Leviticus 20:23
New International Version
You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.

New Living Translation
Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them.

English Standard Version
And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them.

Berean Standard Bible
You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.

King James Bible
And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

New King James Version
And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.

New American Standard Bible
Furthermore, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I am going to drive out before you, because they did all these things; therefore I have felt disgust for them.

NASB 1995
‘Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them.

NASB 1977
‘Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Moreover, you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I will cast out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have loathed them.

Amplified Bible
You shall not follow the statutes (laws, practices, customs) of the nation which I am driving out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I have loathed them.

Christian Standard Bible
You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and I abhorred them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and I abhorred them.

American Standard Version
And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Contemporary English Version
The nations I am chasing out did these disgusting things, and I hated them for it, so don't follow their example.

English Revised Version
And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never follow the practices of the people I am forcing out of your way. I cannot stand them because they did all these things.

Good News Translation
Do not adopt the customs of the people who live there; I am driving out those pagans so that you can enter the land. They have disgusted me with all their evil practices.

International Standard Version
You are not to live by the customs of the nations, whom I've cast away right in front of you. Because they did all of these things, I detested them.

Majority Standard Bible
You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.

NET Bible
You must not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done all these things and I am filled with disgust against them.

New Heart English Bible
You shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you: for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nations which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

World English Bible
You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and you do not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am sending away from before you, for they have done all these, and I am wearied with them.

Young's Literal Translation
and ye walk not in the statutes of the nation which I am sending away from before you, for all these they have done, and I am wearied with them;

Smith's Literal Translation
And ye shall not walk in the laws of the nations which I sent out from before you: for they did all these things and I shall be disgusted with them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Walk not after the laws of the nations, which I will cast out before you. For they have done all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Do not be willing to walk by the ordinances of the nations, which I will expel before you. For they have done all these things, and so I abominate them.

New American Bible
Do not conform, therefore, to the customs of the nations whom I am driving out of your way, because all these things that they have done have filled me with disgust for them.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And you shall not walk in the manners of the nations which I am casting out before you; for they committed all these things, and therefore I was grieved by them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you shall not walk in the law of the Gentiles whom I drove out from before you because they have done these things, and I myself was grieved by them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And walk ye not in the customs of the nations which I drive out from before you; for they have done all these things, and I have abhorred them:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Keep All My Decrees
22You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out. 23You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. 24But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since 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 peoples.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 18:9-14
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. / Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, / casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. ...

Deuteronomy 12:29-31
When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land, / be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” / You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.

Deuteronomy 7:1-5
When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— / and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. / Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, ...

Deuteronomy 9:4-5
When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. / 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.

Leviticus 18:24-30
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. / Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. / But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. ...

2 Kings 17:7-8
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods / and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.

2 Kings 21:2
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:2
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

Jeremiah 10:2-3
This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them. / For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.

Ezekiel 20:18-19
In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. / I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.

Ezekiel 11:12
Then you will know that I am the LORD. For you have neither followed My statutes nor practiced My ordinances, but you have conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.”

Psalm 106:34-39
They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, / but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. / They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. ...

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

1 Peter 1:14-16
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. / But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, / for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”


Treasury of Scripture

And you shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

in the manners

Leviticus 18:3,24,30
After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances…

Deuteronomy 12:30,31
Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise…

Jeremiah 10:1,2
Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: …

therefore

Leviticus 18:27
(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)

Deuteronomy 9:5
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Psalm 78:59
When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

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Leviticus 20
1. Of him who gives his seed to Moloch
4. Of him who favors such an one
6. Of going to wizards
7. Of sanctification
9. Of him who curses his parents
11. Of incest
13. Of sodomy
15. Of bestiality
18. Of uncleanness
22. Obedience is required with holiness
27. Wizards must be put to death














You must not walk
The phrase "walk" in Hebrew is "halak," which often signifies a way of life or conduct. In the biblical context, it implies living according to certain principles or behaviors. Here, God commands the Israelites to avoid adopting the lifestyle and practices of the surrounding nations. This directive underscores the importance of living a life set apart, reflecting God's holiness and righteousness.

in the customs
The Hebrew word for "customs" is "chuqqah," which refers to statutes, ordinances, or prescribed practices. These customs were often tied to religious rituals and moral behaviors that were contrary to God's laws. The Israelites were to reject these practices to maintain their covenant relationship with God and to avoid the moral and spiritual corruption that these customs represented.

of the nations
The term "nations" translates to "goyim" in Hebrew, referring to the Gentile peoples surrounding Israel. These nations were often characterized by idolatry and practices that were detestable to God. The Israelites were called to be distinct from these nations, serving as a light and example of God's holiness and truth.

I am driving out before you
This phrase highlights God's active role in the conquest of Canaan. The Hebrew verb "yarash" means to dispossess or drive out. It emphasizes God's sovereignty and judgment against the nations due to their sinful practices. The Israelites were to understand that their inheritance of the land was a divine act, contingent upon their obedience and faithfulness to God.

because they did all these things
This clause refers to the abominable practices of the Canaanites, which included idolatry, child sacrifice, and various forms of immorality. The phrase serves as a warning to the Israelites about the consequences of such actions. It underscores the principle that sin leads to judgment and separation from God.

and I abhorred them
The word "abhorred" comes from the Hebrew "quts," meaning to loathe or detest. This strong language conveys God's intense displeasure with the sinful practices of the nations. It serves as a reminder of God's holiness and the seriousness with which He views sin. The Israelites were to understand that adopting these practices would lead to their own rejection by God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must not
וְלֹ֤א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

follow
תֵֽלְכוּ֙ (ṯê·lə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

the statutes
בְּחֻקֹּ֣ת (bə·ḥuq·qōṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 2708: Something prescribed, an enactment, statute

of the nations
הַגּ֔וֹי (hag·gō·w)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

I
אֲנִ֥י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am driving out
מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ (mə·šal·lê·aḥ)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

before you,
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם (mip·pə·nê·ḵem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

for
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they did
עָשׂ֔וּ (‘ā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

these things,
אֵ֙לֶּה֙ (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

and I abhorred them.
וָאָקֻ֖ץ (wā·’ā·quṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6973: To feel a loathing, abhorrence, or sickening dread


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OT Law: Leviticus 20:23 You shall not walk in the customs (Le Lv Lev.)
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