Leviticus19

Leviticus 19 outlines God's commands for Israel to be holy, reflecting His own character. It details various ethical and ritual laws, emphasizing reverence for parents, keeping Sabbaths, and avoiding idolatry. The chapter also stresses social justice, including provisions for the poor, fair dealings, and the paramount command to love one's neighbour as oneself. These statutes cover personal conduct, community relations, and proper worship.

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The Call to Holiness

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy.

Basic Obligations: Family and Worship

Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God.

Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God.

Laws of the Peace Offering

And when ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, ye shall offer it that ye may be accepted.

It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if aught remain until the third day, it shall be burnt with fire.

And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it shall not be accepted:

but every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the holy thing of Jehovah: and that soul shall be cut off from his people.

Justice and Care for the Poor

And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest.

And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather the fallen fruit of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am Jehovah your God.

Honesty and Integrity

Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another.

And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of thy God: I am Jehovah.

Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbor, nor rob him: the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind; but thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am Jehovah.

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am Jehovah.

Prohibitions on Mixtures and Customs

Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed: neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.

And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to a husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; they shall be punished; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto Jehovah, unto the door of the tent of meeting, even a ram for a trespass-offering.

And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass-offering before Jehovah for his sin which he hath sinned: and the sin which he hath sinned shall be forgiven him.

Agricultural and Tree Laws

And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as their uncircumcision: three years shall they be as uncircumcised unto you; it shall not be eaten.

But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy, for giving praise unto Jehovah.

And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am Jehovah your God.

Avoiding Pagan Practices

Ye shall not eat anything with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantments, nor practise augury.

Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am Jehovah.

Profane not thy daughter, to make her a harlot; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am Jehovah.

Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek them not out, to be defiled by them: I am Jehovah your God.

Respect for the Elderly and the Alien

Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.

And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not do him wrong.

The stranger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.

Honesty in Commerce

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity.

Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

And ye shall observe all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them: I am Jehovah.

Study Notes for Leviticus 19

Verse 2

This foundational command summarizes the entire purpose of the Holiness Code (chapters 17-26). Israel's ethical and ritual distinctiveness must reflect God's own unique, moral nature.

Verse 3

This verse immediately links reverence for parents (horizontal ethics) with observance of the Sabbath (vertical worship), showing that holiness begins in the home and the worship life.

Verse 6

These specific rules for the peace offering (or fellowship offering) ensured that the sacrifice was consumed reverently and did not become spoiled or treated as common food.

Verse 9

This law of gleaning (pe'ah) established a mandatory, built-in system of charity, requiring landowners to leave the edges of their field unharvested for the needy and foreigners.

Verse 12

False swearing in God's name (perjury) is equated with profaning the divine name, emphasizing that honesty is a matter of sacred honor and covenant faithfulness.

Verse 13

The prohibition against withholding a laborer's wages overnight is an important early labor law, protecting the most vulnerable members of society who relied on daily income.

Verse 14

This law highlights ethical responsibility toward the disabled; exploitation of those who cannot defend themselves is explicitly condemned by fearing God.

Verse 15

This verse demands impartiality in legal settings, ensuring that judgment is not swayed by the wealth or poverty of the parties involved.

Verse 16

The prohibition of going about as a 'talebearer' (slander or gossip) is linked directly to preserving one's neighbor's life, recognizing the destructive power of malicious words.

Verse 17

The law moves beyond external actions to internal attitudes, requiring the Israelites not only to avoid hatred but also to actively correct their neighbor's sin.

Verse 18

This is the ethical climax of the chapter, commanding covenant members to relinquish vengeance and instead practice selfless, positive love, forming the basis of Jesus's summary of the Law.

Verse 19

These three rules (mixed breeding, mixed seeds, mixed fabrics) emphasize God's desire for order and distinctiveness, preventing the blurring of boundaries established in creation.

Verse 20

This case deals with the sexual violation of a female slave who is betrothed, indicating that while the offense is serious, the punishment is reduced because she was not fully free.

Verse 23

These laws regarding the fruit of newly planted trees mandate a three-year waiting period, teaching patience and prioritizing God's ownership before personal consumption.

Verse 26

The prohibition against eating 'with the blood' reinforces the sacred nature of life, while the ban on enchantment prohibits consulting omens or magic, practices associated with paganism.

Verse 27

These specific grooming prohibitions were designed to distinguish Israel from surrounding nations, who often cut hair and beards in ritualistic mourning rites for the dead.

Verse 28

Cuttings and tattoo-like marks were common pagan practices used during funerary rites or devotion to other gods, and are banned here as a profanation of the body.

Verse 30

This verse reiterates the importance of the two key ritual institutions—Sabbath observance and the Tabernacle—as essential components of the nation’s holiness.

Verse 31

The specific ban on consulting mediums or wizards reinforces monotheism and reliance solely upon God for guidance.

Verse 32

Honoring the elderly ('hoary head') is a command to respect wisdom and experience, linking reverence for the older generation directly to the fear of God.

Verse 34

The theological basis for treating the foreigner justly is Israel's own experience of being strangers in Egypt, emphasizing empathy and historical memory as ethical drivers.

Verse 35

Holiness extends into the marketplace, requiring strict accuracy in all measuring devices (meteyard, weight, measure) to ensure fairness in commerce.

Verse 37

This concluding summary emphasizes that holiness requires comprehensive obedience—observing all statutes and judgments—not just selecting certain rules.

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