Leviticus 18:4

4 You must {carry out} my regulations, and you must observe my statutes by following them; I [am] Yahweh your God.

Leviticus 18:4 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 18:4

Ye shall do my judgments
Which are just and right, and according to the rules of justice and equity; these are things, as Jarchi observes, which are said in the law with judgment, or are laws framed with the highest reason, even by the judgment of God himself, whose judgment is always according to truth: Aben Ezra thinks, these are the judicial laws in ( Exodus 21:1-23:33 ) ; but though they may include them, they have more particular respect to the following laws: and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein:
which he had ordained and appointed of his own will and pleasure, which Jarchi calls the decree of the king, or which he decreed and determined as a king, having absolute power over his subjects to enact and enjoin what he pleased; wherefore some think these refer to ceremonial laws, which depended upon the will of the lawgiver, and were not founded in any natural sense or reason, wherefore it follows: I [am] the Lord your God:
who had a right to make what laws he pleased, being their Sovereign, and which they in gratitude as well as in justice ought to obey, he being their God, their covenant God, who had done great and good things for them.

Leviticus 18:4 In-Context

2 "Speak to the {Israelites}, and say to them, 'I [am] Yahweh your God.
3 You must not {carry out} the practices of the land of Egypt, in which you lived, and you must not {carry out} the practices of the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you; and you must not follow their statutes.
4 You must {carry out} my regulations, and you must observe my statutes by following them; I [am] Yahweh your God.
5 And you shall observe my statutes and my regulations {by which the person doing them shall live}; I [am] Yahweh.
6 " '{None} [of] you shall approach anyone [who is] {his close relative} to expose nakedness; I [am] Yahweh.

Footnotes 2

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.