Leviticus 22:32

Translation
King James Version
Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
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KJV (with Strong's)
Neither shall ye profane H2490 my holy H6944 name H8034; but I will be hallowed H6942 among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel H3478: I am the LORD H3068 which hallow H6942 you,
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Complete Jewish Bible
You are not to profane my holy name; on the contrary, I am to be regarded as holy among the people of Isra'el; I am ADONAI, who makes you holy,
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Berean Standard Bible
You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you,
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American Standard Version
And ye shall not profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am Jehovah who halloweth you,
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World English Bible Messianic
You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy,
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Neither shall ye pollute mine holy Name, but I will be halowed among the children of Israel. I the Lord sanctifie you,
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Young's Literal Translation
and ye do not pollute My holy name, and I have been hallowed in the midst of the sons of Israel; I am Jehovah, sanctifying you,
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See also
Leviticus 18:21Luke 11:2Matthew 6:9Leviticus 10:3Leviticus 22:2John 17:171 Corinthians 1:2
In the KJVVerse 3,402 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Leviticus 22:32 serves as a profound declaration of God's inherent holiness and His covenantal expectation for His people, Israel. It unequivocally prohibits any action or attitude that would diminish or disrespect the divine character represented by His name, while simultaneously asserting God's sovereign intent to be honored and set apart by those He has chosen. This verse powerfully articulates that Israel's very capacity for holiness is not self-derived but is a gracious work of the Lord Himself, who actively sanctifies them and enables them to reflect His set-apart nature.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse acts as a climactic theological statement at the conclusion of Leviticus 22, a chapter meticulously detailing the stringent regulations for priests and the sanctity of offerings brought to the Lord. The preceding verses (e.g., Leviticus 22:17-25) emphasize the necessity of unblemished animals for sacrifice, reflecting God's absolute perfection and the purity required to approach Him. The chapter also outlines conditions under which priests may eat holy food and minister, all designed to maintain ritual and moral purity within the sacred space and service. Leviticus 22:32 thus functions as a capstone, summarizing that all these specific laws and purity requirements ultimately point to the supreme importance of God's name and His unique, set-apart nature, which must be upheld by His people.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The commands in Leviticus were delivered to the Israelites during their encampment at Mount Sinai, shortly after their miraculous exodus from Egypt. Having witnessed God's awe-inspiring power and holiness at Sinai (as detailed in Exodus 19), they were being instructed on how to live as a holy nation, distinct from the pagan cultures surrounding them. Unlike the polytheistic nations who often treated their deities as extensions of natural forces or human desires, sometimes even profaning their gods' names through sorcery or casual oaths, Israel was called to recognize Yahweh as uniquely transcendent and utterly holy. The concept of "profaning God's name" (Hebrew: chalal) was a grave offense, signifying a failure to uphold the covenant (as seen in Exodus 20:7) and a disregard for God's divine authority and character. This verse underscores the radical distinction between the God of Israel and the gods of the nations, demanding a level of reverence that permeated every aspect of their lives, from worship to daily conduct.
  • Key Themes: The central theme permeating Leviticus 22, and indeed the entire book of Leviticus, is the preservation and manifestation of God's holiness within the community of Israel. This verse explicitly highlights the theme of God's inherent holiness ("my holy name") and His demand for reverence from His people. It also introduces the crucial theme of divine sanctification, emphasizing that Israel's capacity to be holy and to hallow God's name is not self-generated but is a gracious work initiated and sustained by the Lord Himself ("I am the LORD which hallow you"). This establishes a foundational theological principle: true holiness is always rooted in God's character and His active work in His people, enabling them to live in a manner that reflects His set-apart nature.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Profane (Hebrew, châlal', H2490): This verb (H2490) signifies "to bore," "to wound," "to dissolve," and figuratively, "to profane," "to defile," "to make common," or "to treat as ordinary." In the context of God's name, it means to treat that which is sacred as if it were common, thereby diminishing its holiness and dishonoring God's character. It implies actions or attitudes that bring contempt or disrepute upon God, whether through disobedience, false worship, or a lack of reverence. The prohibition "Neither shall ye profane my holy name" is a strong negative command, underscoring the absolute necessity of preserving the sanctity of God's reputation.
  • Hallowed (Hebrew, qâdash', H6942): This verb (H6942) means "to be set apart," "to be consecrated," "to be holy," or "to be treated as sacred." When applied to God ("I will be hallowed"), it denotes His inherent, unchangeable holiness and His expectation that His people will acknowledge and reflect this truth in their lives. It implies an active recognition and glorification of God's unique, transcendent nature. The passive voice "I will be hallowed" indicates that God Himself is the subject of this hallowing, either by His own inherent nature or by His people's actions that align with His will. The subsequent phrase, "I am the LORD which hallow you," uses the same root in an active sense, revealing God as the source and agent of Israel's holiness.
  • LORD (Hebrew, Yᵉhôvâh', H3068): This noun (H3068) refers to "the self-Existent or Eternal," Jehovah, the Jewish national name of God. This is the covenant name of God, Yahweh, emphasizing His eternal, unchanging, and personal nature. When God declares, "I am the LORD which hallow you," He invokes His covenant faithfulness and His sovereign power to accomplish what He promises. It underscores that the source of Israel's holiness and the demand for His name to be hallowed are rooted in His unique identity as the one true, living God.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Neither shall ye profane my holy name;": This initial command establishes a strict prohibition against any action or attitude that would treat God's name—which represents His character, presence, and authority—as common, defiled, or unworthy of utmost reverence. It is a call to uphold the sanctity of God's identity in all aspects of life and worship, ensuring that nothing diminishes His glory or misrepresents His divine nature to the world.
  • "but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel:": This clause presents the positive counterpart and divine intention. Despite the potential for human failure to profane His name, God declares His unwavering purpose: He will be recognized as holy and set apart by His chosen people, Israel. This is not merely a human responsibility but a divine decree, signifying God's active role in ensuring His holiness is upheld and acknowledged within the community He has called into covenant relationship.
  • "I [am] the LORD which hallow you,": This profound declaration reveals the theological basis for Israel's ability to live a holy life and for God's name to be hallowed among them. It asserts that God Himself, Yahweh, the sovereign covenant God, is the ultimate source and active agent of their sanctification. Their holiness is not an inherent quality or an achievement of their own efforts, but a gracious work of the sovereign Lord who sets them apart for Himself, enabling them to live in a manner that honors His name and reflects His character.

