |
| Ezek 20:6 | ...that day I swore to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, a land flowing with milk and honey... | Emphasizes divine selection of the land. |
| Joel 2:24 | The threshing floors will be full of grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. | Future abundance and fertility of the land (eschatological echo). |
| Amos 9:15 | I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them... | Future secure possession, divine re-establishment. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light... | NT spiritual application of 'separated' and 'chosen' to the Church. |
| Heb 11:9-10 | By faith Abraham lived as an alien in the promised land as in a foreign country... looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. | Heavenly inheritance as ultimate fulfillment of promised land. |
| Heb 9:15 | For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance... | Christ as the way to the ultimate, spiritual inheritance. |
| Rev 21:7 | The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. | Eternal inheritance for the victorious in Christ. |
Leviticus 20 verses
Leviticus 20 24 Meaning
Leviticus 20:24 conveys God's solemn promise to Israel, affirming their divinely ordained inheritance of the land of Canaan. This land is described as one of abundant provision and fertility, "flowing with milk and honey." The verse further emphasizes God's unique covenant relationship with Israel, identifying Himself as "the Lord your God" who actively separated them from all other peoples. This separation underscores Israel's distinct calling to holiness and underscores the conditional nature of possessing the promised blessing, dependent on their obedience to His statutes and decrees.
Leviticus 20 24 Context
Leviticus chapter 20 primarily details severe penalties for various abominable sins, emphasizing the profound call to holiness for the Israelite community. The chapter sets forth consequences, often death, for idolatry (molech worship), sexual perversions (incest, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality), and dishonoring parents. The repeated command "You shall be holy, for I am holy" (v. 7, echoed in v. 26) frames the entire discussion. Just prior to verse 24, God states that the Canaanite nations were defiling the land with these very practices, causing the land to "vomit them out" (v. 23). Therefore, Israel must not adopt their ways, for the land will similarly expel them if they become defiled. Verse 24 acts as both a reminder of God's covenant faithfulness in promising the land and a strong motivational appeal, presenting the glorious inheritance as something Israel must actively preserve by maintaining its holiness and distinction from other nations. Historically, Israel was about to enter this promised land, necessitating a clear understanding of the ethical standards required to remain within God's blessings and possession of it.
Leviticus 20 24 Word analysis
- But I have said to you: This phrase indicates a pre-existing declaration or established truth, connecting back to earlier divine promises, especially to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It underscores God's steadfastness and continuity in His covenant.
- You shall inherit their land:
- inherit: יָרַשׁ (yarash) - to take possession of, dispossess (others), inherit, occupy. This implies that the land is currently occupied by others (the Canaanites) and will be taken over by Israel, indicating God's active role in dispossessing the current inhabitants. It is a gift but requires Israel's active step of taking.
- their land: Refers directly to the land occupied by the defiled nations, whose expulsion is a prerequisite for Israel's righteous habitation. This highlights God's justice against unrighteousness and His gift to His chosen people.
- and I will give it to you to possess it:
- I will give: The action originates from God. The land is a divine gift, not something Israel earns or seizes purely by their own power. This emphasizes God's sovereign hand in fulfilling His promises.
- to possess it: יְרִשָׁה (yerushah) - a noun derived from yarash, meaning a possession, an inheritance. This reinforces the idea of permanent ownership and occupancy, a lasting tenure bestowed by God.
- a land flowing with milk and honey:
- flowing: זָבַת (zavath) - implies abundant natural produce, not just occasional presence. It paints a picture of agricultural fertility and pastoral wealth, a land capable of sustaining its inhabitants richly.
- milk: חָלָב (chalav) - signifying a rich dairy industry, implying plentiful pastureland and livestock.
- honey: דְּבַשׁ (devash) - traditionally wild honey from bees or date syrup (highly valued sweetness), indicating natural abundance and sweetness, making the land truly desirable and pleasant. This imagery starkly contrasts with the barrenness of the desert where Israel had been wandering and highlights the extraordinary nature of God's provision. It serves as an polemic against the supposed prosperity promised by pagan gods.
- I am the Lord your God: This is a powerful, oft-repeated covenant formula (אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - Aniy Yahweh Eloheykhem).
- I am the Lord: Declares God's unchanging self-existence (Yahweh, the Tetragrammaton) and supreme authority. He is the faithful covenant God.
- your God: Highlights the exclusive, personal, and reciprocal relationship established between God and Israel. It emphasizes ownership, obligation, and identity within the covenant. It reaffirms His authority over them and their distinct responsibility to Him alone.
- who has separated you from the peoples:
- separated: בָּדַל (badal) - to divide, distinguish, set apart. This word signifies God's deliberate act of choosing Israel and setting them apart from all other nations. This separation is not just geographical but also moral, religious, and spiritual, emphasizing their unique holy identity and purpose as His treasured possession (Deut 7:6). This distinction requires them to live differently, in holiness, especially concerning the very abominations detailed in this chapter, which defined the "peoples" they were being separated from. It carries a strong polemic against syncretism or adopting pagan customs.
Leviticus 20 24 Bonus section
The "land flowing with milk and honey" is not merely a poetic expression but represents a concrete symbol of God's ultimate blessing, fertility, and shalom (peace and well-being) that results from covenant obedience. It served as a powerful incentive for a people who had experienced forty years of barren desert life, reinforcing the magnitude of God's provision and the value of their unique calling. Furthermore, this concept of a land "vomiting out" its defiled inhabitants (v. 22-23) serves as a dramatic anthropomorphism to impress upon Israel the severe consequences of violating God's holiness. It establishes the land itself as participating in God's judgment, ensuring that Israel understands their continuous occupancy is conditional upon maintaining the land's purity. This specific declaration in verse 24 also emphasizes God's sovereign choice (Deut 7:7) and election of Israel, not based on their merit but on His divine initiative to fulfill His redemptive plan. In a broader biblical theology, the concept of a "promised land" eventually expands from a geographical space to an ultimate spiritual rest and eternal inheritance in Christ, a theme deeply explored in the New Testament (Hebrews 4, 1 Peter 2).
Leviticus 20 24 Commentary
Leviticus 20:24 stands as a beacon of divine promise and purpose within a chapter filled with solemn warnings against defilement. It underscores the unshakeable truth of God's covenant faithfulness to Israel, reaffirming His gift of a land characterized by abundance ("flowing with milk and honey"). This is not merely a geographic promise but a deep spiritual one, establishing Israel as God's peculiar treasure. The phrase "I am the Lord your God" serves as a foundational declaration, asserting His authority and unique relationship with them. Crucially, the verse articulates God's active role in "separating" Israel from other nations. This divine act of setting apart dictates a corresponding responsibility for Israel to maintain their distinct identity through holiness and obedience to God's laws, living antithetically to the wicked practices of the nations around them. The promise of the land, therefore, is intimately linked to the command for ethical and spiritual purity, for it is only through their sustained holiness that they can continue to possess this blessed inheritance. It teaches that God's provision and blessings are tied to a life of consecrated living.