Worthy.Bible » Parallel » Leviticus » Chapter 19

Leviticus 19:1-37 King James Version (KJV)

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 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.

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

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

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

6 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.

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

8 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.

9 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.

10 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.

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

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

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

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

15 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.

16 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 the LORD.

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

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

19 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 woolen come upon thee.

20 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.

21 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.

22 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.

23 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.

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

25 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.

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

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

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

29 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.

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

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

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

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

34 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.

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

36 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.

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

Leviticus 19:1-37 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559

2 Speak H1696 unto all the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, Ye shall be holy: H6918 for I the LORD H3068 your God H430 am holy. H6918

3 Ye shall fear H3372 every man H376 his mother, H517 and his father, H1 and keep H8104 my sabbaths: H7676 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430

4 Turn H6437 ye not unto idols, H457 nor make H6213 to yourselves molten H4541 gods: H430 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430

5 And if ye offer H2076 a sacrifice H2077 of peace offerings H8002 unto the LORD, H3068 ye shall offer H2076 it at your own will. H7522

6 It shall be eaten H398 the same day H3117 ye offer H2077 it, and on the morrow: H4283 and if ought remain H3498 until the third H7992 day, H3117 it shall be burnt H8313 in the fire. H784

7 And if it be eaten H398 at all H398 on the third H7992 day, H3117 it is abominable; H6292 it shall not be accepted. H7521

8 Therefore every one that eateth H398 it shall bear H5375 his iniquity, H5771 because he hath profaned H2490 the hallowed thing H6944 of the LORD: H3068 and that soul H5315 shall be cut off H3772 from among his people. H5971

9 And when ye reap H7114 the harvest H7105 of your land, H776 thou shalt not wholly reap H3615 the corners H6285 of thy field, H7704 neither shalt thou gather H3950 the gleanings H3951 of thy harvest. H7105

10 And thou shalt not glean H5953 thy vineyard, H3754 neither shalt thou gather H3950 every grape H6528 of thy vineyard; H3754 thou shalt leave H5800 them for the poor H6041 and stranger: H1616 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430

11 Ye shall not steal, H1589 neither deal falsely, H3584 neither lie H8266 one H376 to another. H5997

12 And ye shall not swear H7650 by my name H8034 falsely, H8267 neither shalt thou profane H2490 the name H8034 of thy God: H430 I am the LORD. H3068

13 Thou shalt not defraud H6231 thy neighbour, H7453 neither rob H1497 him: the wages H6468 of him that is hired H7916 shall not abide H3885 with thee all night until the morning. H1242

14 Thou shalt not curse H7043 the deaf, H2795 nor put H5414 a stumblingblock H4383 before H6440 the blind, H5787 but shalt fear H3372 thy God: H430 I am the LORD. H3068

15 Ye shall do H6213 no unrighteousness H5766 in judgment: H4941 thou shalt not respect H5375 the person H6440 of the poor, H1800 nor honour H1921 the person H6440 of the mighty: H1419 but in righteousness H6664 shalt thou judge H8199 thy neighbour. H5997

16 Thou shalt not go H3212 up and down as a talebearer H7400 among thy people: H5971 neither shalt thou stand H5975 against the blood H1818 of thy neighbour: H7453 I am the LORD. H3068

17 Thou shalt not hate H8130 thy brother H251 in thine heart: H3824 thou shalt in any wise H3198 rebuke H3198 thy neighbour, H5997 and not suffer H5375 sin H2399 upon him.

18 Thou shalt not avenge, H5358 nor bear any grudge H5201 against the children H1121 of thy people, H5971 but thou shalt love H157 thy neighbour H7453 as thyself: H3644 I am the LORD. H3068

19 Ye shall keep H8104 my statutes. H2708 Thou shalt not let thy cattle H929 gender H7250 with a diverse kind: H3610 thou shalt not sow H2232 thy field H7704 with mingled seed: H3610 neither shall a garment H899 mingled H3610 of linen and woollen H8162 come H5927 upon thee.

20 And whosoever H376 lieth H7901 carnally H2233 H7902 with a woman, H802 that is a bondmaid, H8198 betrothed H2778 to an husband, H376 and not at all H6299 redeemed, H6299 nor freedom H2668 given H5414 her; she shall be scourged; H1244 they shall not be put to death, H4191 because she was not free. H2666

21 And he shall bring H935 his trespass offering H817 unto the LORD, H3068 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 even a ram H352 for a trespass offering. H817

22 And the priest H3548 shall make an atonement H3722 for him with the ram H352 of the trespass offering H817 before H6440 the LORD H3068 for his sin H2403 which he hath done: H2398 and the sin H2403 which he hath done H2398 shall be forgiven H5545 him.

23 And when ye shall come H935 into the land, H776 and shall have planted H5193 all manner of trees H6086 for food, H3978 then ye shall count H6188 the fruit H6529 thereof as uncircumcised: H6188 H6190 three H7969 years H8141 shall it be as uncircumcised H6189 unto you: it shall not be eaten H398 of.

24 But in the fourth H7243 year H8141 all the fruit H6529 thereof shall be holy H6944 to praise H1974 the LORD H3068 withal.

