Leviticus 18:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

You must not behave like the people of Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You must not follow their practices.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֧ה אֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַ֛יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְשַׁבְתֶּם־בָּ֖הּ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֶֽרֶץ־כְּנַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶתְכֶ֥ם שָׁ֙מָּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א תֵלֵֽכוּ׃

Transliteration

Like kəmaʿăśēh ʾerets-Mitsrayim ʾăšer yəšabtem-bāh lōʾ taʿăśû and like ûkəmaʿăśēh ʾerets-Kənaʿan ʾăšer ʾănî mēbîʾ ʾetkem šāmmāh lōʾ taʿăśû and in ûbəḥuqqōtêhem lōʾ tēlēkû

Grammar Details

• *kəmaʿăśēh*: preposition + noun, masculine singular construct - like the practice/doings of
• *ʾerets*: noun, feminine singular construct - land of
• *Mitsrayim*: proper noun - Egypt
• *ʾăšer*: relative particle - which/that
• *yəšabtem*: Qal perfect, 2nd masculine plural - you dwelled/lived
• *bāh*: preposition + 3rd feminine singular suffix - in it
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *taʿăśû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you shall do
• *ûkəmaʿăśēh*: waw conjunction + preposition + noun, masculine singular construct - and like the practice of
• *Kənaʿan*: proper noun - Canaan
• *mēbîʾ*: Hiphil participle, masculine singular - bringing
• *ʾetkem*: direct object marker + 2nd masculine plural suffix - you
• *šāmmāh*: adverb - there/thither
• *ûbəḥuqqōtêhem*: waw conjunction + preposition + noun, feminine plural construct + 3rd masculine plural suffix - and in their statutes
• *tēlēkû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you shall walk/follow

Word Meanings

• *maʿăśēh*: practice/deed/work/custom
• *yəšabtem*: you dwelled/you lived/you resided
• *taʿăśû*: you shall do/you shall practice/you shall perform
• *mēbîʾ*: bringing/leading/causing to enter
• *ḥuqqōt*: statutes/ordinances/customs/practices
• *tēlēkû*: you shall walk/you shall follow/you shall conduct yourselves

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  You shall not do according to the practices of the land of Egypt, where you lived; and you shall not do according to the practices of the land of Canaan, where I bring you; you shall not walk in their ordinances.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their statutes.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Wherfore after the doynges of the land of Egipte wherein ye dwelt, se that ye doo not: nether after the doynges of the lande of Canaan, whether I will bringe you, nether walke ye in their ordinaunces,

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Ye shall not do after ye workes of the lande of Egipte, wherin ye dwelt: nether after the doynges of the lande of Canaan, in to the which I will brynge you. Ye shal not walke after their customes,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  After ye doings of the land of Egypt, wherin ye dwelt, shall ye not doe: and after the maner of the land of Canaan, whither I will bring you, shal ye not do, neither walke in their ordinances,

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  After the doynges of the lande of Egypt wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doinges of the lande of Chanaan whyther I wyll bryng you, shall ye not do: neither walke in their ordinaunces.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  according to the work of the land of Egypt in which ye have dwelt ye do not, and according to the work of the land of Canaan whither I am bringing you in, ye do not, and in their statutes ye walk not.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their statutes.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their statutes.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  You may not do those things which were done in the land of Egypt where you were living; and you may not do those things which are done in the land of Canaan where I am taking you, or be guided in your behaviour by their rules.

• World English Bible (2000)

  You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you have been living, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan into which I am about to bring you; you must not walk in their statutes.

Referenced Verses

• Exod 23:24 : 24 Do not bow down to their gods or worship them or follow their practices. Instead, you must demolish them completely and shatter their sacred pillars.
• Lev 20:23 : 23 Do not follow the customs of the nations that I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
• Ezek 20:7-8 : 7 And I said to them, 'Each of you, get rid of the detestable things your eyes are set on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' 8 But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; none of them got rid of the detestable things their eyes were set on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and unleash my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
• Ezek 23:8 : 8 She did not abandon the adulteries she began in Egypt, where men slept with her in her youth, fondling her virgin breasts and pouring out their lust upon her.
• Deut 12:30-31 : 30 be careful that you are not ensnared by following them after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.' 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because they practice for their gods every abomination that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
• Ps 106:35 : 35 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their ways.
• Jer 10:2-3 : 2 This is what the Lord says: Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the sky, even though the nations are terrified by them. 3 For the customs of the nations are worthless. They cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.
• Rom 12:2 : 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
• Eph 5:7-9 : 7 Therefore, do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.) 10 Prove what is well-pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
• 1 Pet 4:2-4 : 2 As a result, you should no longer live the rest of your earthly life for human desires but instead for the will of God. 3 For you have already spent enough time in the past doing what the Gentiles choose to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.
• Deut 12:4 : 4 Do not worship the Lord your God in the same way that they worship their gods.
• Lev 18:24-30 : 24 Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves by all these things. 25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you are to keep my statutes and my judgments. Do not commit any of these abominations, whether you are a native-born or a foreigner residing among you. 27 For all these abominations were committed by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land was defiled. 28 Make sure the land does not vomit you out when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was there before you. 29 For anyone who commits any of these detestable practices will be cut off from among their people. 30 So keep my charge not to practice any of the abominable customs that were done before you, so you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.