Leviticus 19

Be holy: See study note on Leviticus 11:44–45.

I am the LORD (see Leviticus 18:2): These words divide chapter 19 into short, strong sections (19:3, 4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 25, 28, 30, 31, 34, 36, 37). Each use reminded Israel why they must obey God's rules.

you are not to reap ... Leave them for the poor and the foreigner: Israel's covenant with God included a social structure that promoted equality and resisted social divisions. Families had to support relatives facing difficulties. Widows and orphans, the poor, and foreigners were part of Israel's extended family (Exodus 22:22; Leviticus 19:10). The poor received special consideration in the offering system and measures ensured they had food to eat (5:7–13).

A society that does not respect the property of others would quickly collapse. Exodus 20:15 prohibited stealing. Those who deceived or cheated had to present a guilt offering (see Leviticus 6:2–7).

profane the name: This means to blaspheme (speak in a way that dishonors God; study note on Leviticus 18:21).

Day laborers did not own land and were among the poorest in Israel. These workers relied on landowners for their income. A hired hand needed to receive his wages promptly to feed his family (Deuteronomy 24:15). This verse considers withholding their wages as cheating them.

People who could not hear and people who could not see were vulnerable. Others could easily mistreat them. God told the Israelites not to take advantage of them.

In a legal case, judges were not to favor either the poor or the rich. Justice had to come first at all times (see Exodus 23:3, 6).

You must not go about spreading slander: Imagine a merchant who trades in damaging rumors and accusations. This behavior quickly weakens the valued community spirit in Israel (see Proverbs 11:13; 16:28; 20:19; 26:20; 2 Corinthians 12:20).

• your brother in your heart: The Hebrew term can refer to any fellow Israelite. All of Israel was one family (compare 1 John 3:15).

• Directly rebuke: Love does not mean ignoring wrong actions. Correcting someone can help them change.

love your neighbor as yourself: This is a key principle in biblical ethics found in both the Old and New Testaments (see Matt 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:8–9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). It includes loving foreigners (Leviticus 19:34; compare Luke 10:30–37). In contrast, hate can lead to grudges and violence (see 1 John 2:10–11; 4:20).

two kinds: God created a natural order (Genesis 1:31; see Leviticus 18:22). People violate it when they do not honor God's boundaries. The prohibitions against intermixing served as lessons for the Israelites, who were not to intermarry with the Canaanites.

In the biblical world, betrothal (engagement) was viewed as equal to marriage. Having sexual relations with a betrothed woman who was not a slave brought the same punishment as adultery. The punishment was death (Deuteronomy 22:22; see Leviticus 18:20).

The situation was less clear if the woman was a slave, since she might not be able to refuse. Slaves in Israel had more rights than those in Mesopotamia or Egypt, but they were still not free. They could not punish a slave girl, so the man also went unpunished. Yet, he was guilty in God's eyes and had to sacrifice a ram for his sin.

For the first three years, they should only prune and cultivate a newly planted fruit tree. This helps the tree grow strong. In the fourth year, people considered all of the fruit the "fitrstfruits" and gave the fruit to God (see Exodus 23:16). People could only eat the fruit in the fifth year.

• blood: See study note on Leviticus 7:22–27.

• Priests could consult the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30). They could also cast lots to decide cases not addressed in the laws Moses gave (Leviticus 16:8). But those who practiced fortune-telling or witchcraft consulted a power other than the Lord. The first commandment prohibited this (Exodus 20:3).

do not clip off: Egyptian wall paintings show that Canaanites trimmed their hair and beards carefully. The Israelites were told not to copy this practice so that they would not be influenced by Canaanite religion and ethics.

cuts in your bodies: Cutting oneself was associated with Canaanite mourning practices (Leviticus 21:5; Deuteronomy 14:1). The word translated as "tattoo" might mean painting the body, a practice also associated with paganism.

Compare Leviticus 21:9 and Deuteronomy 23:17.

• My Sabbaths: The Hebrew word for “Sabbath” (shabbath) comes from a verb meaning “to cease,” suggesting rest from work.

  The Sabbath recalled God's rest on the seventh day after creating the world (Genesis 1:31; 2:1–3). It started at sundown on the sixth day. After the exodus from Egypt, the Sabbath took on covenantal importance (Exodus 16:23–25; 31:13). Only free people, not slaves, had a regular rest day. So the Sabbath symbolized Israel’s freedom from slavery in Egypt (see Deuteronomy 5:13–15).

• The people were to have reverence (literally fear) because the sanctuary, like the Sabbath, was holy. They were not to enter it when ceremonially unclean or bring anything unclean into it.

• mediums: Compare 1 Samuel 28:7–25.

• The Hebrew term for spiritists (yidde‘oni) comes from a root meaning "to know." It describes people who claim to have secret or occult knowledge and who try to communicate with the dead.

In ancient times, people respected the elderly for their wisdom (Job 32:7). Respecting the elderly also shows respect for God.

The Israelites were once foreigners living in Egypt. God commanded them to remember how the Egyptians mistreated them and show love to the foreigners (see Deuteronomy 10:19).

dishonest measures: Merchants sometimes used two sets of weights, one heavy and one light to cheat customers (Deuteronomy 25:13–15). The Bible clearly states that God detested this practice (Proverbs 11:1; 16:11; 20:10, 23; Micah 6:11).