25 And in the fifth H2549 year H8141 shall ye eat H398 of the fruit H6529 thereof, that it may yield H3254 unto you the increase H8393 thereof: I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430

26 Ye shall not eat H398 any thing with the blood: H1818 neither shall ye use enchantment, H5172 nor observe times. H6049

27 Ye shall not round H5362 the corners H6285 of your heads, H7218 neither shalt thou mar H7843 the corners H6285 of thy beard. H2206

28 Ye shall not make H5414 any H3793 cuttings H8296 in your flesh H1320 for the dead, H5315 nor print H5414 any marks H7085 upon you: I am the LORD. H3068

29 Do not prostitute H2490 thy daughter, H1323 to cause her to be a whore; H2181 lest the land H776 fall to whoredom, H2181 and the land H776 become full H4390 of wickedness. H2154

30 Ye shall keep H8104 my sabbaths, H7676 and reverence H3372 my sanctuary: H4720 I am the LORD. H3068

31 Regard H6437 not them that have familiar spirits, H178 neither seek H1245 after wizards, H3049 to be defiled H2930 by them: I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430

32 Thou shalt rise up H6965 before H6440 the hoary head, H7872 and honour H1921 the face H6440 of the old man, H2205 and fear H3372 thy God: H430 I am the LORD. H3068

33 And if a stranger H1616 sojourn H1481 with thee in your land, H776 ye shall not vex H3238 him.

34 But the stranger H1616 that dwelleth H1481 with you shall be unto you as one born H249 among you, and thou shalt love H157 him as thyself; for ye were strangers H1616 in the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430

35 Ye shall do H6213 no unrighteousness H5766 in judgment, H4941 in meteyard, H4060 in weight, H4948 or in measure. H4884

36 Just H6664 balances, H3976 just H6664 weights, H68 a just H6664 ephah, H374 and a just H6664 hin, H1969 shall ye have: I am the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which brought you out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714

37 Therefore shall ye observe H8104 all my statutes, H2708 and all my judgments, H4941 and do H6213 them: I am the LORD. H3068

Leviticus 19:1-37 American Standard (ASV)

1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2 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.

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

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

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

6 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.

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

8 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.

9 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.

10 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.

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

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

13 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.

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

15 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.

16 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.

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

18 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.

19 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.

20 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.

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

22 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.

23 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.

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

25 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.

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

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

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

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

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

31 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.

32 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.

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

34 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.

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

36 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.

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

Leviticus 19:1-37 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2 `Speak unto all the company of the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, Ye are holy, for holy `am' I, Jehovah, your God.

3 `Each his mother and his father ye do fear, and My sabbaths ye do keep; I `am' Jehovah your God.

4 `Ye do not turn unto the idols, and a molten god ye do not make to yourselves; I `am' Jehovah your God.

5 `And when ye sacrifice a sacrifice of peace-offerings to Jehovah, at your pleasure ye do sacrifice it;

6 in the day of your sacrificing it is eaten, and on the morrow, and that which is left unto the third day with fire is burnt,

7 and if it be really eaten on the third day, it `is' an abomination, it is not pleasing,

8 and he who is eating it his iniquity doth bear, for the holy thing of Jehovah he hath polluted, and that person hath been cut off from his people.

9 `And in your reaping the harvest of your land ye do not completely reap the corner of thy field, and the gleaning of thy harvest thou dost not gather,

10 and thy vineyard thou dost not glean, even the omitted part of thy vineyard thou dost not gather, to the poor and to the sojourner thou dost leave them; I `am' Jehovah your God.

11 `Ye do not steal, nor feign, nor lie one against his fellow.

12 `And ye do not swear by My name to falsehood, or thou hast polluted the name of thy God; I `am' Jehovah.

13 `Thou dost not oppress thy neighbour, nor take plunder; the wages of the hireling doth not remain with thee till morning.

14 `Thou dost not revile the deaf; and before the blind thou dost not put a stumbling block; and thou hast been afraid of thy God; I `am' Jehovah.

15 `Ye do not do perversity in judgment; thou dost not lift up the face of the poor, nor honour the face of the great; in righteousness thou dost judge thy fellow.

16 `Thou dost not go slandering among thy people; thou dost not stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I `am' Jehovah.

17 `Thou dost not hate thy brother in thy heart; thou dost certainly reprove thy fellow, and not suffer sin on him.

18 `Thou dost not take vengeance, nor watch the sons of thy people; and thou hast had love to thy neighbour as thyself; I `am' Jehovah.

19 `My statutes ye do keep: thy cattle thou dost not cause to gender `with' diverse kinds; thy field thou dost not sow with diverse kinds, and a garment of diverse kinds, shaatnez, doth not go up upon thee.

20 `And when a man lieth with a woman with seed of copulation, and she a maid-servant, betrothed to a man, and not really ransomed, or freedom hath not been given to her, an investigation there is; they are not put to death, for she `is' not free.

21 `And he hath brought in his guilt-offering to Jehovah, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, a ram `for' a guilt-offering,

22 and the priest hath made atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering before Jehovah, for his sin which he hath sinned, and it hath been forgiven him because of his sin which he hath sinned.

23 `And when ye come in unto the land, and have planted all `kinds' of trees `for' food, then ye have reckoned as uncircumcised its fruit, three years it is to you uncircumcised, it is not eaten,

24 and in the fourth year all its fruit is holy -- praises for Jehovah.

25 And in the fifth year ye do eat its fruit -- to add to you its increase; I `am' Jehovah your God.

26 `Ye do not eat with the blood; ye do not enchant, nor observe clouds.

27 `Ye do not round the corner of your head, nor destroy the corner of thy beard.

28 `And a cutting for the soul ye do not put in your flesh; and a writing, a cross-mark, ye do not put on you; I `am' Jehovah.

29 `Thou dost not pollute thy daughter to cause her to go a-whoring, that the land go not a-whoring, and the land hath been full of wickedness.

30 `My sabbaths ye do keep, and My sanctuary ye do reverence; I `am' Jehovah.

31 `Ye do not turn unto those having familiar spirits; and unto wizards ye do not seek, for uncleanness by them; I `am' Jehovah your God.

32 `At the presence of grey hairs thou dost rise up, and thou hast honoured the presence of an old man, and hast been afraid of thy God; I `am' Jehovah.

33 `And when a sojourner sojourneth with thee in your land, thou dost not oppress him;

34 as a native among you is the sojourner to you who is sojourning with you, and thou hast had love to him as to thyself, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt; I `am' Jehovah your God.

