Bible Strands

Leviticus 18:26

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.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God addresses the Israelites through Moses, commanding them to avoid the practices that defied the land and caused its former inhabitants to be expelled.

The words — וּשְמַרְתֶּם (u./she.mar.Tem) means "you will keep," and תַעֲשׂוּ (ta.'a.Su) means "you will do," framing the command as active obedience to statutes (חֻקֹּתַי) and judgments (מִשְפָּטַי).

The thread — This directive echoes the life-giving promise of Leviticus 18:5 and extends the covenant boundaries to include both native-born Israelites and foreigners in Leviticus 17:8 and Leviticus 17:10.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate compliance from all residents in the land, making obedience a non-negotiable boundary before divine judgment or blessing.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣םu./she.mar.Temand/ you will keepאַתֶּ֗ם'a.Temyouאֶת־'et-<obj.>חֻקֹּתַי֙chu.ko.Ta/istatutes/ myוְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>מִשְׁפָּטַ֔יmish.pa.Ta/ijudgments/ myוְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ notתַעֲשׂ֔וּta.'a.Suyou will doמִכֹּ֥לmi./Kolany of/ allהַתּוֹעֵבֹ֖תha./to.'e.Votthe/ abominationsהָאֵ֑לֶּהha./'E.leh<the>/ theseהָֽאֶזְרָ֔חha./'ez.Rachthe/ native-bornוְהַגֵּ֖רve./ha./Gerand/ the/ sojournerהַגָּ֥רha./Garwho/ sojournsבְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃be./tokh./Khemin/ midst of/ you

King James Version

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:

Cross-references