Leviticus 19:10-20

10 You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreign resident;[a] I am the Lord your God.
11 "You must not steal.[b] You must not act deceptively or lie to one another.[c]
12 You must not swear falsely by My name, profaning the name of your God;[d] I am the Lord.
13 "You must not oppress your neighbor or rob [him]. The wages due a hired hand must not remain with you until morning.[e]
14 You must not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,[f] but you are to fear your God; I am the Lord.
15 "You must not act unjustly when rendering judgment. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich; judge your neighbor fairly.[g]
16 You must not go about spreading slander among your people; you must not jeopardize[h] [i] your neighbor's life;[j] I am the Lord.
17 "You must not hate your brother[k] in your heart.[l] Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him.[m]
18 Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community,[n] but love your neighbor as yourself;[o] I am the Lord.
19 "You are to keep My statutes. You must not crossbreed two different kinds of your livestock, sow your fields with two kinds of seed, or put on a garment made of two kinds of material.[p]
20 "If a man has sexual intercourse with a woman who is a slave designated for [another] man, but she has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be punishment.[q] They are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.[r]

Leviticus 19:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 19

This chapter contains various laws, ceremonial and moral, tending to the sanctification of men, in imitation of the holy God, Le 19:1,2; as concerning the reverence of parents, and observing the sabbaths, Le 19:3; against idolatry, Le 19:4; about offering and eating of peace offerings, Le 19:5-8; concerning harvest and gleaning of fields and vineyards, Le 19:9,10; respecting the breach of several of the commandments of the law, as the eighth, ninth, and third, particularly, Le 19:11-13; and others relating to the ill usage of the deaf and blind, and having respect to persons rich or poor in judgment, and acting the part of a tale bearer among people, Le 19:14-16; and bearing hatred and ill will to any of their neighbours, Le 19:17,18; and others forbidding mixtures in the generation of cattle, sowing fields, and wearing apparel, Le 19:19; and concerning the punishment of a man that lay with a bondmaid, and the offering he should bring for his atonement, Le 19:20-22; then follow certain laws concerning fruit trees, when the fruit of them should be eaten, Le 19:23-25; and concerning eating with blood, using enchantments, and observing times, and managing the hair of the head and beard, and avoiding to make any marks, prints, and cuttings in the flesh for the dead, Le 19:26-28; a caution not to prostitute a daughter to whoredom, and to observe the sabbath, and reverence the sanctuary of God, and pay no regard to wizards and familiar spirits, Le 19:29-31; to show reverence to ancient persons, and not to vex and distress strangers, Le 19:32-34; and to do no injustice in weight and measure, Le 19:35,36; all which instructions are to be carefully observed, and put in execution, Le 19:37.

Footnotes 18

  • [a]. Dt 24:20-21; Isa 17:5-6; 24:13
  • [b]. Ex 20:15; Rm 13:9; Eph 4:28
  • [c]. Ex 20:16; Ps 32:2; Eph 4:25
  • [d]. Ex 20:7; Mal 3:5; Jms 5:12
  • [e]. Dt 24:14-15; Ezk 18:7; Jms 5:4
  • [f]. Dt 27:18
  • [g]. Ex 23:2-3,6-7; Jms 2:1,9
  • [h]. Lit not stand against
  • [i]. Jdg 6:31; Ezr 10:15; 2 Ch 26:18; Dn 11:14
  • [j]. Ex 23:7; Dt 19:16-21; Jms 4:11
  • [k]. Or your fellow Israelite
  • [l]. Pr 26:24-25; Mt 5:23-24
  • [m]. Pr 9:8; 27:5; Ezk 3:18; Mt 18:15; Gl 6:1
  • [n]. Jms 5:9
  • [o]. Mt 22:39; Mk 12:31; Lk 10:27; Rm 13:9; Gl 5:14; Jms 2:8
  • [p]. Dt 22:9-11
  • [q]. Or compensation
  • [r]. Dt 22:23-27
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