Leviticus — Chapter 19

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1Then the LORD said to Moses,

2“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

3Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

4Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God.

5When you sacrifice a peace offering to the LORD, you shall offer it for your acceptance.

6It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it, or on the next day; but what remains on the third day must be burned up.

7If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is tainted and will not be accepted.

8Whoever eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the LORD. That person must be cut off from his people.

9When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.

10You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.

11You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another.

12You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

13You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.

14You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.

15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

16You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.

17You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.

18Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

19You are to keep My statutes. You shall not crossbreed two different kinds of livestock; you shall not sow your fields with two kinds of seed; and you shall not wear clothing made of two kinds of material.

20If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.

21The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting as his guilt offering to the LORD.

22The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.

23When you enter the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you shall regard the fruit as forbidden. For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten.

24In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the LORD.

25But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit; thus your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.

26You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.

27You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.

28You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

29You must not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity.

30You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.

31You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

32You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.

33When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.

34You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

35You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume.

36You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37You must keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and follow them. I am the LORD.”

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God

3Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I

4Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I

5And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.

6It 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.

7And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it

8Therefore

9And 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.

10And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather

11Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

12And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I

13Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob

14Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I

15Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty:

16Thou shalt not go up and down

17Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

18Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I

19Ye 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.

20And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that

21And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

22And 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.

23And 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.

24But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD

25And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I

26Ye shall not eat

27Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

28Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I

29Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

30Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I

31Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I

32Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I

33And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

34But 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

35Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

36Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I

37Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I

1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy.

3Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God.

4Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God.

5And when ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, ye shall offer it that ye may be accepted.

6It 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.

7And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it shall not be accepted:

8but 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.

9And 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.

10And 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.

11Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another.

12And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of thy God: I am Jehovah.

13Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbor, nor rob him: the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

14Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind; but thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.

15Ye 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.

16Thou 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.

17Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

18Thou 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.

19Ye 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.

20And 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.

21And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto Jehovah, unto the door of the tent of meeting, even a ram for a trespass-offering.

22And 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.

23And 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.

24But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy, for giving praise unto Jehovah.

25And 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.

26Ye shall not eat anything with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantments, nor practise augury.

27Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

28Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am Jehovah.

29Profane not thy daughter, to make her a harlot; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

30Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am Jehovah.

31Turn 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.

32Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.

33And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not do him wrong.

34The 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.

35Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity.

36Just 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.

37And ye shall observe all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them: I am Jehovah.

1The Lord spoke to Moses:

2“Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

3Each of you must respect his mother and his father, and you must keep my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

4Do not turn to idols, and you must not make for yourselves gods of cast metal. I am the Lord your God.

5“‘When you sacrifice a peace-offering sacrifice to the Lord, you must sacrifice it so that it is accepted for you.

6It must be eaten on the day of your sacrifice and on the following day, but what is left over until the third day must be burned up.

7If, however, it is eaten on the third day, it is spoiled; it will not be accepted,

8and the one who eats it will bear his punishment for iniquity because he has profaned what is holy to the Lord. That person will be cut off from his people.

9“‘When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest.

10You must not pick your vineyard bare, and you must not gather up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You must leave them for the poor and the resident foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

11“‘You must not steal, you must not tell lies, and you must not deal falsely with your fellow citizen.

12You must not swear falsely in my name, so that you do not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

13You must not oppress your neighbor or commit robbery against your neighbor. You must not withhold the wages of the hired laborer overnight until morning.

14You must not curse a deaf person or put a stumbling block in front of a blind person. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.

15“‘You must not deal unjustly in judgment: You must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You must judge your fellow citizen fairly.

16You must not go about as a slanderer among your people. You must not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord.

17You must not hate your brother in your heart. You must surely reprove your fellow citizen so that you do not incur sin on account of him.

18You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

19You must keep my statutes. You must not allow two different kinds of your animals to breed together, you must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed, and you must not wear a garment made of two different kinds of material.

20“‘When a man goes to bed with a woman for intercourse, although she is a slave woman designated for another man and she has not yet been ransomed, or freedom has not been granted to her, there will be an obligation to pay compensation. They must not be put to death, because she was not free.

21He must bring his guilt offering to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, a guilt-offering ram,

22and the priest is to make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for his sin that he has committed, and he will be forgiven of his sin that he has committed.

23“‘When you enter the land and plant any fruit tree, you must consider its fruit to be forbidden. Three years it will be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten.

24In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, praise offerings to the Lord.

25Then in the fifth year you may eat its fruit to add its produce to your harvest. I am the Lord your God.

26“‘You must not eat anything with the blood still in it. You must not practice either divination or soothsaying.

27You must not round off the corners of the hair on your head or ruin the corners of your beard.

28You must not slash your body for a dead person or incise a tattoo on yourself. I am the Lord.

29Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land does not practice prostitution and become full of lewdness.

30“‘You must keep my Sabbaths and fear my sanctuary. I am the Lord.

31Do not turn to the spirits of the dead and do not seek familiar spirits to become unclean by them. I am the Lord your God.

