Leviticus 26:11-12
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This verse promises God’s dwelling place among His people, but more than just a physical location, it signifies His intimate presence and acceptance. The phrase "my soul shall not abhor you" is crucial; it highlights that God's presence isn't merely toleration, but a deep, personal engagement free from disgust, even when His people are imperfect.
I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a covenant outline where God lays out the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. If the people follow His commands, God promises to dwell among them, not turning away in disgust, and to walk with them, securing their peace and prosperity. This sets the stage for future promises of His constant presence and favor, assuring them of His commitment to their well-being.
What does it mean for God's 'dwelling' to be 'among' His people? It's far more intimate than just visiting.
In Leviticus 26:11, God promises, 'I will set my dwelling among you.' This wasn't just about the physical Tabernacle, though that was a powerful symbol. It was a radical declaration of God's desire for intimate presence. Think of it: the Creator of the universe choosing to reside within His creation, specifically with His chosen people.
This promise foreshadows even deeper realities. Later commentators saw in this the coming of Jesus, the Word made flesh, who 'tabernacled among us' (John 1:14). It’s a preview of God dwelling not just in a place, but in His people through the Holy Spirit, making us His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16).
This isn't a passive presence. God’s dwelling signifies His active engagement, His protection, and His willingness to be known intimately.
The flip side of God's presence is His aversion. What does it mean that God's 'soul shall not abhor you'?
The second part of Leviticus 26:11 is profound: 'and my soul shall not abhor you.' In the ancient world, and still today, the idea of a deity finding its own people 'abhorrent' is terrifying. God is inherently holy, and sin is inherently detestable to Him.
However, when God establishes His dwelling among His people under the conditions of this covenant, He makes a promise. He declares that His soul will not abhor them. This doesn't mean their sin is ignored. Instead, it points to the covenant relationship God has established, a relationship where He chooses to look past their faults (through the system of sacrifices and eventually through Christ) and embrace them.
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This assurance is a gift. It means that because of His commitment to them, and later, because of Christ's sacrifice, God’s fundamental disposition towards His people is not one of disgust, but of enduring love. His desire is for relationship, not rejection.
Understand the original words
mishkan · Hebrew Noun
The state of God actively residing or manifesting His presence among His people, symbolizing intimacy, communion, and divine protection.
ga'al · Hebrew Verb
To hate, detest, or loathe with intense repulsion; in Scripture, it often refers to God’s reaction to sin or, as here, the negation of such a reaction toward His obedient people.
Elohim · Hebrew Noun
A divine-human relational arrangement where God commits Himself to be the covenant protector and provider for a chosen people, who in turn commit to exclusive loyalty and obedience to Him.
This passage describes the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, echoing the promise of God's dwelling place being established among His people in Leviticus 26:11.
2 Corinthians 6:16Paul directly references the promise of God dwelling among and walking among His people, connecting it to His people becoming His temple and God being their God, mirroring the essence of Leviticus 26:11.
Revelation 21:3This prophetic vision of the new Jerusalem depicts God's tabernacle being with humanity, and His presence with them as their God, fulfilling the deep spiritual reality hinted at in Leviticus 26:11.
Ezekiel 37:27This verse speaks of God making His covenant of peace and His sanctuary among His people forever, which aligns with the permanent dwelling and favor promised in Leviticus 26:11.
clarkeLeviticus 26:11: "And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you."
I will set my tabernacle among you - This and the following verse contain the grand promise of the Gospel dispensation, viz. the presence, manifestation, and indwelling of God in human nature, and his constant in dwelling in the souls of his followers. So John 1:14 the Word was made flesh, και εσκηνωσεν εν ἡμιν, and Made His Tabernacle among us. And to this promise of the law St. Paul evidently refers,…
calvinLeviticus 26:3-13: "If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;"
- If ye walk in my statutes. We have now to deal with two remarkable passages, in which he professedly treats of the rewards which the servants of God may expect, and of the punishments which await the transgressors. I have indeed already observed, that whatever God promises us on the condition of our walking in His commandments would be ineffectual if He should be extreme in examining our works. Hence it ar…
This verse promises God’s dwelling place among His people, but more than just a physical location, it signifies His intimate presence and acceptance. The phrase "my soul shall not abhor you" is crucial; it highlights that God's presence isn't merely toleration, but a deep, personal engagement free from disgust, even when His people are imperfect.
This passage is part of a covenant outline where God lays out the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. If the people follow His commands, God promises to dwell among them, not turning away in disgust, and to walk with them, securing their peace and prosperity. This sets the stage for future promises of His constant presence and favor, assuring them of His commitment to their well-being.
This passage is part of a covenant outline where God lays out the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. If the people follow His commands, God promises to dwell among them, not turning away in disgust, and to walk with them, securing their peace and prosperity. This sets the stage for future promises of His constant presence and favor, assuring them of His commitment to their well-being.
"I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people." — This verse promises God’s dwelling place among His people, but more than just a physical location, it signifies His intimate presence and acceptance. The phrase "my soul shall not abhor you" is cruci…
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Last reviewed October 2026
