Leviticus 18:30

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֗י לְבִלְתִּ֨י עֲשׂ֜וֹת מֵחֻקּ֤וֹת הַתּֽוֹעֵבֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲשׂ֣וּ לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִֽטַּמְּא֖וּ בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Transliteration

And ûšəmartem ʾet-mišmartî ləbiltî ʿăśôt from mēḥuqqôt hattôʿēbōt ʾăšer naʿăśû before you lipnêkem and wəlōʾ tiṭṭammʾû by them bāhem ʾănî YHWH ʾĕlōhêkem

Grammar Details

• *ûšəmartem*: waw conjunction + Qal perfect, 2nd masculine plural - and you shall keep
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *mišmartî*: noun, feminine singular + 1st person singular suffix - my charge
• *ləbiltî*: preposition + adverb - so as not to
• *ʿăśôt*: Qal infinitive construct - do/practice
• *mēḥuqqôt*: preposition + noun, feminine plural construct - from the customs of
• *hattôʿēbōt*: definite article + noun, feminine plural - the abominations
• *ʾăšer*: relative particle - which
• *naʿăśû*: Niphal perfect, 3rd common plural - were done/practiced
• *lipnêkem*: preposition + noun, masculine plural + 2nd masculine plural suffix - before you
• *wəlōʾ*: waw conjunction + negative particle - and not
• *tiṭṭammʾû*: Hitpael imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you shall defile yourselves
• *bāhem*: preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix - by them
• *ʾănî*: 1st person singular pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun, divine name
• *ʾĕlōhêkem*: noun, masculine plural + 2nd masculine plural suffix - your God

Word Meanings

• *ûšəmartem*: and you shall keep/and you shall observe/and you shall guard
• *mišmartî*: my charge/my ordinance/my command
• *ləbiltî*: so as not to/in order not to
• *ʿăśôt*: do/practice/perform
• *mēḥuqqôt*: from the customs of/from the practices of/from the statutes of
• *tôʿēbōt*: abominations/detestable things/abhorrent practices
• *naʿăśû*: were done/were practiced/were performed
• *tiṭṭammʾû*: you shall defile yourselves/you shall become unclean/you shall be polluted

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominab customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defi not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  Therefore you shall keep my ordinance, that you do not commit any of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Therefore shall ye keep{H8104} my charge,{H4931} that ye practise{H6213} not any of these abominable{H8441} customs,{H2708} which were practised{H6213} before{H6440} you, and that ye defile{H2930} not yourselves therein: I am Jehovah{H3068} your God.{H430}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Therefore shall ye keep{H8104}{(H8804)} mine ordinance{H4931}, that ye commit{H6213}{(H8800)} not any one of these abominable{H8441} customs{H2708}, which were committed{H6213}{(H8738)} before{H6440} you, and that ye defile{H2930}{(H8691)} not yourselves therein: I am the LORD{H3068} your God{H430}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Therfore se that ye kepe myne ordinaunces, that ye commytt none of these abhominable customes which were commytted before you: that ye defile not youre selues therewith for I am the Lorde youre God.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Therfore kepe ye my statutes, that ye do not after ye abhominable customes, which were before you, that ye be not defyled therwith: For I am the LORDE youre God.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Therefore shall yee keepe mine ordinances that ye do not any of the abominable customes, which haue bene done before you, and that yee defile not your selues therein: for I am the Lorde your God.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Therefore shall ye kepe myne ordinaunces, that ye commit not one of these abhominable customes whiche were committed before you, and that ye defile not your selues therein: I am the Lorde your God.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that [ye] commit not [any one] of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I [am] the LORD your God.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Therefore you shall keep my charge, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them: I am Yahweh your God.'"

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and ye have kept My charge, so as not to do `any' of the abominable statutes which have been done before you, and ye do not defile yourselves with them; I `am' Jehovah your God.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Therefore shall ye keep my charge, that ye practise not any of these abominable customs, which were practised before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am Jehovah your God.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Therefore shall ye keep my charge, that ye practise not any of these abominable customs, which were practised before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am Jehovah your God.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  So then, keep my orders, so that you may not do any of these disgusting things which were done before you, or make yourselves unclean through them: I am the Lord your God.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them: I am Yahweh your God.'"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  You must obey my charge not to practice any of the abominable statutes that have been done before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.’”

Referenced Verses

• 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.
• Lev 22:9 : 9 They must keep My commands and not bear guilt by treating the holy things improperly, for if they do, they will die because of it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
• Deut 11:1 : 1 You shall love the LORD your God and always keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments.
• Deut 18:9-9 : 9 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable practices of those nations. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, practices divination, tells fortunes, interprets omens, or engages in witchcraft. 11 Or one who casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or who seeks the dead. 12 For anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. Because of these detestable practices, the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you.
• Lev 18:2-4 : 2 Speak to the Israelites and tell them: 'I am the LORD your God.' 3 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. 4 You must obey my laws and carefully keep my decrees. Live by them. I am the LORD your God.
• Lev 18:26-27 : 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.