Leviticus 18:25
Leviticus 18:25 in Multiple Translations
Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.
And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
and the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land vomiteth out her inhabitants.
And the land itself has become unclean; so that I have sent on it the reward of its wrongdoing, and the land itself puts out those who are living in it.
Even the land has become polluted, so I am punishing it for the sins committed by the people who live there, and the land will vomit them out.
And the land is defiled: therefore I wil visit the wickednesse thereof vpon it, and the lande shall vomit out her inhabitants.
and the land is defiled, and I charge its iniquity upon it, and the land vomiteth out its inhabitants:
The land was defiled. Therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.
And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit its iniquity upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
And with which the land is defiled: the abominations of which I will visit, that it may vomit out its inhabitants.
They even caused the land to become defiled, so I punished them for their sins, and it was as though the land vomited out the people who lived there.
Berean Amplified Bible — Leviticus 18:25
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Leviticus 18:25 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/תִּטְמָ֣א
הָ/אָ֔רֶץ
וָ/אֶפְקֹ֥ד
עֲוֺנָ֖/הּ
עָלֶ֑י/הָ
וַ/תָּקִ֥א
הָ/אָ֖רֶץ
אֶת
יֹשְׁבֶֽי/הָ
וַ/תִּטְמָ֣א
ṭâmêʼ
H2930
to defile
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs
הָ/אָ֔רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
land
Art | N-cs
וָ/אֶפְקֹ֥ד
pâqad
H6485
to reckon
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs
עֲוֺנָ֖/הּ
ʻâvôn
H5771
iniquity
N-cs | Suff
עָלֶ֑י/הָ
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep | Suff
וַ/תָּקִ֥א
qôwʼ
H6958
to vomit
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3fs
הָ/אָ֖רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
land
Art | N-cs
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
יֹשְׁבֶֽי/הָ
yâshab
H3427
to dwell
V-Qal | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Leviticus 18:25
וַ/תִּטְמָ֣א
ṭâmêʼ
H2930
"to defile"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs
This Hebrew word means to be foul or contaminated, often in a moral or ceremonial sense. It is used in the Bible to describe something that is unclean or polluted. In the book of Leviticus, it talks about being unclean and how to become clean again.
Definition: 1) to be unclean, become unclean, become impure 1a) (Qal) to be or become unclean 1a1) sexually 1a2) religiously 1a3) ceremonially 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to defile oneself, be defiled 1b1a) sexually 1b1b) by idolatry 1b1c) ceremonially 1b2) to be regarded as unclean 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to defile 1c1a) sexually 1c1b) religiously 1c1c) ceremonially 1c2) to pronounce unclean, declare unclean (ceremonially) 1c3) to profane (God's name) 1d) (Pual) to be defiled 1e) (Hithpael) to be unclean 1f) (Hothpael) to be defiled
Usage: Occurs in 142 OT verses. KJV: defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, [idiom] utterly. See also: Genesis 34:5; Leviticus 22:5; Psalms 79:1.
הָ/אָ֔רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
"land"
Art | N-cs
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
וָ/אֶפְקֹ֥ד
pâqad
H6485
"to reckon"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs
This word means to visit or oversee, and can imply a range of actions, from friendly to hostile. It is used in various contexts, including appointing, avenging, or delivering something into someone's care. The KJV translates it in many ways, including appoint, avenge, or commit.
Definition: : list/count 1) to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pay attention to, observe 1a2) to attend to 1a3) to seek, look about for 1a4) to seek in vain, need, miss, lack 1a5) to visit 1a6) to visit upon, punish 1a7) to pass in review, muster, number 1a8) to appoint, assign, lay upon as a charge, deposit 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be sought, be needed, be missed, be lacking 1b2) to be visited 1b3) to be visited upon 1b4) to be appointed 1b5) to be watched over 1c) (Piel) to muster, call up 1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer 1e2) to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit 1f) (Hophal) 1f1) to be visited 1f2) to be deposited 1f3) to be made overseer, be entrusted 1g) (Hithpael) numbered 1h) (Hothpael) numbered
Usage: Occurs in 269 OT verses. KJV: appoint, [idiom] at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep, be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up, look, make, [idiom] by any means, miss, number, officer, (make) overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to) remember(-brance), set (over), sum, [idiom] surely, visit, want. See also: Genesis 21:1; Numbers 26:47; Psalms 8:5.
עֲוֺנָ֖/הּ
ʻâvôn
H5771
"iniquity"
N-cs | Suff
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means moral evil or sin, like the kind God sees in people's hearts. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Psalms. This concept is key to understanding human nature.
Definition: : crime 1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity 1a) iniquity 1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition) 1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
Usage: Occurs in 215 OT verses. KJV: fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin. See also: Genesis 4:13; Psalms 107:17; Psalms 18:24.
עָלֶ֑י/הָ
ʻal
H5921
"upon"
Prep | Suff
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
וַ/תָּקִ֥א
qôwʼ
H6958
"to vomit"
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3fs
This word means to vomit or spue out, and can be used literally or figuratively, as in a land spewing out its inhabitants. It appears in various forms in the Bible.
Definition: 1) to vomit up, spue out, disgorge 1a) (Qal) to vomit 1b) (Hiphil) to vomit up 1b1) of land spewing out its inhabitants (fig) 1b2) vomiting, disgorging
Usage: Occurs in 7 OT verses. KJV: spue (out), vomit (out, up, up again). See also: Leviticus 18:25; Job 20:15; Proverbs 23:8.
הָ/אָ֖רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
"land"
Art | N-cs
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
יֹשְׁבֶֽי/הָ
yâshab
H3427
"to dwell"
V-Qal | Suff
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Definition: 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
Usage: Occurs in 977 OT verses. KJV: (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry. See also: Genesis 4:16; Leviticus 25:18; Joshua 13:6.
Study Notes — Leviticus 18:25
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Leviticus 18:25 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Leviticus 18:25
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 18:25
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
- Trapp's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
- Ellicott's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
- Cambridge Bible on Leviticus 18:25
- Whedon's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
- Sermons on Leviticus 18:25
Context — Unlawful Sexual Relations
23You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.
24Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
25Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.
26But 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. 27For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 18:28 | So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you. |
| 2 | Leviticus 20:22–23 | You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out. You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 2:7 | I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but you came and defiled My land, and made My inheritance detestable. |
| 4 | Psalms 106:38 | They shed innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 9:9 | Should I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD. Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?” |
| 6 | Numbers 35:33–34 | Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.” |
| 7 | Isaiah 26:21 | For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain. |
| 8 | Deuteronomy 18:12 | For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you. |
| 9 | Jeremiah 5:29 | Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? |
| 10 | Ezekiel 36:17–18 | “Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds. Their behavior before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman’s impurity. So I poured out My wrath upon them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. |
Leviticus 18:25 Summary
This verse is saying that when people sin and do bad things, the land itself can become polluted and unclean. As a result, God will punish the land and remove the people living in it, just like He did with the nations that lived in the land before the Israelites, as seen in Deuteronomy 9:4-5. This is a reminder that our actions have consequences, not just for ourselves, but for the world around us, and that we should strive to live in a way that honors God and takes care of the land He has given us (Psalm 24:1). By following God's commands and living a life of obedience, we can help keep the land clean and pure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for the land to be defiled?
According to Leviticus 18:25, the land becomes defiled when the people living in it commit sinful acts, such as those listed in Leviticus 18:23-24, and as a result, God punishes the land for its sin, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:15-20.
How does the land vomit out its inhabitants?
This is a metaphorical expression meaning that the land will expel or remove its inhabitants due to their sinful actions, similar to what happened in Genesis 19:24-25 when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Is this verse only talking about the physical land of Israel?
While the context of Leviticus 18:25 is specifically addressing the land of Israel, the principle applies to any land or nation that becomes defiled by sin, as seen in Isaiah 24:5-6 and Revelation 11:18.
What is the significance of God punishing the land for its sin?
