“And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.”
My Notes
What Does Leviticus 26:11 Mean?
"I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you." This promise — part of the blessings for covenant obedience — contains one of the most startling phrases in the Old Testament. God promises not just presence but non-rejection: my soul shall not abhor you.
The word "abhor" (ga'al) means to loathe, to be repulsed by, to reject with visceral disgust. God is acknowledging that there exists a state in which he could be repulsed by his people — and promising that covenant faithfulness prevents it. The promise implies the alternative: there is a way to make God's soul abhor you, and the trajectory of Israel's story will unfortunately demonstrate it.
The word "tabernacle" (mishkan) literally means "dwelling place." God's promise isn't temporary visitation but settled, permanent residence. He will make his home among them. The deepest desire of the biblical God is domestic: he wants to live with his people. And when the relationship is right, his presence isn't a burden to either party — he doesn't recoil, and they don't hide.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you ever feared that God might be repulsed by the real you?
- 2.What does it mean that God speaks of his 'soul' in relation to you — what kind of intimacy does that imply?
- 3.How does this promise differ from generic 'God loves you' language?
- 4.Where in your life do you need to hear 'my soul shall not abhor you' most right now?
Devotional
"My soul shall not abhor you." It's a strange comfort, but it's a real one. God is acknowledging the elephant in the room of every divine-human relationship: the gap between his holiness and our mess. The honest question — could God look at the real me and be disgusted? — is answered here: no, not when we walk in covenant faithfulness.
This is different from saying God accepts everything about you as-is. The context is obedience — these blessings follow the "if ye walk in my statutes" of verse 3. God isn't promising unconditional tolerance; he's promising that within the covenant relationship, his closeness won't be repulsed by your humanness. He can live with you without being revolted by you.
For anyone who carries deep shame — who suspects that if God really saw all of you, he'd turn away — this verse is medicine. The God who is holier than you can imagine promises to set up his home among you without recoiling. His soul, his innermost being, will not abhor you.
The intimacy of this language is remarkable. God speaks of his "soul" — using the most personal, inward language available. This isn't an administrative decision to tolerate you. It's a heart commitment not to be repulsed by your proximity. He wants to be close, and he promises that closeness won't become disgust.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And I will walk among you,.... As they journeyed from place to place, he walked among them, in the tabernacle built for…
As “the book of the covenant” Exo. 20:22–23:33 concludes with promises and warnings Exo 23:20-33, so does this…
I will set my tabernacle among you - This and the following verse contain the grand promise of the Gospel dispensation,…
Here is, I. The inculcating of those precepts of the law which were of the greatest consequence, and by which were of…
The blessing that shall follow upon obedience. (Cp. Deu 28:1-11.)
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture