Leviticus 19:23-33

23 When ye have entered into the land of promise, and have planted therein apple trees, ye shall do away the first fruits; (for three years) the apples which those trees bring forth shall be unclean to you, neither ye shall eat of them.
24 Forsooth in the fourth year all the fruit of the trees shall be hallowed and be praiseable to the Lord; (But in the fourth year, all the fruit of the trees shall be declared holy, and shall be given as a gift to the Lord;)
25 forsooth in the fifth year ye shall eat the fruits, and ye shall gather (the) apples, which those trees bring forth; I am your Lord God (I am the Lord your God).
26 Ye shall not eat flesh with [the] blood. Ye shall not make vain divining, neither ye shall keep (mind of) dreams (nor shall ye remember, or think upon, dreams);
27 neither ye shall clip the hair round, neither ye shall shave the beard; (nor shall ye round off the ends of your hair, nor shall ye shave off your beard;)
28 and on dead men ye shall not cut your flesh, neither ye shall make to you any figures, either marks in your flesh; I am the Lord. (and ye shall not cut your flesh in mourning for the dead, nor shall ye make any tattoos on yourself, that is, any marks in your flesh; I am the Lord.)
29 Set thou not thy daughter to do lechery for hire, and the land be defouled, and be [full-]filled with sin. (Do not thou allow thy daughter to go awhoring for hire, so that the land be defiled, and it be filled full with sin.)
30 Keep ye my sabbaths, and dread ye my saintuary (and honour my sanctuary); I am the Lord.
31 Bow ye not to astrologers, neither ask ye anything of false diviners, that ye be defouled by them; I am your Lord God. (Do not ye turn to astrologers, nor ask ye anything of those who claim to contact the dead, so that ye be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God.)
32 Rise thou before an hoar head, and honour thou the person of an eld man, and dread thou thy Lord God (and fear thou the Lord thy God); I am the Lord.
33 If a comeling dwelleth in your land, and abideth among you, despise ye not him, (If a newcomer liveth in your land, and abideth among you, do not ye despise him,)

Leviticus 19:23-33 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.