Leviticus 19:31-37

31 1"Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.
32 2"You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall 3fear your God: I am the LORD.
33 4"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
34 5You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and 6you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
35 7"You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity.
36 8You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin:[a] I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 And 9you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the LORD."

Leviticus 19:31-37 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.

Cross References 9

  • 1. Leviticus 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:11; Isaiah 8:19; [Exodus 22:18; 1 Sam. 28:3, 7, 9; 1 Chronicles 10:13; Acts 16:16]
  • 2. Proverbs 20:29; [Lamentations 5:12]
  • 3. See ver. 14
  • 4. Exodus 22:21; Exodus 23:9; Malachi 3:5
  • 5. See Leviticus 16:29
  • 6. Deuteronomy 10:19; See ver. 18
  • 7. See ver. 15
  • 8. Deuteronomy 25:13, 15; Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11; Proverbs 20:10; Ezekiel 45:10; [Amos 8:5; Micah 6:11]
  • 9. See Leviticus 18:4, 5

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters; a hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.