Leviticus 20:22-23
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
It's easy to read the "vomit you out" phrase as a simple threat of expulsion, but it's more of a visceral image of the land itself rejecting the Israelites. God's commands aren't just rules; they're designed to keep His people in healthy relationship with Him and with the land He's given them, a relationship so pure that impurity would literally make the earth sick.
“You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This command immediately follows a series of prohibitions against various sexual sins, including incest and adultery, and the penalty of death associated with them. God is reminding the Israelites that their obedience to all His laws, not just these specific ones, is essential for them to remain in the land He is giving them. He doesn't want them to face the same fate as the Canaanite nations whose wickedness led them to be "vomited out" of the land.
What does it mean for land to 'vomit out' people? This vivid imagery speaks volumes about the sacred trust Israel held.
When God called Israel into the Promised Land, it wasn't just a real estate deal. It was an invitation to live in His presence, in a land set apart for Him.
A Sacred Space
God declared, 'I will make my dwelling among you, and I will not abhor you.' (Leviticus 26:11). The land was meant to be a holy space, a reflection of His own perfect order.
The Danger of Corruption
But this sacred space could be defiled. Just as a body rejects what is toxic, the land would 'vomit out' those who corrupted its holiness through disobedience, particularly through the sexual immorality detailed in Leviticus 18. This wasn't just about rules; it was about preserving the integrity of God's dwelling place among His people.
Are these laws for ancient Israel only, or do they carry weight for us today? The implications are profound.
The prohibitions in Leviticus, especially those concerning sexual sin, weren't arbitrary rules for a specific time and place. They touch upon the very fabric of human morality.
Beyond Ceremonial Law
Scholars note that these commands are part of the 'moral law,' not just the 'ceremonial law.' While some laws in Leviticus were specific to the Old Covenant system (like dietary restrictions or sacrificial rites), others addressed fundamental ethical principles that reflect God's unchanging character.
Ask a follow-up
Written on the Heart
These moral laws are, in essence, a republication of the law 'written on the conscience' (Romans 2:14-15). They reveal God's design for human relationships and sexuality, principles that transcend cultural shifts and continue to speak to every generation.
Understand the original words
chuqqah · Hebrew Noun
Divine decrees or permanent ordinances given by God to His people to regulate their moral, religious, and civil life; they express God's standard of holiness.
mishpat · Hebrew Noun
Judicial rulings or ordinances, often relating to the practical application of God's law in the daily life and legal disputes of the covenant community.
qi' · Hebrew Verb
A metaphor for divine rejection where the land, acting as a sanctuary or extended home of God, forcibly expels those who have corrupted it through moral and spiritual uncleanness.
bachal · Hebrew Verb
A state of being loathsome or abominable to God, typically resulting from practicing idolatry or violating moral laws; it signifies that the person or act is repulsive to God's holy nature.
This passage directly precedes Leviticus 20:22 and lays out the same warning: the land will 'vomit out' its inhabitants if they practice the abominations of the Canaanites, underscoring the serious consequences of disobedience and impurity.
Deuteronomy 11:16-17This passage echoes the warning about the land becoming barren and unproductive if Israel turns away from God's commands, mirroring the severe judgment implied by the land 'vomiting out' its people.
Jeremiah 16:18This prophetic passage speaks of God repaying Israel for their iniquity and sin, including their 'detestable things,' and mentions 'filling the land with the slain,' which reflects the same idea of divine judgment making the land uninhabitable.
Romans 1:24-32This New Testament passage describes God giving people over to impurity and shameful lusts due to their rejection of Him, listing behaviors similar to those condemned in Leviticus, and implying a consequence of being 'given over' which can be paralleled with being 'vomited out'.
pulpitLeviticus 20:22: "Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out."
Verses 22, 23. - The fact of the nations of Canaan being abhorred by God because they committed all these things shows that the Levitical code forbidding all these things was no part of any special law for that nation alone, but a republication of that Law which is binding on all nations because written on the conscience. The prohi…
gillLeviticus 20:22: "Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out."
Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes,.... All the ordinances, institutions, and appointments of God, whether observed in this chapter or elsewhere, but particularly those concerning incestuous marriages and unlawful copulations: and all my judgments, and do them; all the laws and commandments of God, founded injustice and judgme…
It's easy to read the "vomit you out" phrase as a simple threat of expulsion, but it's more of a visceral image of the land itself rejecting the Israelites. God's commands aren't just rules; they're designed to keep His people in healthy relationship with Him and with the land He's given them, a relationship so pure that impurity would literally make the earth sick.
This command immediately follows a series of prohibitions against various sexual sins, including incest and adultery, and the penalty of death associated with them. God is reminding the Israelites that their obedience to all His laws, not just these specific ones, is essential for them to remain in the land He is giving them. He doesn't want them to face the same fate as the Canaanite nations whose wickedness led them to be "vomited out" of the land.
This command immediately follows a series of prohibitions against various sexual sins, including incest and adultery, and the penalty of death associated with them. God is reminding the Israelites that their obedience to all His laws, not just these specific ones, is essential for them to remain in the land He is giving them. He doesn't want them to face the same fate as the Canaanite nations whose wickedness led them to be "vomited out" of the land.
"“You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did…" — It's easy to read the "vomit you out" phrase as a simple threat of expulsion, but it's more of a visceral image of the land itself rejecting the Israelites. God's commands aren't just rules; they're…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
