Does the Bible literally mean the land has a stomach and can vomit?

No, the Bible does not mean the land literally has a stomach or can vomit in a biological sense. The phrase "the land spue not you out" is a powerful example of

, a literary device where inanimate objects are given human characteristics or actions. In this context, it vividly conveys God's profound disgust with the abominable practices of the Canaanites and the Israelites' potential sins. It communicates that the land, as part of God's created order, is so repulsed by moral defilement that it cannot tolerate the presence of the defilers. It's a graphic metaphor for divine judgment, indicating that God, through His sovereign control over creation, will ensure that the land rejects and expels those who persistently pollute it with their sin, just as a body rejects something toxic. This divine judgment is seen historically in the expulsion of the Canaanites and later in Israel's exiles, as prophesied in passages like Deuteronomy 28.

Are the specific prohibitions in Leviticus 18 still binding on Christians today, and how does this verse apply to us?

While the Mosaic Law, including the specific civil and ceremonial laws of Leviticus 18, is not directly binding on Christians in the same way it was for ancient Israel under the Old Covenant, the underlying moral principles remain eternally relevant. The New Testament affirms and re-emphasizes the moral prohibitions against sexual immorality (e.g., 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21), idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14), and other forms of unholiness. For Christians, the application of Leviticus 18:28 shifts from a literal physical land to a spiritual reality. We are called to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16), recognizing that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Persistent unrepentant sin can lead to spiritual defilement, hindering our fellowship with God and our effectiveness in His kingdom. The warning of the land "spuing out" serves as a timeless reminder of God's unwavering holiness and the serious consequences of moral depravity, urging believers to pursue purity and righteousness in all aspects of life.

18:27 18:27

Leviticus 18:28

18:29 18:29

Bible Versions

That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that [were] before you.

That the land {H776} spue not you out {H6958} also, when ye defile {H2930} it, as it spued out {H6958} the nations {H1471} that were before {H6440} you.

If you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out too, just as it is vomiting out the nation that was there before you.

So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you.

that the land vomit not you out also, when ye defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Verse Lookup

Cross-References

Revelation 3:16

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
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.
Leviticus 20:22

¶ Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.
Ezekiel 36:17

Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
Jeremiah 9:19

For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast [us] out.
Romans 8:22

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Ezekiel 36:13

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou [land] devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations;

Bible Versions

Search Scripture