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.

LEVITICUS 18:30KJV
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Leviticus 18:30 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 18:30 mean?

Leviticus 18:30 is a warning from God to the Israelites to carefully follow His rules and not to practice the immoral customs of the people who lived in the land before them, so that they would not become unclean. God reminds them that He is their God and expects them to live differently from the surrounding nations.

In this verse, God is speaking through Moses to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land of Canaan. The context is a series of laws about sexual conduct and purity. The verse sums up the chapter by stressing the importance of keeping God's "ordinance" and avoiding the "abominable customs" that led to the downfall of earlier inhabitants.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 18:30

  • "Keep" (שָׁמַר, shamar, H8104) means to guard, observe, or watch carefully. Here, it emphasizes a careful, active responsibility to protect God's instructions, not just passive obedience.
  • "Ordinance" (מִשְׁמֶרֶת, mishmeret, H4931) refers to something entrusted to someone's care, often a specific duty or command. In this context, it highlights that these commands are a trust from God, not just general advice.
  • "Abominable" (תּוֹעֵבָה, to'evah, H8441) describes things that are detestable or repulsive, especially in a moral or religious sense. The word signals that these customs are not just foreign, but deeply offensive to God.
  • "Defile" (טָמֵא, tame, H2930) means to make unclean, especially in a ritual or spiritual sense. The warning is about more than physical actions; it is about spiritual and communal purity.

Why Leviticus 18:30 matters

  • Leviticus 18:30 clarifies that the laws in this chapter are not just for individuals but are meant to shape the entire community's identity and holiness.
  • The verse shows that God sees certain cultural practices as deeply harmful, not just different, and that Israel is called to a distinct way of life.
  • By ending the chapter with this summary, the verse connects all the specific laws to the bigger picture of Israel's relationship with God and their mission to be set apart from other nations.

Where else these words appear

“ordinance” Hebrew H4931 · used in 69 verses

  • Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
  • Numbers 9:19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.
  • 1 Chronicles 26:12 Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men, having wards one against another, to minister in the house of the LORD.

“customs” Hebrew H2708 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
  • Numbers 9:3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
  • 2 Kings 23:3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

“abominable” Hebrew H8441 · used in 112 verses

  • Genesis 43:32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
  • Psalms 88:8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
  • Ezekiel 7:4 And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

“defile” Hebrew H2930 · used in 142 verses

  • Genesis 34:5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
  • Leviticus 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
  • Deuteronomy 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day;(for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.