Leviticus 18:3

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.

📖 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

Referenced Verses

• Exod 23:24 : 24 “You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones to pieces.
• Lev 20:23 : 23 You must not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done all these things and I am filled with disgust against them.
• Ezek 20:7-8 : 7 I said to them,“Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.” 8 But they rebelled against me, and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols, nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
• Ezek 23:8 : 8 She did not abandon the prostitution she had practiced in Egypt; for in her youth men went to bed with her, fondled her virgin breasts, and ravished her.
• Deut 12:30-31 : 30 After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not pursue their gods and say,“How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.” 31 You must not worship the LORD your God the way they do! For everything that is abhorrent to him, everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!
• Ps 106:35 : 35 They mixed in with the nations and learned their ways.
• Jer 10:2-3 : 2 The LORD says,“Do not start following pagan religious practices. Do not be in awe of signs that occur in the sky even though the nations hold them in awe. 3 For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.
• Rom 12:2 : 2 Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God– what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.
• Eph 5:7-9 : 7 Therefore do not be sharers with them, 8 for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light– 9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth– 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
• 1 Pet 4:2-4 : 2 in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires. 3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians desire. You lived then in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, and wanton idolatries. 4 So they are astonished when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you.
• Deut 12:4 : 4 You must not worship the LORD your God the way they worship.
• Lev 18:24-30 : 24 Warning against the Abominations of the Nations“‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things, for the nations which I am about to drive out before you have been defiled with all these things. 25 Therefore the land has become unclean and I have brought the punishment for its iniquity upon it, so that the land has vomited out its inhabitants. 26 You yourselves must obey my statutes and my regulations and must not do any of these abominations, both the native citizen and the resident foreigner in your midst, 27 for the people who were in the land before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become unclean. 28 So do not make the land vomit you out because you defile it just as it has vomited out the nations that were before you. 29 For if anyone does any of these abominations, the persons who do them will be cut off from the midst of their people. 30 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.’”