35 `Ye do not do perversity in judgment, in mete-yard, in weight, or in liquid measure;

36 righteous balances, righteous weights, a righteous ephah, and a righteous hin ye have; I `am' Jehovah your God, who hath brought you out from the land of Egypt;

37 and ye have observed all my statutes, and all my judgments, and have done them; I `am' Jehovah.'

Leviticus 19:1-37 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto all the assembly of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Holy shall ye be, for I Jehovah your God am holy.

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

4 Ye shall not turn unto idols, and ye shall not make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God.

5 And if ye sacrifice a sacrifice of peace-offering to Jehovah, ye shall sacrifice it for your acceptance.

6 On the day when ye sacrifice it shall it be eaten, and on the morrow; and that which remaineth until the third day shall be burned with fire.

7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is an unclean thing: it shall not be accepted.

8 And he that eateth it shall bear his iniquity; for he hath profaned the hallowed thing of Jehovah; and that soul shall be cut off from among his peoples.

9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, and the gleaning of thy harvest thou shalt not gather.

10 And thy vineyard shalt thou not glean, neither shalt thou gather what hath been left of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am Jehovah your God.

11 Ye shall not steal, and ye shall not deal falsely, and ye shall not lie one to another.

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

13 Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbour, neither rob him. The wages of the hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

14 Thou shalt not revile a deaf person, and thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before a blind one; but thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.

15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the lowly, nor honour the person of the great; in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

16 Thou shalt not go about as a talebearer among thy people; thou shalt not stand up against the life of thy neighbour: I am Jehovah.

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; thou shalt earnestly rebuke thy neighbour, lest thou bear sin on account of him.

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

19 My statutes shall ye observe. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with another sort; thou shalt not sow thy field with seed of two sorts; and a garment woven of two materials shall not come upon thee.

20 And if a man lie with a woman for copulation, and she is a bondwoman betrothed to a husband, but not at all ransomed, nor hath freedom been given to her, there shall be a chastisement: they shall not be put to death, for she was not free.

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

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

23 And when ye come into the land and plant all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count its fruit as uncircumcised, three years shall it be uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of;

24 and in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy for praise to Jehovah;

25 and in the fifth year shall ye eat the fruit thereof, that it may increase unto you the produce thereof: I am Jehovah your God.

26 Ye shall eat nothing with the blood. -- Ye shall not practise enchantment, nor use auguries.

27 -- Ye shall not shave the corners of your head round, neither shalt thou mutilate the corners of thy beard.

28 And cuttings for a dead person shall ye not make in your flesh, nor put any tattoo writing upon you: I am Jehovah.

29 -- Do not profane thy daughter, to give her up to whoredom; lest the land practise whoredom, and the land become full of infamy.

30 -- My sabbaths shall ye keep, and my sanctuary shall ye reverence: I am Jehovah.

31 -- Turn not unto necromancers and unto soothsayers; seek not after them to make yourselves unclean: I am Jehovah your God.

32 Before the hoary head thou shalt rise up, and shalt honour the face of an old man; and thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.

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

34 As one born among you shall the stranger who sojourneth with you be unto you; and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.

35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measure of length, in weight, and in measure of capacity:

36 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.

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

Leviticus 19:1-37 World English Bible (WEB)

1 Yahweh 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.

6 It 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.

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

8 but 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.

10 You 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; neither shall you deal falsely, nor lie to 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 in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

16 "'You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people; neither shall you stand against the life{literally, "blood"} 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 crossbreed different kinds of animals. "'you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; "'neither shall there come upon on you 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.

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

22 The 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.{literally, "uncircumcised"} Three years shall they be forbidden to you. It shall not be eaten.

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

25 In 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; neither shall you use enchantments, nor practice sorcery.

27 You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your heads, neither shall you 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.

34 The 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.

36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall you have. 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.'"

Leviticus 19:1-37 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 And the Lord said to Moses,

2 Say to all the people of Israel, You are to be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

3 Let every man give honour to his mother and to his father and keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

4 Do not go after false gods, and do not make metal images of gods for yourselves: I am the Lord your God.

5 And when you give a peace offering to the Lord, do it in the way which is pleasing to the Lord.

6 Let it be used for food on the same day on which it is offered, or on the day after; and whatever is over on the third day is to be burned with fire.

7 If any of it is used for food on the third day, it is a disgusting thing and will not be pleasing to the Lord.

8 And as for anyone who takes it for food, his sin will be on him, for he has put shame on the holy thing of the Lord: he will be cut off from his people.

9 And when you get in the grain from your land, do not let all the grain be cut from the edges of the field, or take up what has been dropped on the earth after the getting in of the grain.

10 And do not take all the grapes from your vine-garden, or the fruit dropped on the earth; let the poor man, and the man from another country, have these: I am the Lord your God.

11 Do not take anyone's property or be false in act or word to another.

12 And do not take an oath in my name falsely, putting shame on the name of your God: I am the Lord.

13 Do not be cruel to your neighbour or take what is his; do not keep back a servant's payment from him all night till the morning.

14 Do not put a curse on those who have no hearing, or put a cause of falling in the way of the blind, but keep the fear of your God before you: I am the Lord.

15 Do no wrong in your judging: do not give thought to the position of the poor, or honour to the position of the great; but be a judge to your neighbour in righteousness.

16 Do not go about saying untrue things among your people, or take away the life of your neighbour by false witness: I am the Lord.

17 Let there be no hate in your heart for your brother; but you may make a protest to your neighbour, so that he may be stopped from doing evil.

18 Do not make attempts to get equal with one who has done you wrong, or keep hard feelings against the children of your people, but have love for your neighbour as for yourself: I am the Lord.

19 Keep my laws. Do not let your cattle have offspring by those of a different sort; do not put mixed seed into your field; do not put on a robe made of two sorts of cloth.

20 If any man has sex relations with a servant-woman who has given her word to be married to a man, and has not been made free for a price or in any other way, the thing will be looked into; but they will not be put to death because she was not a free woman.

21 Let him take his offering for wrongdoing to the Lord, to the door of the Tent of meeting; let him give a male sheep as an offering for wrongdoing.

22 And the priest will take away his sin before the Lord with the sheep which is offered for his wrongdoing, and he will have forgiveness for the sin which he has done.

23 And when you have come into the land, and have put in all sorts of fruit-trees, their fruit will be as if they had not had circumcision, and for three years their fruit may not be used for food.

24 And in the fourth year all the fruit will be holy as a praise-offering to the Lord.

25 But in the fifth year you may take the fruit and the increase of it for your food: I am the Lord your God.

26 Nothing may be used for food with its blood in it; you may not make use of strange arts, or go in search of signs and wonders.

27 The ends of the hair round your face and on your chin may not be cut off.

28 You may not make cuts in your flesh in respect for the dead, or have marks printed on your bodies: I am the Lord.

29 Do not make your daughter common by letting her become a loose woman, for fear that the land may become full of shame.

30 Keep my Sabbaths and have respect for my holy place: I am the Lord.

31 Do not go after those who make use of spirits, or wonder-workers; do not go in their ways or become unclean through them: I am the Lord your God.

32 Get up from your seats before the white-haired, and give honour to the old, and let the fear of your God be before you: I am the Lord.

33 And if a man from another country is living in your land with you, do not make life hard for him;

34 Let him be to you as one of your countrymen and have love for him as for yourself; for you were living in a strange land, in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

35 Do not make false decisions in questions of yard-sticks and weights and measures.

36 Have true scales, true weights and measures for all things: I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt;

37 You are to keep all my rules and my decisions and do them: I am the Lord.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 19

Commentary on Leviticus 19 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 19

Some ceremonial precepts there are in this chapter, but most of them are moral. One would wonder that when some of the lighter matters of the law are greatly enlarged upon (witness two long chapters concerning the leprosy) many of the weightier matters are put into a little compass: divers of the single verses of this chapter contain whole laws concerning judgment and mercy; for these are things which are manifest in every man's conscience; men's own thoughts are able to explain these, and to comment upon them.

  • I. The laws of this chapter, which were peculiar to the Jews, are,
    • 1. Concerning their peace-offerings (v. 5-8).
    • 2. Concerning the gleanings of their fields (v. 9, 10).
    • 3. Against mixtures of their cattle, seed, and cloth (v. 19).
    • 4. Concerning their trees (v. 23-25).
    • 5. Against some superstitious usages (v. 26-28). But,
  • II. Most of these precepts are binding on us, for they are expositions of most of the ten commandments.
    • 1. Here is the preface to the ten commandments, "I am the Lord,' repeated fifteen times.
    • 2. A sum of the ten commandments. All the first table in this, "Be you holy,' (v. 2). All the second table in this, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour' (v. 18), and an answer to the question, "Who is my neighbour?' (v. 33, 34).
    • 3. Something of each commandment.
      • (1.) The first commandment implied in that which is often repeated here, "I am your God.' And here is a prohibition of enchantment (v. 26) and witchcraft (v. 31), which make a god of the devil.
      • (2.) Idolatry, against the second commandment, is forbidden, (v. 4).
      • (3.) Profanation of God's name, against the third (v. 12).
      • (4.) Sabbath-sanctification is pressed (v. 3, 30).
      • (5.) Children are required to honour their parents (v. 3), and the aged (v. 32).
      • (6.) Hatred and revenge are here forbidden, against the sixth commandment (v. 17, 18).
      • (7.) Adultery (v. 20-22), and whoredom (v. 29).
      • (8.) Justice is here required in judgment (v. 15), theft forbidden (v. 11), fraud and withholding dues (v. 13), and false weights (v. 35, 36).
      • (9.) Lying (v. 11). Slandering (v. 14). Tale-bearing, and false-witness bearing (v. 16).
      • (10.) The tenth commandment laying a restraint upon the heart, so does that (v. 17), "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart.' And here is a solemn charge to observe all these statutes (v. 37). Now these are things which need not much help for the understanding of them, but require constant care and watchfulness for the observing of them. "A good understanding have all those that do these commandments.'

Lev 19:1-10

Moses is ordered to deliver the summary of the laws to all the congregation of the children of Israel (v. 2); not to Aaron and his sons only, but to all the people, for they were all concerned to know their duty. Even in the darker ages of the law, that religion could not be of God which boasted of ignorance as its mother. Moses must make known God's statutes to all the congregation, and proclaim them through the camp. These laws, it is probable, he delivered himself to as many of the people as could be within hearing at once, and so by degrees at several times to them all. Many of the precepts here given they had received before, but it was requisite that they should be repeated, that they might be remembered. Precept must be upon precept, and line upon line, and all little enough. In these verses,

  • I. It is required that Israel be a holy people, because the God of Israel is a holy God, v. 2. Their being distinguished from all other people by peculiar laws and customs was intended to teach them a real separation from the world and the flesh, and an entire devotedness to God. And this is now the law of Christ (the Lord bring every thought within us into obedience to it!) You shall be holy, for I am holy, 1 Pt. 1:15, 16. We are the followers of the holy Jesus, and therefore must be, according to our capacity, consecrated to God's honour, and conformed to his nature and will. Israel was sanctified by the types and shadows (ch. 20:8), but we are sanctified by the truth, or substance of all those shadows, Jn. 17:17; Tit. 2:14.
  • II. That children be obedient to their parents: "You shall fear every man his mother and his father, v. 3.
    • 1. The fear here required is the same with the honour commanded by the fifth commandment; see Mal. 1:6. It includes inward reverence and esteem, outward expressions of respect, obedience to the lawful commands of parents, care and endeavour to please them and make them easy, and to avoid every thing that may offend and grieve them, and incur their displeasure. The Jewish doctors ask, "What is this fear that is owing to a father?' And they answer, "It is not to stand in his way nor to sit in his place, not to contradict what he says nor to carp at it, not to call him by his name, either living or dead, but 'My Father,' or 'Sir;' it is to provide for him if he be poor, and the like.'
    • 2. Children, when they grow up to be men, must not think themselves discharged from this duty: every man, though he be a wise man, and a great man, yet must reverence his parents, because they are his parents.
    • 3. The mother is put first, which is not usual, to show that the duty is equally owing to both; if the mother survive the father, still she must be reverenced and obeyed.
    • 4. It is added, and keep my sabbaths. If God provides by his law for the preserving of the honour of parents, parents must use their authority over their children for the preserving of the honour of God, particularly the honour of his sabbaths, the custody of which is very much committed to parents by the fourth commandment, Thou, and thy son, and thy daughter. The ruin of young people has often been observed to begin in the contempt of their parents and the profanation of the sabbath day. Fitly therefore are these two precepts here put together in the beginning of this abridgment of the statutes: "You shall fear, every man, his mother and his father, and keep my sabbaths. Those are hopeful children, and likely to do well, that make conscience of honouring their parents and keeping holy the sabbath day.
    • 5. The reason added to both these precepts is, "I am the Lord your God; the Lord of the sabbath and the God of your parents.'
  • III. That God only be worshipped, and not by images (v. 4): "Turn you not to idols, to Elilim, to vanities, things of no power, no value, gods that are no gods. Turn not from the true God to false ones, from the mighty God to impotent ones, from the God that will make you holy and happy to those that will deceive you, debauch you, ruin you, and make you for ever miserable. Turn not your eye to them, much less your heart. Make not to yourselves gods, the creatures of your own fancy, nor think to worship the Creator by molten gods. You are the work of God's hands, be not so absurd as to worship gods the work of your own hands.' Molten gods are specified for the sake of the molten calf.
  • IV. That the sacrifices of their peace-offerings should always be offered, and eaten, according to the law, v. 5-8. There was some particular reason, it is likely, for the repetition of this law rather than any other relating to the sacrifices. The eating of the peace-offerings was the people's part, and was done from under the eye of the priests, and perhaps some of them had kept the cold meat of their peace-offerings, as they had done the manna (Ex. 16:20), longer than was appointed, which occasioned this caution; see the law itself before, ch. 7:16-18. God will have his own work done in his own time. Though the sacrifice was offered according to the law, if it was not eaten according to the law, it was not accepted. Though ministers do their part, what the better if people do not theirs? There is work to be done after our spiritual sacrifices, in a due improvement of them; and, if this be neglected, all is in vain.
  • V. That they should leave the gleanings of their harvest and vintage for the poor, v. 9, 10. Note, Works of piety must be always attended with works of charity, according as our ability is. When they gathered in their corn, they must leave some standing in the corner of the field; the Jewish doctors say, "It should be a sixtieth part of the field;' and they must also leave the gleanings and the small clusters of their grapes, which at first were overlooked. This law, though not binding now in the letter of it, yet teaches us,
    • 1. That we must not be covetous and griping, and greedy of every thing we can lay any claim to; nor insist upon our right in things small and trivial.
    • 2. That we must be well pleased to see the poor supplied and refreshed with the fruit of our labours. We must not think every thing lost that goes beside ourselves, nor any thing wasted that goes to the poor.
    • 3. That times of joy, such as harvest-time is, are proper times for charity; that, when we rejoice, the poor may rejoice with us, and when our hearts are blessing God their loins may bless us.

Lev 19:11-18

We are taught here,

  • I. To be honest and true in all our dealings, v. 11. God, who has appointed every man's property by his providence, forbids by his law the invading of that appointment, either by downright theft, You shall not steal, or by fraudulent dealing, "You shall not cheat, or deal falsely.' Whatever we have in the world, we must see to it that it be honestly come by, for we cannot be truly rich, nor long rich, with that which is not. The God of truth, who requires truth in the heart (Ps. 51:6), requires it also in the tongue: Neither lie one to another, either in bargaining or common converse. This is one of the laws of Christianity (Col. 3:9): Lie not one to another. Those that do not speak truth do not deserve to be told truth; those that sin by lying justly suffer by it; therefore we are forbidden to lie one to another; for, if we lie to others, we teach them to lie to us.
  • II. To maintain a very reverent regard to the sacred name of God (v. 12), and not to call him to be witness either,
    • 1. To a lie: You shall not swear falsely. It is bad to tell a lie, but it is much worse to swear it. Or,
    • 2. To a trifle, and every impertinence: Neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God, by alienating it to any other purpose than that for which it is to be religiously used.
  • III. Neither to take nor keep any one's right from him, v. 13. We must not take that which is none of our own, either by fraud or robbery; nor detain that which belongs to another, particularly the wages of the hireling, let it not abide with thee all night. Let the day-labourer have his wages as soon as he has done his day's work, if he desire it. It is a great sin to deny the payment of it, nay, to defer it, to his damage, a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance, Jam. 5:4.
  • IV. To be particularly tender of the credit and safety of those that cannot help themselves, v. 14.
    • 1. The credit of the deaf: Thou shalt not curse the deaf; that is, not only those that are naturally deaf, that cannot hear at all, but also those that are absent, and at present out of hearing of the curse, and so cannot show their resentment, return the affront, nor right themselves, and those that are patient, that seem as if they heard not, and are not willing to take notice of it, as David, Ps. 38:13. Do not injure any because they are unwilling, or unable, to avenge themselves, for God sees and hears, though they do not.
    • 2. The safety of the blind we must likewise be tender of, and not put a stumbling-block before them; for this is to add affliction to the afflicted, and to make God's providence a servant to our malice. This prohibition implies a precept to help the blind, and remove stumbling-blocks out of their way. The Jewish writers, thinking it impossible that any should be so barbarous as to put a stumbling-block in the way of the blind, understood it figuratively, that it forbids giving bad counsel to those that are simple and easily imposed upon, by which they may be led to do something to their own prejudice. We ought to take heed of doing any thing which may occasion our weak brother to fall, Rom. 14:13; 1 Co. 8:9. It is added, as a preservative from these sins, but fear thou God. "Thou dost not fear the deaf and blind, they cannot right themselves; but remember it is the glory of God to help the helpless, and he will plead their cause.' Note, The fear of God will restrain us from doing that which will not expose us to men's resentments.
  • V. Judges and all in authority are here commanded to give verdict and judgment without partiality (v. 15); whether they were constituted judges by commission or made so in a particular case by the consent of both parties, as referees or arbitrators, they must do no wrong to either side, but, to the utmost of their skill, must go according to the rules of equity, having respect purely to the merits of the cause, and not to the characters of the person. Justice must never be perverted, either,
    • 1. In pity to the poor: Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, Ex. 23:3. Whatever may be given to a poor man as an alms, yet let nothing be awarded him as his right but what he is legally entitled to, nor let his poverty excuse him from any just punishment for a fault. Or,
    • 2. In veneration or fear of the mighty, in whose favour judges would be most frequently biased. The Jews say, "Judges were obliged by this law to be so impartial as not to let one of the contending parties sit while the other stood, nor permit one to say what he pleased and bid the other be short; see James 2:1-4.
  • VI. We are all forbidden to do any thing injurious to our neighbour's good name (v. 16), either,
    • 1. In common conversation: Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer. It is as bad an office as a man can put himself into to be the publisher of every man's faults, divulging what was secret, aggravating crimes, and making the worst of every thing that was amiss, with design to blast and ruin men's reputation, and to sow discord among neighbours. The word used for a tale-bearer signifies a pedlar, or petty chapman, the interlopers of trade; for tale-bearers pick up ill-natured stories at one house and utter them at another, and commonly barter slanders by way of exchange. See this sin condemned, Prov. 11:13; 20:19; Jer. 9:4, 5; Eze. 22:9. Or,
    • 2. In witness-bearing: Neither shalt thou stand as a witness against the blood of thy neighbour, if his blood be innocent, nor join in confederacy with such bloody men as those described,' Prov. 1:11, 12. The Jewish doctors put this further sense upon it: "Thou shalt not stand by and see thy brother in danger, but thou shalt come in to his relief and succour, though it be with the peril of thy own life or limb;' they add, "He that can by his testimony clear one that is accused is obliged by this law to do it;' see Prov. 24:11, 12.
  • VII. We are commanded to rebuke our neighbour in love (v. 17): Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour.
    • 1. Rather rebuke him than hate him for an injury done to thyself. If we apprehend that our neighbour has any way wronged us, we must not conceive a secret grudge against him, and estrange ourselves from him, speaking to him neither bad nor good, as the manner of some is, who have the art of concealing their displeasure till they have an opportunity of a full revenge (2 Sa. 13:22); but we must rather give vent to our resentments with the meekness of wisdom, endeavour to convince our brother of the injury, reason the case fairly with him, and so put an end to the disgust conceived: this is the rule our Saviour gives in this case, Lu. 17:3.
    • 2. Therefore rebuke him for his sin against God, because thou lovest him; endeavour to bring him to repentance, that his sin may be pardoned, and he may turn from it, and it may not be suffered to lie upon him. Note, Friendly reproof is a duty we owe to one another, and we ought both to give it and take it in love. Let the righteous smite me, and it shall be a kindness, Ps. 141:5. Faithful and useful are those wounds of a friend, Prov. 27:5, 6. It is here strictly commanded, "Thou shalt in any wise do it, and not omit it under any pretence.' Consider,
      • (1.) The guilt we incur by not reproving: it is construed here into a hating of our brother. We are ready to argue thus, "Such a one is a friend I love, therefore I will not make him uneasy by telling him of his faults;' but we should rather say, "therefore I will do him the kindness to tell him of them.' Love covers sin from others, but not from the sinner himself.
      • (2.) The mischief we do by not reproving: we suffer sin upon him. Must we help the ass of an enemy that has fallen under his burden, and shall we not help the soul of a friend? Ex. 23:5. And by suffering sin upon him we are in danger of bearing sin for him, as the margin reads it. If we reprove not the unfruitful works of darkness, we have fellowship with them, and become accessaries ex post facto-after the fact, Eph. 5:11. It is thy brother, thy neighbour, that is concerned; and he was a Cain that said, Am I my brother's keeper?
  • VIII. We are here required to put off all malice, and to put on brotherly love, v. 18.
    • 1. We must be ill-affected to none: Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge; to the same purport with that v. 17, Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; for malice is murder begun. If our brother has done us an injury, we must not return it upon him, that is avenging; we must not upon every occasion upbraid him with it, that is bearing a grudge; but we must both forgive it and forget it, for thus we are forgiven of God. It is a most ill-natured thing, and the bane of friendship, to retain the resentment of affronts and injuries, and to let that word devour for ever.
    • 2. We must be well-affected to all: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. We often wrong ourselves, but we soon forgive ourselves those wrongs, and they do not at all lessen our love to ourselves; and in like manner we should love our neighbour. Our Saviour has made this the second great commandment of the law (Mt. 22:39), and the apostle shows how it is the summary of all the laws of the second table, Rom. 13:9, 10; Gal. 5:14. We must love our neighbour as truly as we love ourselves, and without dissimulation; we must evidence our love to our neighbour in the same way as that by which we evidence our love to ourselves, preventing his hurt, and procuring his good, to the utmost of our power. We must do to our neighbour as we would be done to ourselves (Mt. 7:12), putting our souls into his soul's stead, Job 16:4, 5. Nay, we must in many cases deny ourselves for the good of our neighbour, as Paul, 1 Co. 9:19, etc. Herein the gospel goes beyond even that excellent precept of the law; for Christ, by laying down his life for us, has taught us even to lay down our lives for the brethren, in some cases (1 Jn. 3:16), and so to love our neighbour better than ourselves.

Lev 19:19-29

Here is,

  • I. A law against mixtures, v. 19. God in the beginning made the cattle after their kind (Gen. 1:25), and we must acquiesce in the order of nature God hath established, believing that is best and sufficient, and not covet monsters. Add thou not unto his works, lest he reprove thee; for it is the excellency of the work of God that nothing can, without making it worse, be either put to it or taken from it, Eccl. 3:14. As what God has joined we must not separate, so what he has separated we must not join. The sowing of mingled corn and the wearing of linsey-woolsey garments are forbidden, either as superstitious customs of the heathen or to intimate how careful they should be not to mingle themselves with the heathen nor to weave any of the usages of the Gentiles into God's ordinances. Ainsworth suggests that it was to lead Israel to the simplicity and sincerity of religion, and to all the parts and doctrines of the law and gospel in their distinct kinds. As faith is necessary, good works are necessary, but to mingle these together in the cause of our justification before God is forbidden, Gal. 2:16.
  • II. A law for punishing adultery committed with one that was a bondmaid that was espoused, v. 20-22. If she had not been espoused, the law appointed no punishment at all; being espoused, if she had not been a bondmaid, the punishment had been no less than death: but, being as yet a bondmaid (though before the completing of her espousals she must have been made free), the capital punishment is remitted, and they shall both be scourged; or, as some think, the woman only, and the man was to bring a sacrifice. It was for the honour of marriage, though but begun by betrothing, that the crime should be punished; but it was for the honour of freedom that it should not be punished as the debauching of a free woman was, so great was the difference then made between bond and free (Gal. 4:30); but the gospel of Christ knows no such distinction, Col. 3:11.
  • III. A law concerning fruit-trees, that for the first three years after they were planted, if they should happen to be so forward as to bear in that time, yet no use should be made of the fruit, v. 23-25. It was therefore the practice of the Jews to pluck off the fruit, as soon as they perceived it knit, from their young trees, as gardeners do sometimes, because their early bearing hinders their growing. If any did come to perfection, it was not to be used in the service either of God or man; but what they bore the fourth year was to be holy to the Lord, either given to the priests, or eaten before the Lord with joy, as their second tithe was, and thenceforward it was all their own. Now,
    • 1. Some think this taught them not to follow the custom of the heathen, who, they say, consecrated the very first products of their fruit-trees to their idols, saying that otherwise all the fruits would be blasted.
    • 2. This law in the case of fruit-trees seems to be parallel with that in the case of animals, that no creature should be accepted as an offering till it was past eight days old, nor till that day were children to be circumcised; see ch. 22:27. God would have the first-fruits of their trees, but, because for the first three years they were as inconsiderable as a lamb or a calf under eight days old, therefore God would not have them, for it is fit he should have every thing at its best; and yet he would not allow them to be used, because his first-fruits were not as yet offered: they must therefore be accounted as uncircumcised, that is, as an animal under eight days' old, not fit for any use.
    • 3. We are hereby taught not to be over-hasty in catching at any comfort, but to be willing with patience to wait the time for the enjoyment of it, and particularly to acknowledge ourselves unworthy of the increase of the earth, our right to the fruits of which was forfeited by our first parents eating forbidden fruit, and we are restored to it only by the word of God and prayer, 1 Tim. 4:5.
  • IV. A law against the superstitious usages of the heathen, v. 26-28.
    • 1. Eating upon the blood, as the Gentiles did, who gathered the blood of their sacrifices into a vessel for their demons (as they fancied) to drink, and then sat about it, eating the flesh themselves, signifying their communion with devils by their feasting with them. Let not this custom be used, for the blood of God's sacrifices was to be sprinkled on the altar, and then poured at the foot of it, and conveyed away.
    • 2. Enchantment and divination, and a superstitious observation of the times, some days and hours lucky and others unlucky. Curious arts of this kind, it is likely, had been of late invented by the Egyptian priests, to amuse the people, and support their own credit. The Israelites had seen them practised, but must by no means imitate them. It would be unpardonable in those to whom were committed the oracles of God to ask counsel of the devil, and yet worse in Christians, to whom the Son of God is manifested, who has destroyed the works of the devil. For Christians to have their nativities cast, and their fortunes told them, to use spells and charms for the cure of diseases and the driving away of evil spirits, to be affected with the falling of the salt, a hare crossing the way, cross days, or the like, is an intolerable affront to the Lord Jesus, a support of paganism and idolatry, and a reproach both to themselves and to that worthy name by which they are called: and those must be grossly ignorant, both of the law and the gospel, that ask, "What harm is there in these things?' Is it no harm for those that have fellowship with Christ to have fellowship with devils, or to learn the ways of those that have? Surely we have not so learned Christ.
    • 3. There was a superstition even in trimming themselves used by the heathen, which must not be imitated by the people of God: You shall not round the corners of your heads. Those that worshipped the hosts of heaven, in honour of them, cut their hair so as that their heads might resemble the celestial globe; but, as the custom was foolish itself, so, being done with respect to their false gods, it was idolatrous.
    • 4. The rites and ceremonies by which they expressed their sorrow at their funerals must not be imitated, v. 28. They must not make cuts or prints in their flesh for the dead; for the heathen did so to pacify the infernal deities they dreamt of, and to render them propitious to their deceased friends. Christ by his sufferings has altered the property of death, and made it a true friend to every true Israelite; and now, as there needs nothing to make death propitious to us (for, if God be so, death is so of course), so we sorrow not as those that have no hope. Those whom the God of Israel had set apart for himself must not receive the image and superscription of these dunghill deities. Lastly, The prostituting of their daughters to uncleanness, which is here forbidden (v. 29), seems to have been practised by the heathen in their idolatrous worships, for with such abominations those unclean spirits which they worshipped were well pleased. And when lewdness obtained as a religious rite, and was committed in their temples, no marvel that the land became full of that wickedness, which, when it entered at the temple-doors, overspread the land like a mighty torrent, and bore down all the fences of virtue and modesty. The devil himself could not have brought such abominations into their lives if he had not first brought them into their worships. And justly were those given up to vile affections who forsook the holy God, and gave divine honours to impure spirits. Those that dishonour God are thus suffered to dishonour themselves and their families.