32You must stand up in the presence of the aged, honor the presence of an elder, and fear your God. I am the Lord.

33When a resident foreigner lives with you in your land, you must not oppress him.

34The resident foreigner who lives with you must be to you as a native citizen among you; so you must love the foreigner as yourself, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

35You must not do injustice in the regulation of measures, whether of length, weight, or volume.

36You must have honest balances, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt.

37You must be sure to obey all my statutes and regulations. I am the Lord.’”

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.

3“‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God.

4“‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.

5“‘When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.

6It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day: and if anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire.

7If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted;

8but everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of Yahweh, and that soul shall be cut off from his people.

9“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.

10You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.

11“‘You shall not steal. “‘You shall not lie. “‘You shall not deceive one another.

12“‘You shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.

13“‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. “‘The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.

14“‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.

15“‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.

16“‘You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people. “‘You shall not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am Yahweh.

17“‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

18“‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.

19“‘You shall keep my statutes. “‘You shall not cross-breed different kinds of animals. “‘You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; “‘Don’t wear a garment made of two kinds of material.

20“‘If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed, or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

21He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, even a ram for a trespass offering.

22The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before Yahweh for his sin which he has committed: and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.

23“‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. Three years they shall be forbidden to you. It shall not be eaten.

24But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, for giving praise to Yahweh.

25In the fifth year you shall eat its fruit, that it may yield its increase to you. I am Yahweh your God.

26“‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery.

27“‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edge of your beard.

28“‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.

29“‘Don’t profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness.

30“‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am Yahweh.

31“‘Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God.

32“‘You shall rise up before the gray head, and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.

33“‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.

34The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.

35“‘You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity.

36You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37“‘You shall observe all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them. I am Yahweh.’”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

The Lord calls all Israel to be holy because He is holy, then works through a wide range of everyday commands (vv. 1-2). Israel must honor parents, keep the sabbaths, reject idols, and leave the edges of their fields and vineyards for the poor and the foreigner (vv. 3-10). They must not steal, lie, swear falsely, oppress a neighbor, withhold a hired worker's wages, curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block before the blind (vv. 11-14). Judges must judge fairly without favoritism, and no one may slander, endanger a neighbor's life, hate a brother in his heart, or take vengeance — instead they are to love their neighbor as themselves (vv. 15-18). Further laws forbid mixing kinds of animals, seed, and cloth, regulate fruit trees and offerings, and prohibit eating blood, divination, pagan mourning cuts, and tattoos (vv. 19-28). Israel must not prostitute a daughter, must keep the sabbaths and revere the sanctuary, avoid mediums and wizards, honor the elderly, and love the foreigner living among them as themselves, since they too were once foreigners in Egypt (vv. 29-34). The chapter ends with a call to honest weights and measures and to keep all the Lord's statutes and ordinances (vv. 35-37).

