Leviticus 19:16

16 'You shall not go about as 1a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the 2life of your neighbor; I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:16 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 19:16

Thou shall not go up and down [as] a talebearer among thy
people
The word used signifies a merchant, and particularly one that deals in drugs and spices, and especially a peddler in those things, that goes about from place to place to sell them; and such having an opportunity and making use of it to carry stories of others, and report them to their disadvantage, hence it came to be used for one that carries tales from house to house, in order to curry favour for himself, and to the injury of others; and such a man is a detestable person, and ought not to be encouraged, see ( 1 Timothy 5:13 ) ( Proverbs 11:13 ) ;

neither shall thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour;
either by bearing a false testimony, whereby his blood is in danger of being shed when innocent; or by being silent, and not hearing a testimony for him, whereby the shedding of his innocent blood might have been prevented; either way may be interpreted standing against it: the Jewish writers think, that a man by this law, is bound to do all he can to preserve the life of his neighbour, when it is by any means in danger, by drowning, or by thieves and wild beasts, so Jarchi:

I [am] the Lord;
the just and righteous One, who will resent and punish for all unjust proceedings in courts of judicature, secret tale bearing, doing any injury to another, or not preventing it when in the power of his hands.

Leviticus 19:16 In-Context

14 'You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD .
15 'You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
16 'You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the LORD .
17 'You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.
18 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD .

Cross References 2

  • 1. Psalms 15:3; Jeremiah 6:28; Jeremiah 9:4; Ezekiel 22:9
  • 2. Exodus 23:7; Deuteronomy 27:25

Footnotes 2

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