This shows that God is a holy and just God who will not tolerate sin, and that the consequences of sin can be severe, as seen in Numbers 35:33-34 and Psalm 106:38.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that our own communities or nations may be defiling the land through sinful actions, and what can we do to prevent this?
- How can we apply the principle of Leviticus 18:25 to our own lives, recognizing that our actions have consequences not just for ourselves, but for those around us?
- What does it mean for us to be good stewards of the land and to live in a way that honors God, as seen in Psalm 24:1 and Genesis 1:28?
- In what ways can we see the consequences of sin playing out in our world today, and how can we be a part of bringing hope and redemption to those around us?
Gill's Exposition on Leviticus 18:25
And the land is defiled,.... The inhabitants of it, with the immoralities and idolatries before mentioned: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it; or punish the inhabitants that are on it
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 18:25
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: In all these the nations are defiled ... Ancient history gives many appalling
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
I do visit; I am now visiting, or about to visit, i. e. to punish. See . The land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants, as no less burdens to the earth than corrupted food is to the stomach. See .
Trapp's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
Leviticus 18:25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.Ver. 25. And the land is defiled.] From one end thereof to the other; as the face of the old world was grown so foul, that God was fain to wash it with a flood.
Ellicott's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
(25) The land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.—From the creation the earth shared in the punishment of man’s guilt (Genesis 3:17), and at the restitution of all things she is to participate in his restoration (Romans 8:19-22). The physical condition of the land, therefore, depends upon the moral conduct of man. When he disobeys God’s commandments she is parched up and does not yield her fruit” (Deuteronomy 11:17). “The land is defiled” when he defiles himself. When he walks in the way of the Divine commands she is blessed (Leviticus 25:19; Leviticus 26:4); “God is merciful unto his land and to his people” (Deuteronomy 32:43). Hence, “the earth mourneth” when her inhabitants sin (Isaiah 24:4-5), and “the earth is glad” when God avenges the cause of His people (Psalms 96:11-13). It is owing to this intimate connection between them that the land, which is here personified, is represented as loathing the wicked conduct of her children and being unable to restrain them. She nauseated them. The same figure is used in Leviticus 18:28; Leviticus 20:22; and in Revelation 3:16.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
Verse 25. The land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.] This is a very nervous prosopopoeia or personification; a figure by which any part of inanimate nature may be represented as possessing the passions and reason of man. Here the land is represented as an intelligent being, with a deep and refined sense of moral good and evil: information concerning the abominations of the people is brought to this personified land, with which it is so deeply affected that a nausea is produced, and it vomits out its abominable and accursed inhabitants. It was natural for the inspired penman to make use of such a figure, as the description he was obliged to give of so many and enormous abominations must have affected him nearly in the same way in which he represents the land to be affected.
Cambridge Bible on Leviticus 18:25
24–30. See general note at the beginning of the ch. These vv. are probably expanded from earlier materials. After the warning in Leviticus 18:24 the standpoint changes, and the remainder of the passage is a reflection on the past, the verbs being really in the past tense, were defiled, was defiled, I visited, (the land) vomited.
Whedon's Commentary on Leviticus 18:25
25. The land itself — Canaan. Vomiteth — By a striking personification the very ground on which these abominations are enacted, like the stomach of a sick man, figuratively ejects the perpetrators of these filthy deeds.
Sermons on Leviticus 18:25
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
(Through the Bible) Leviticus 16-20 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the moral decay and corruption in society, particularly in relation to the portrayal of sinful acts in movies. He emphasizes that God's peopl |
|
Defiling the Inheritance by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of recognizing the blessings and goodness of God in our lives. He compares the Israelites entering the promised land to belie |
|
(2 Samuel) Settling an Old Debt by David Guzik | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of keeping promises and being people of our word. They highlight how the entertainment industry often operates on dishonesty, b |
|
Studies in Zechariah 06 Zechariah 6: by John W. Bramhall | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the vision described in Zechariah 6:1-8. The vision involves four chariots coming from between two mountains of brass. Each chariot is pulle |