Abominable

The word ‘abomination’ doesn’t come up much in casual conversation. In the Old Testament, however, you will find the word over 100 times. The Hebrew word was also translated loathsome or detestable on a few occasions. Even if you do not know the precise meaning of the word, you probably get the sense that it is a bad thing. You might say that it is worse than the things you usually think of as bad.

The word appears first in reference to the brothers of Joseph who were loathsome to the Egyptians. Later, we read that “every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.” (Genesis 46:34) So, it is most likely that this extreme prejudice was rooted in their occupation, not their race.

The next mention of something abominable is found in the book of Leviticus in reference to homosexuality. The pagan nations of Canaan were guilty of this and other abominations. When reading Leviticus 18, you get the idea that God was not simply giving Israel a gift when He promised them the land of Canaan. Rather, He was cleansing the land of people who were so far removed from His holiness that they had become an abomination. So, God cleansed the land by purging it of the evil nations and bringing in His holy nation to possess it.

‘Abomination’ is sometimes used in the context of things that God hates, but it is worse than ‘hate.’ Someone in our day might say something like, “If there’s one thing I hate, it is….” Or, “The thing I hate more than anything else is….” The way God expressed His extreme hatred for something that He hates the most was by using the word abomination.

When you start looking into the things that were an abomination to God you might notice that you begin to feel dirty. You might even begin to turn your mouth downward like you would when you feel nauseous. You read about things like the worship of false gods, bowing to idols, child sacrifice, and homosexuality. It should not be surprising that it is detestable to God when someone causes strife among friends.

When writing this article I realized that at this point I was literally feeling a little queasy. Let’s be straightforward. Things that are an abomination to God make Him feel like vomiting.

I also noticed that unlike some of the laws found in the Law of Moses, things that are an abomination to God are always an abomination. For example, there were food restriction in the Law of Moses that no longer applied in the new covenant. Jesus declared all food to be clean. The same is not true about abominations. You could say that anything abominable to God in the Old Testament is abominable in the New Testament. That said, did you know…

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,

But a just weight is His delight.

—Proverbs 11:1

The balance scale has been used for millennia to ensure fair trade. Yet people have found ways to cheat by using a false balance. Solomon was teaching that God delights in fairness, justice and equity. If you wish to please God you will be fair, ethical and law abiding.

In our day many people live by a code of ethics that allows them to be unfair as long as they don’t break a law. They say, “It might be unethical, but it is not illegal!” That is an abomination. It makes God want to vomit!

Do you need to rethink your ethics? 

Be a delight to God.

Be wise.

Mark Stinnett

January 11, 2026