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses. Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch, written during the wilderness period (approximately 1445-1405 BC). Hebrew title: "Vayikra" — "And He called." God speaks from the newly completed Tabernacle, giving Israel instructions for worship, sacrifice, and holy living.
Historical Context: Chapter 19 is the heart of the Holiness Code and one of the most remarkable chapters in the entire Bible. It opens with the foundational command: "Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy" (v.2). What follows is a sweeping collection of laws that touch every area of life — family, worship, economics, agriculture, justice, speech, relationships, and love. The chapter is addressed to "all the congregation" (v.2) — not just priests, not just leaders, but every Israelite. Holiness is not reserved for a spiritual elite; it is the calling of the entire community. The chapter contains the second greatest commandment: "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (v.18) — quoted by Jesus as the summary of the law's second table (Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31). Many of the Ten Commandments are echoed here (honor parents, keep Sabbath, no idols, no stealing, no lying, no false witness), but they are expanded and applied to practical daily life. The refrain "I am the LORD" (or "I am the LORD your God") appears sixteen times — grounding every command in God's identity. Holiness is not abstract — it is concrete, practical, and all-encompassing.
Classification: Historical Narrative
Key Themes: a single command, ye shall be holy for I the LORD your God am holy, spelled out across nearly every area of daily life, gleaning laws that leave the edges of every field for the poor and the stranger, four and five-word prohibitions on stealing, lying and false dealing packed one after another with no elaboration, a climactic command to love thy neighbour as thyself embedded in the middle of civil law rather than set apart, and honest weights and measures tied directly back to the memory of the Exodus
The Foundation: Be Holy (vv.1-4): God speaks to Moses for "all the congregation" (v.1-2). "Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy" (v.2) — the thesis statement of the entire Holiness Code. Holiness is not optional; it is the nature of God and therefore the calling of His people. Immediately practical: "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father" (v.3) — honor parents (note: mother listed first, unusual). "Keep my sabbaths" (v.3). "Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods" (v.4). Family, worship, and loyalty to God — the foundations.
Sacrifice and Worship (vv.5-8): Peace offerings must be eaten within two days; anything remaining on the third day must be burned (vv.5-6). Eating it on the third day is "abominable" — the offering is profaned and the person bears iniquity and is cut off (vv.7-8). Worship must follow God's instructions precisely.
Economic Justice and Compassion (vv.9-10): Gleaning laws — do not harvest to the very edges of your field; do not pick up what falls (v.9). Do not strip your vineyard bare or gather fallen grapes (v.10). Leave them "for the poor and stranger" (v.10). This is institutionalized compassion — built into the economic system. The story of Ruth depends on this law (Ruth 2:2-3).
The Ethical Commands (vv.11-18): A rapid-fire series of moral commands: No stealing, no lying, no false dealing (v.11). No false swearing by God's name (v.12). No oppression or robbery; pay wages on time (v.13). No cursing the deaf or tripping the blind (v.14) — protecting the vulnerable who cannot defend themselves. No injustice in court — neither favoring the poor nor deferring to the rich (v.15). No slander; no standing against your neighbor's life (v.16). No hatred in the heart; rebuke your neighbor openly rather than harboring sin (v.17). No vengeance or grudge-bearing (v.18). The climax: "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD" (v.18). Love is the fulfillment of all these commands.
Laws of Separation (v.19): "Ye shall keep my statutes" — then three prohibitions: no crossbreeding cattle, no sowing mixed seed, no garments of mixed fabric (linen and wool). These laws teach the principle of distinction — God separates, and His people maintain distinctions. They are object lessons in holiness (separation/distinction).
Sexual Sin and Its Remedy (vv.20-22): A man who lies with a betrothed slave woman — "she shall be scourged" (KJV) / "a distinction shall be made" (ESV) (v.20). They are not put to death because she was not free (v.20). He brings a guilt/trespass offering — a ram (v.21). The priest makes atonement and he is forgiven (v.22). Even in cases of sexual sin, there is a path to forgiveness through sacrifice.
Agricultural Laws (vv.23-25): Fruit trees in the land — the fruit is "uncircumcised" (forbidden) for three years (v.23). In the fourth year, all fruit is holy to the LORD (v.24). In the fifth year, they may eat it (v.25). Patience, consecration, then enjoyment. First fruits belong to God.
Miscellaneous Holiness Laws (vv.26-31): No eating with blood (v.26). No divination or fortune-telling (v.26). No rounding the corners of the head or marring the beard (v.27) — likely prohibiting pagan mourning customs. No cutting the body for the dead or tattoo marks (v.28). Do not prostitute your daughter (v.29). Keep Sabbaths and reverence the sanctuary (v.30). Do not consult mediums or necromancers (v.31).
Honor, Love, and Justice (vv.32-37): Rise before the elderly and honor them (v.32). Do not wrong the stranger — love him as yourself, "for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt" (vv.33-34). No dishonesty in measurements — just balances, just weights, just measures (vv.35-36). "I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt" (v.36) — the exodus is the motivation for justice. Final summary: "observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD" (v.37).

Map & Geography

  • Egypt (v.34): Land to the southwest; place of Israel's bondage and exodus.

Places on this map

  • EgyptEgyptA ribbon of irrigated land along the Nile, ending in the Delta where Israel settled in Goshen. Rain-fed Canaan depended on weather; Egypt depended on a river that flooded on schedule, which made it the place everyone went when the harvest failed. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik calls this chapter "a remarkable collection of laws" that shows holiness touching every area of life. He emphasizes that "love your neighbor as yourself" is not a New Testament invention but an Old Testament command — Jesus was quoting Moses. He notes the balance of justice in v.15: neither favoring the poor nor the rich.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Leviticus 19 Summary: A Concise Overview in 5 Minutes
2BeLikeChrist

Leviticus 19-20 | Be Holy As I Am Holy | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

A Call To Holiness – Leviticus Chapter 19
David Guzik

Articles

  • BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: a case for reading the book most reading plans stall in.
  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Leviticus -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Holiness Is a Family Resemblance (v.2) — God grounds every command that follows in His own character: be holy because I am holy. Where is your holiness more theoretical than practical — true in your beliefs but not yet visible in daily life?
  • Compassion Built Into the System (v.10) — Farmers are told to leave the edges of their fields and the gleanings of their vineyards for the poor and the foreigner, making generosity structural rather than optional. Are you using all your resources only for yourself, or leaving some margin for those in need?
  • Exploiting the Unseen (v.14) — Cursing someone deaf or tripping someone blind names sins that only work because the victim can't detect them, and God says He sees anyway. Where might you be taking advantage of people who can't tell, or won't find out?
  • Love as Yourself (v.18) — This command to love your neighbor with the same urgency you naturally give your own interests is quoted by Jesus as the summary of half the law. Whose interests are you tracking as closely as you track your own?
  • Remembering You Were Once the Outsider (v.34) — Israel is told to love the foreigner as themselves because they too were once strangers in Egypt. Does your treatment of outsiders reflect a memory of when you were on the outside looking in?