Leviticus 18:30

Leviticus 18:30

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.

a. NLT: So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the LORD your God.” [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Therefore shall ye keep my charge, that ye practise not any of these abominable customs, which were practised before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am Jehovah your God. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Amplified Bible: So keep My charge: do not practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you and defile yourselves by them. I am the Lord your God. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: You shall safeguard My charge not to do any of the abominable traditions that were done before you and not contaminate yourselves through them; I am HASHEM, your God. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH; Copyright 1998, 2000 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance…”

a. [Therefore shall ye] keep [Strong: 8104 shamar shaw-mar':  a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).]

b. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

c. [mine] ordinance [Strong: 4931 mishmereth mish-mer'-reth fem. of 4929; watch, the act (custody), or (concr.) the sentry, the post; obj. preservation, or (concr.) safe; fig. observance, i.e. (abstr.) duty or (obj.) a usage or party:--charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinace, safeguard, ward, watch.] [Gesenius: custody, guard, station, a keeping, an observance, a law, a rite.]

1). This Hebrew word is translated “charge” 50 times. In the first example it is referring to Abraham and the other examples it is referring to the non-priestly families of the tribe of Levi and their responsibilities concerning the Tabernacle.

a). Genesis 26:5  Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

b). Numbers 3:7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.

c). Numbers 3:25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

2. “…that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs…”

a. [that ye] commit [Strong: 6213 `asah aw-saw' a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.]

1). The use of this word and its definition reflects back to the opening verses of Leviticus 18 and the ordinances of the LORD as opposed to the ordinances, laws, and statutes of Canaan. The ordinances of the Canaanites concerning these practices were either compulsory or gave them license to do them.  

2). AMG The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament: A verb meaning to do, to make, to accomplish, to complete. This frequently used Hebrew verb conveys the central notion of performing an activity with a distinct purpose, a moral obligation, or a goal in view (cf. Genesis 11:6). Particularly, it is used in conjunction with God’s commands (Deuteronomy 16:12).

3). I want to add with the above definition that this word adds a sort of “official obedience”. With the above in mind I wanted to explore the use of this Hebrew verb in examples of its use. According to Blue Letter Bible it is translated “commit” over 50 times. In fact it is used 5 times in the passage Leviticus 18:26-30. Other examples are:

a). Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

b). Leviticus 20:23 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.

4). According to Blue Letter Bible it is translated “execute” in 50 different verses. In most of the verses it is referring to carrying out 

a). Exodus12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I  am the LORD.

b). Deuteronomy 33:21 And he [Gad] provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.

c). 2 Samuel 8:15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.

5). Once it is translated “govern”.

a). 1 Kings 21:7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

b. not [Strong: 1115 biltiy bil-tee' constructive feminine of 1086 (equivalent to 1097); properly, a failure of, i.e. (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until, etc.:--because un(satiable), beside, but, + continual, except, from, lest, neither, no more, none, not, nothing, save, that no, without.]

c. [any one] [Strong: 2708 chuqqah khook-kaw' feminine of 2706, and meaning substantially the same:--appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute.]

d. [of these] abominable [Strong: 8441 tow`ebah to-ay-baw' or tonebah {to-ay-baw'}; feminine active participle of 8581; properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol:-- abominable (custom, thing), abomination.] [Gesenius: abomination, something abominable.]

c. customs [Strong: 2708 chuqqah khook-kaw' feminine of 2706,  and meaning substantially the same: appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute. ] [Gesenius: that which is established or defined, law, ordinance, practice, custom, right, privilege.] [Blue Letter Bible: This word is translated “statute” 77 times and “ordinance” 22 times.]

1). The rest of chapter 18 in Leviticus, particularly verses 6-23 then lists a whole range of immoral sexual practices that the cultures of Egypt and Canaan not only practiced but made ordinances concerning them. It looks as if there were laws on the books in Egypt and in the Canaanite nations regarding their incest, their child sacrifice, their homosexuality, their bestiality. They codified their immorality into their legal systems, they legislated their immorality. America is more and more becoming a Canaanite nation. We are codifying our immorality into our legal system, we are legislating our immorality in the same way the Canaanite nations did. When Roe v. Wade became the law of the land, we codified child sacrifice into our legal system, just as Canaan did in Leviticus 18:21. When Lawrence v. Texas was decided, all the remaining state laws criminalizing homosexual behavior were throw out and we codified homosexual behavior into our legal system just as Canaan did in Leviticus 18:22. It was the same with Homosexual marriage, when  Obergefell v. Hodges was decided we codified immorality into our legal system.  America is legislating immorality.

2). Verification that the prohibited sexual practices of Leviticus 18:6-23 were the sexual practices of the nations of Canaan is found in the ending verses of the chapter.

a). Leviticus 18:24-30 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.

b). The LORD clearly says in these verses that these were the sexual practices of the nations of Canaan.

c). The Hebrew word translated “customs” in Leviticus 18:30 is the same Hebrew word translated “ordinances” in Leviticus 18:3, 4. Hence when the passage ends with the description of these customs to be “abominable”, we can say with authority that laws that protect homosexuality as a constitutional right are abominable laws.  

3. “…which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein…”

a. which [Strong: 834 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

b. [were] committed [Strong: 6213 `asah aw-saw';  a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.]

b. before [you] [Strong: 6440 paniym paw-neem';  plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.]

c. [that ye] defile [Strong: 2930 tame' taw-may': a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated):--defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, X utterly.] [Gesenius: To be or become unclean, to be polluted]

d. not [yourselves therein] [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

4. “…I am the LORD your God.”

a. LORD [Strong: 3058 Yehuw' yay-hoo' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

b. [your] God [Strong: 430 'elohiym el-o-heem' plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.]