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 the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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

Basic Obligations: Family and Worship

Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

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

Laws of the Peace Offering

And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.

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

And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.

Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among 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 gleanings of thy harvest.

And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Honesty and Integrity

¶ Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

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

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

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

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

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 mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.

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

And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.

And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done 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 uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.

But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal.

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

Avoiding Pagan Practices

Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

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 the LORD.

Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

¶ Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

Respect for the Elderly and the Alien

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

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

But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Honesty in Commerce

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

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

Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.

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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