Literary Devices

The verse employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. Antithesis is prominently featured, creating a stark contrast between the negative command "Neither shall ye profane my holy name" and the positive divine declaration "but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel." This opposition highlights the two poles of human responsibility (avoiding profanation) and divine will (God's self-hallowing) concerning God's holiness. Repetition of the root qadash (hallowed/hallow) emphasizes the central theme of holiness, first as a state God desires to be recognized in, and then as an action He performs upon His people. The phrase "I [am] the LORD" is a classic Divine Assertion or Self-Identification Formula, underscoring God's absolute sovereignty and authority as the speaker, grounding the entire command in His unchangeable character and power. This assertion also functions as a Covenantal Marker, reminding Israel of the God who delivered them and entered into a unique relationship with them, thereby establishing His right to command their reverence and promising His power to sanctify them.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Leviticus 22:32 stands as a cornerstone for understanding God's nature as utterly holy and His unwavering commitment to being recognized as such by His people. It reveals that holiness is not merely a human endeavor but fundamentally a divine attribute and a work of God's grace. The command to not profane God's name underscores the immense value God places on His reputation and character, which must be reflected in the lives of those who bear His name. Conversely, God's declaration that He will be hallowed among Israel, and that He is the one who "hallows" them, establishes that true sanctification is a participatory process: humans are called to respond in reverence, but their very capacity for holiness is divinely empowered. This verse thus lays the groundwork for the New Testament understanding of sanctification, where believers are called to live holy lives as a response to God's work in Christ, who sets them apart.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Leviticus 22:32 calls us, as believers, to a profound and active reverence for God's holy name. It challenges us to move beyond a mere avoidance of blasphemy to a lifestyle that consistently honors and reflects His character in every sphere of our existence. Our words, actions, and even our innermost thoughts should be permeated with an awareness of God's majestic holiness, ensuring that our lives bring Him glory rather than disrepute. This verse powerfully reminds us that our sanctification is not a self-help project or a result of our own striving, but fundamentally a divine work, initiated and sustained by the Lord who "hallows" us. Therefore, our pursuit of holiness is a grateful response to His grace, enabling us to live in a manner that brings Him glory. It compels us to examine how we represent God in the world, ensuring that our lives do not profane His name but rather serve as a vibrant testament to His set-apart nature, drawing others to acknowledge His holiness and majesty.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what practical ways might I unintentionally "profane" God's holy name in my daily life or interactions, perhaps through careless speech or inconsistent living?
  • How does understanding that God "hallows" me change my perspective on my own pursuit of holiness, shifting it from a burden to a joyful response to His grace?
  • What specific areas of my life—my finances, relationships, work, or leisure—need to be more intentionally set apart to reflect God's holiness?
  • How can my community of faith collectively strive to "hallow" God's name more fully in our corporate worship, our outreach, and our witness to the world?

FAQ

What does it mean to "profane God's holy name"?

Answer: To "profane God's holy name" (Hebrew: chalal) means to treat that which is sacred as common, ordinary, or defiled. It involves actions, words, or attitudes that diminish God's glory, disrespect His character, or misrepresent His divine nature. This could include using His name carelessly (as in the Third Commandment, Exodus 20:7), breaking oaths made in His name, living in disobedience to His commands, or engaging in practices that bring disrepute upon Him. For Israel, it specifically related to failing to uphold the purity laws, offering blemished sacrifices, or treating the holy things of God's tabernacle with irreverence, thereby undermining the very basis of their covenant relationship (see Leviticus 22:1-16).

How does God "hallow" His people, and why is this significant?

Answer: God "hallows" (Hebrew: qadash) His people by setting them apart for Himself, making them holy and consecrated for His purposes. This is not something they achieve on their own but is a divine work of grace. In the Old Testament, God hallowed Israel through the covenant at Sinai, giving them laws and rituals that distinguished them as His chosen people and a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5-6). He provided the means for atonement and purification, enabling them to dwell in His presence. This is significant because it establishes that true holiness originates with God. It is His initiative and power that enables His people to live in a way that honors Him, ensuring that all glory for their sanctification returns to Him.

Is this verse still relevant for believers today, given the New Covenant?

Answer: Absolutely. While the specific ceremonial laws of Leviticus have been fulfilled in Christ, the underlying theological principles remain eternally relevant. The command not to profane God's name is echoed in the New Testament's call to live lives worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:27) and to "hallow" God's name in prayer ("Hallowed be your name," Matthew 6:9). Moreover, the truth that God "hallows" us is central to Christian theology. Believers are declared holy in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2) and are actively being sanctified by the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Thus, Leviticus 22:32 provides a foundational understanding of God's character and His ongoing work of setting His people apart for His glory.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Leviticus 22:32 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The demand that God's holy name not be profaned, but rather hallowed among His people, is perfectly embodied in the life and mission of Jesus. He perfectly honored the Father's name, declaring, "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world" (John 17:6). Through His sinless life, obedient death on the cross, and glorious resurrection, Jesus did not profane God's name but supremely hallowed it, revealing the Father's character of love, justice, and holiness in its purest form. He is the one who perfectly fulfilled the Law and its demands for holiness (Matthew 5:17). Furthermore, the declaration "I am the LORD which hallow you" is powerfully fulfilled through Christ's atoning work. We, who were unholy and defiled by sin, are now "sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). It is through our union with Him that we are made holy and set apart for God's purposes, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives that reflect His character (1 Peter 1:2). Thus, the ancient command to hallow God's name is not merely an external obligation but an internal reality for those who are in Christ, for He Himself is our sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30), enabling us to live lives that truly bring glory to the Father's holy name.

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Commentary on Leviticus 22 verses 17–33

