Leviticus 20:24

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Leviticus 20:24 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey: I am Jehovah your God, who hath separated you from the peoples.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey: I am Jehovah your God, who hath separated you from the peoples.
Leviticus 20:24 — American Standard Version

Context — Leviticus 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
24But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey: I am Jehovah your God, who hath separated you from the peoples.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“But I have said unto you, ye shall inherit the land, etc.] Promised it unto them, as he had to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and also to them; or he had said the above things unto them, that they, observing them, might possess the land of Canaan, and continue therein, which is the sense of the Targum of Jonathan: the Jews say, that the right of inheritance belonged to them, from Shem the son of Noah, whose portion it was, and which they gather from Melchizedek being king of Salem, whom they take to be Shem; and they say, the Canaanites only dwelt in it to make it better, till they should come and inherit it: and I will give it unto you to possess it; in whose gift it was, and who…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“I . . . have separated you from other people--Their selection from the rest of the nations was for the all-important end of preserving the knowledge and worship of the true God amid the universal apostasy; and as the distinction of meats was one great means of completing that separation, the law about making a difference between clean and unclean beasts is here repeated with emphatic solemnity. Next: Leviticus Chapter 21”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The ground is here again stated on which all these laws of holiness should be obeyed. See Leviticus 18:24-30 note. Leviticus 20:24 Compare the margin reference. Leviticus 20:25, Leviticus 20:26 The distinction between clean and unclean for the whole people, and not for any mere section of it, was one great typical mark of “the kingdom of priests, the holy nation.” See the Leviticus 11:42 note. Leviticus 20:25 Any manner of living thing that creepeth - Rather, any creeping thing; that is, any vermin. See Leviticus 11:20-23. The reference in this verse is to dead animals, not to the creatures when alive. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain.…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“20:24 The expression flowing with milk and honey is common in Exodus—Deuteronomy. It conveys the idea of food being abundant and easy to get. This contrasts with Egypt, where everything depended on the flooding of the Nile and irrigation (Deut 11:9-12).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“But I: Exo 3:8, Exo 3:17, Exo 6:8 a land: Milk and honey were the chief dainties of the ancients as they are now among the Arabs, particularly the Bedouins. Hence not only the Hebrews, but also the Greeks and Romans, painted the highest pleasantness and fertility by an abundance of milk and honey. The image used in the text, and frequently by ancient authors on similar subjects, is a metaphor, derived from a breast, producing copious streams of milk. which: Lev 20:26; Exo 19:5, Exo 19:6, Exo 33:16; Num 23:9; Deu 7:6, Deu 14:2; Kg1 8:53; Joh 15:19; Co2 6:17; Pe1 2:9 Leviticus 20:25”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification