Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 19

Verses 1-37

Leviticus 19:2 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.

Leviticus 19:2 Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament - Leviticus 19:2 is quoted in 1 Peter 1:16.

1 Peter 1:15-16, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy .”

Scripture References - Note a similar verse:

Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Leviticus 19:12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:12 Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament - Leviticus 19:12 is referred to in Matthew 5:33.

Matthew 5:33, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:”

Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

Leviticus 19:15 Comments - James 2:1-13 deals with this same topic.

Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:16 Word Study on “a talebearer” Strong says the Hebrew word ( רָכִיל ) (H7400) means, “slander, carry tales, talebearer.” He believes it comes from the primitive root ( רָכַל ) (H7402), which means, “to go about”. Note other verses in the Scriptures which use this same Hebrew word:

Proverbs 11:13, “ A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.”

Proverbs 20:19, “He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.”

Jeremiah 6:28, “They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders : they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.”

Jeremiah 9:4, “Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders .”

Ezekiel 22:9, “In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.”

Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:18 “but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” - Comments (1) - With nine New Testament references for Leviticus 19:18, it is the most quoted passage in the New Testament. Why is this so? Perhaps the answer is found in James 2:8, where this Old Testament passage is called the Royal Law. It means that this verse was very popular with Jewish scholars such that it was given a title. Note the many New Testament references:

Matthew 5:43, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy .”

Matthew 19:18-19, “He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself .”

Matthew 22:37-40, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself . On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Mark 12:29-33, “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself . There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself , is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Luke 10:27, “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself .”

Romans 13:8, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself .”

Galatians 5:14, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself .”

James 2:8, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself , ye do well:”

Similar to the Royal Law is the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12.

Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

Comments (2) - Note these insightful words from Sadhu Sundar Singh regarding the meaning of this phrase.

“This also I have said, ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself.’ Now although in a sense all men are neighbours one of another, yet the reference is especially to those who habitually live near each other, for it is an easy matter to live at peace with one who is near at hand for a few days only, even though he be unfriendly; but in the case of one who has his dwelling near you, and day by day is the cause of trouble to you, it is most difficult to bear with him, and love him as yourself. But when you have conquered in this great struggle it will be more easy to love all others as yourself.” [28]

[28] Sadhu Sundar Singh, At the Master’s Feet, trans. Arthur Parker (London: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1922) [on-line]; accessed 26 October 2008; available from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/singh/feet.html; Internet, “I The Manifestation of God’s Presence,” section 2, part 4.

Leviticus 19:19 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 woollen come upon thee.

Leviticus 19:19 “Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind” Comments - The phrase, “Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind,” is a prohibition against intermixing different species of animals.

Leviticus 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:32 Comments - Show respect to the elderly by rising in their presence and give them honour with words and actions. This is our way of demonstrating the fear of God that is in our hearts. The phrase “I am the Lord” means that we worship and honour the God of Israel when we honour the elderly (Matthew 25:40). In other words, Israel was fulfilling its side of the divine covenant when honouring the elderly. The younger generations are reaping blessings (and the problems) that were sown by the older generation, so there is a reason to honour them.

Matthew 25:40, ‘And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Leviticus 19:34 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.

Leviticus 19:34 Comments - The phrase “I am the Lord your God” reminds the Israelites that they are in covenant with Him. Part of the way they fulfil their part of the covenant blessings is by loving the stranger (Matthew 25:40).

Matthew 25:40, ‘And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”