Lev 19:30-37

Here is,

  • I. A law for the preserving of the honour of the time and place appropriated to the service of God, v. 30. This would be a means to secure them both from the idolatries and superstitions of the heathen and from all immoralities in conversation.
    • 1. Sabbaths must be religiously observed, and not those times mentioned (v. 26) to which the heathen had a superstitious regard.
    • 2. The sanctuary must be reverenced: great care must be taken to approach the tabernacle with that purity and preparation which the law required, and to attend there with that humility, decency, and closeness of application which became them in the immediate presence of such an awful majesty. Though now there is no place holy by divine institution, as the tabernacle and temple then were, yet this law obliges us to respect the solemn assemblies of Christians for religious worship, as being held under a promise of Christ's special presence in them, and to carry ourselves with a due decorum while in those assemblies we attend the administration of holy ordinances, Eccl. 5:1.
  • II. A caution against all communion with witches, and those that were in league with familiar spirits: "Regard them not, seek not after them, be not in fear of any evil from them nor in hopes of any good from them. Regard not their threatenings, or promises, or predictions; seek not to them for discovery or advice, for, if you do, you are defiled by it, and rendered abominable both to God and your own consciences.' This was the sin that completed Saul's wickedness, for which he was rejected of God, 1 Chr. 10:13.
  • III. A charge to young people to show respect to the aged: Thou shall rise up before the hoary head, v. 32. Age is honourable, and he that is the Ancient of days requires that honour be paid to it. The hoary head is a crown of glory. Those whom God has honoured with the common blessing of long life we ought to honour with the distinguishing expressions of civility; and those who in age are wise and good are worthy of double honour: more respect is owing to such old men than merely to rise up before them; their credit and comfort must be carefully consulted, their experience and observations improved, and their counsels asked and hearkened to, Job 32:6, 7. Some, by the old man whose face or presence is to be honoured, understand the elder in office, as by the hoary head the elder in age; both ought to be respected as fathers, and in the fear of God, who has put some of his honour upon both. Note, Religion teaches good manners, and obliges us to give honour to those to whom honour is due. It is an instance of great degeneracy and disorder in a land when the child behaves himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable, Isa. 3:5; Job 30:1, 12. It becomes the aged to receive this honour, and the younger to give it; for it is the ornament as well as duty of their youth to order themselves lowly and reverently to all their betters.
  • IV. A charge to the Israelites to be very tender of strangers, v. 33, 34. Both the law of God and his providence had vastly dignified Israel above any other people, yet they must not therefore think themselves authorized to trample upon all mankind but those of their own nation, and to insult them at their pleasure; no, "Thou shall not vex a stranger, but love him as thyself, and as one of thy own people.' It is supposed that this stranger was not an idolater, but a worshipper of the God of Israel, though not circumcised, a proselyte of the gate at least, though not a proselyte of righteousness: if such a one sojourned among them, they must not vex him, nor oppress, nor over-reach him in a bargain, taking advantage of his ignorance of their laws and customs; they must reckon it as great a sin to cheat a stranger as to cheat an Israelite; "nay' (say the Jewish doctors) "they must not so much as upbraid him with his being a stranger, and his having been formerly an idolater.' Strangers are God's particular care, as the widow and the fatherless are, because it is his honour to help the helpless, Ps. 146:9. It is therefore at our peril if we do them any wrong, or put any hardships upon them. Strangers shall be welcome to God's grace, and therefore we should do what we can to invite them to it, and to recommend religion to their good opinion. It argues a generous disposition, and a pious regard to God, as a common Father, to be kind to strangers; for those of different countries, customs, and languages, are all made of one blood. But here is a reason added peculiar to the Jews: "For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. God then favoured you, therefore do you now favour the strangers, and do to them as you then wished to be done to. You were strangers, and yet are now thus highly advanced; therefore you know not what these strangers may come to, whom you are apt to despise.'
  • V. Justice in weights and measures is here commanded. That there should be no cheat in them, v. 35. That they should be very exact, v. 36. In weighing and measuring, we pretend a design to give all those their own whom we deal with; but, if the weights and measures be false, it is like a corruption in judgment, it cheats under colour of justice; and thus to deceive a man to his damage is worse than picking his pocket or robbing him on the highway. He that sells is bound to give the full of the commodity, and he that buys the full of the price agreed upon, which cannot be done without just balances, weights, and measures. Let no man go beyond or defraud his brother, for, though it be hidden from man, it will be found that God is the avenger of all such.
  • VI. The chapter concludes with a general command (v. 37): You shall observe all my statutes, and do them. Note,
    • 1. We are not likely to do God's statutes, unless we observe them with great care and consideration.
    • 2. Yet it is not enough barely to observe God's precepts, but we must make conscience of obeying them. What will it avail us to be critical in our notions, if we be not conscientious in our conversations?
    • 3. An upright heart has respect to all God's commandments, Ps. 119:6. Though in many instances the hand fails in doing what should be done, yet the eye observes all God's statutes. We are not allowed to pick and choose our duty, but must aim at standing complete in all the will of God.