Here are four laws concerning sacrifices: -

I. Whatever was offered in sacrifice to God should be without blemish, otherwise it should not be accepted. This had often been mentioned in the particular institutions of the several sorts of offerings. Now here they are told what was to be accounted a blemish which rendered a beast unfit for sacrifice: if it was blind, or lame, had a wen, or the mange (Lev 22:22), - if it was bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut (Lev 22:24), that is, as the Jewish writers understand it, if it was, in any of these ways, castrated, if bulls and rams were made into oxen and weathers, they might not be offered. Moreover a difference is made between what was brought as a free-will offering and what was brought as a vow, Lev 22:23. And, though none that had any of the forementioned blemishes might be brought for either, yet if a beast had any thing superfluous or lacking (that is, as the Jews understand it, if there was a disproportion or inequality between those parts that are pairs, when one eye, or ear, or leg, was bigger than it should be, or less than it should be) - if there was no other blemish than this, it might be accepted for a free-will offering, to which a man had not before laid himself, nor had the divine law laid him, under any particular obligation; but for a vow it might not be accepted. Thus God would teach us to make conscience of performing our promises to him very exactly, and not afterwards to abate in quantity or value of what we had solemnly engaged to devote to him. What was, before the vow, in our own power, as in the case of a free-will offering, afterwards is not, Act 5:4. It is again and again declared that no sacrifice should be accepted if it was thus blemished, Lev 22:20, Lev 22:21. According to this law great care was taken to search all the beasts that were brought to be sacrificed, that there might, to a certainty, be no blemish in them. A blemished sacrifice might not be accepted even from the hand of a stranger, though to such all possible encouragement should be given to do honour to the God of Israel, Lev 22:25. By this it appears that strangers were expected to come to the house of God from a far country (Kg1 8:41, Kg1 8:42), and that they should be welcome, and their offerings accepted, as those of Darius, Ezr 6:9, Ezr 6:10; Isa 56:6, Isa 56:7. The heathen priests were many of them not so strict in this matter, but would receive sacrifices for their gods that were ever so scandalous; but let strangers know that the God of Israel would not be so served. Now, 1. This law was then necessary for the preserving of the honour of the sanctuary, and of the God that was there worshipped. It was fit that every thing that was employed for his honour should be the best of the kind; for, as he is the greatest and brightest, so he is the best of beings; and he that is the best must have the best. See how greatly and justly displeasing the breach of this law was to the holy God, Mal 1:8, Mal 1:13, Mal 1:14. 2. This law made all the legal sacrifices the fitter to be types of Christ, the great sacrifice from which all these derived their virtue. In allusion to this law, he is said to be a Lamb without blemish and without spot, Pe1 1:19. As such a priest, so such a sacrifice, became us, who was harmless and undefiled. When Pilate declared, I find no fault in this man, he did thereby in effect pronounce the sacrifice without blemish. The Jews say it was the work of the sagan, or suffragan, high priest, to view the sacrifices, and see whether they were without blemish or no; when Christ suffered, Annas was in that office; but little did those who brought Christ to Annas first, by whom he was sent bound to Caiaphas, as a sacrifice fit to be offered (Joh 18:13, Joh 18:24), think that they were answering the type of this law. 3. It is an instruction to us to offer to God the best we have in our spiritual sacrifices. If our devotions are ignorant, and cold, and trifling, and full of distractions, we offer the blind, and the lame, and the sick, for sacrifice; but cursed be the deceiver that does so, for, while he thinks to put a cheat upon God, he puts a damning cheat upon his own soul.

II. That no beast should be offered in sacrifice before it was eight days old, Lev 22:26, Lev 22:27. It was provided before that the firstlings of their cattle, which were to be dedicated to God, should not be brought to him till after the eighth day, Exo 22:30. Here it is provided that no creature should be offered in sacrifice till it was eight days old complete. Sooner than that it was not fit to be used at men's tables, and therefore not a God's altar. The Jews say, "It was because the sabbath sanctifies all things, and nothing should be offered to God till at least one sabbath had passed over it." It was in conformity to the law of circumcision, which children were to receive on the eighth day. Christ was sacrificed for us, not in his infancy, though then Herod sought to slay him, but in the prime of his time.

III. That the dam and her young should not both be killed in one day, whether in sacrifice or for common use, Lev 22:28. There is such a law as this concerning birds, Deu 22:6. This was forbidden, not as evil in itself, but because it looked barbarous and cruel to the brute creatures; like the tyranny of the king of Babylon, that slew Zedekiah's sons before his eyes, and then put out his eyes. It looked ill-natured towards the species to kill two generations at once, as if one designed the ruin of the kind.

IV. That the flesh of their thank-offerings should be eaten on the same day that they were sacrificed, Lev 22:29, Lev 22:30. This is a repetition of what we had before, Lev 7:15; Lev 19:6, Lev 19:7. The chapter concludes with such a general charge as we have often met with, to keep God's commandments, and not to profane his holy name, Lev 22:31, Lev 22:32. Those that profess God's name, if they do not make conscience of keeping his commandments, do but profane his name. The general reasons are added: God's authority over them - I am the Lord; his interest in them - I am your God; the title he had to them by redemption - "I brought you out of the land of Egypt, on purpose that I might be your God;" the designs of his grace concerning them - I am the Lord that hallow you; and the resolutions of his justice, if he had not honour from them, to get himself honour upon them - I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. God will be a loser in his glory by no man at last; but sooner or later will recover his right, either in the repentance of sinners or in their ruin.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–33. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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