Leviticus 19 Study Notes
General
In 19:2, to whom is the command to be holy addressed, and what reason is given?
Answer: All the people of Israel, because the LORD their God is holy
The command to be holy is not just for priests. God tells Moses to speak it to the entire congregation, every Israelite (19:2). To be holy means to be set apart for God, different from the world in character and conduct. The reason is God Himself: His people must be holy because He is holy. The rest of the chapter shows what holiness looks like in ordinary life, from honoring parents to paying workers on time to using honest weights. Earlier, Leviticus ties this same command to God's rescue of Israel from Egypt (11:45): He saves first, then calls His people to be like Him. Peter quotes the command for Christians (1 Peter 1:15-16), and Hebrews says that without holiness a person will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Holiness is the fruit and evidence of belonging to God.
- Leviticus 19:2 (BSB)““Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”God addresses the whole congregation with the call to holiness, grounded in His own holiness.
- Leviticus 11:45 (BSB)“For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”Earlier Leviticus grounds the same call in God's bringing Israel out of Egypt to be their God.
- 1 Peter 1:15-16 (BSB)“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.””Peter quotes this command and applies it to all Christians, called by a holy God.
- Hebrews 12:14 (BSB)“Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”Holiness is essential to the Christian life; without it no one will see the Lord.
Theological
What does 19:2 reveal about the scope and ground of Israel's holiness?
Answer: It extends to the entire assembly and rests on the LORD's holiness
The holiness command is addressed to the entire congregation (19:2), not to a priestly elite, and its ground is the character of God Himself. The chapter then applies holiness across the whole of life: family, worship, harvest, commerce, the courts, and the treatment of the weak. Leviticus roots the command in redemption, for the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt to be their God (11:45), so that sanctification follows deliverance. Peter applies the command directly to the church (1 Peter 1:15-16), and Hebrews makes holiness indispensable, for apart from it none will behold the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Holiness is not the ground of acceptance but the necessary fruit of God's saving call.
- Leviticus 19:2 (BSB)““Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”God addresses the whole congregation with the call to holiness, grounded in His own holiness.
- Leviticus 11:45 (BSB)“For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”Earlier Leviticus grounds the same call in God's bringing Israel out of Egypt to be their God.
- 1 Peter 1:15-16 (BSB)“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.””Peter quotes this command and applies it to all Christians, called by a holy God.
- Hebrews 12:14 (BSB)“Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”Holiness is essential to the Christian life; without it no one will see the Lord.
General
In 19:14, what reason is given for not cursing the deaf or tripping the blind?
Answer: The people were to stand in fear of God
The deaf person cannot hear the curse, and the blind person cannot see who placed the obstacle. Such cruelty might go unnoticed by its victim, but not by God. That is why the verse ends by commanding the Israelites to fear their God (19:14): the LORD sees and cares for the weak. Deuteronomy pronounces a curse on anyone who leads a blind man astray on the road (Deuteronomy 27:18), and Leviticus repeats the pattern elsewhere: do not exploit one another, but fear God (Leviticus 25:17). Paul applies the stumbling-block image to believers, urging them never to put an obstacle in a brother's way (Romans 14:13).
- Leviticus 19:14 (BSB)“You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.”Cursing the deaf or tripping the blind is forbidden, with the command to fear God.
- Deuteronomy 27:18 (BSB)“‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’”A curse is pronounced on anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.
- Leviticus 25:17 (BSB)“Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.”Leviticus again joins the ban on exploiting others with the command to fear God.
- Romans 14:13 (BSB)“Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”Paul applies the stumbling-block image to believers' treatment of one another.
Theological
What motive does 19:14 attach to the protection of the deaf and the blind?
Answer: Reverent fear of the LORD their God
The deaf cannot hear the curse and the blind cannot identify the one who trips them; the offender may escape human detection, but not God's. Hence the command closes with the fear of God (19:14), the LORD's own oversight of the defenseless. Deuteronomy places the one who misleads the blind under covenant curse (Deuteronomy 27:18), and Leviticus again joins the prohibition of exploitation with the fear of God (Leviticus 25:17). Paul extends the stumbling-block principle to relations within the church (Romans 14:13).
- Leviticus 19:14 (BSB)“You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.”Cursing the deaf or tripping the blind is forbidden, with the command to fear God.
- Deuteronomy 27:18 (BSB)“‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’”A curse is pronounced on anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.
- Leviticus 25:17 (BSB)“Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.”Leviticus again joins the ban on exploiting others with the command to fear God.
- Romans 14:13 (BSB)“Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”Paul applies the stumbling-block image to believers' treatment of one another.
General
True or False: Under 19:23-25, the Israelites could begin eating the fruit of a newly planted tree in its fourth year.
Answer: False
This is false. For the first three years the fruit of a newly planted tree was forbidden. In year four the whole crop was set apart to the LORD as an offering of praise. Only in year five could the owner eat it, with God's word that the harvest would increase (19:23-25). The first usable fruit belonged to God, much as Israel was to offer its finest firstfruits at the LORD's house (Exodus 23:19). Proverbs connects giving God the first of one's crops with His abundant provision (Proverbs 3:9-10). Patience and trust come first, then blessing.
- Leviticus 19:23-25 (BSB)“When you enter the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you shall regard the fruit as forbidden. For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit; thus your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.”Fruit of a new tree was forbidden for three years, consecrated in the fourth, and eaten from the fifth.
- Exodus 23:19 (BSB)“Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”Israel was to bring the best of its firstfruits to the LORD's house.
- Proverbs 3:9-10 (BSB)“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”Honoring the LORD with the first of one's crops is joined with His abundant provision.
Theological
True or False: According to 19:23-25, the fruit of a newly planted tree became available for ordinary eating in year four.
Answer: False
This is false. The fruit was off-limits for its first three years, wholly consecrated to the LORD for praise in the fourth, and released for common use only in the fifth, with the promise of increase (19:23-25). The principle is the firstfruits principle: the first yield belongs to God (Exodus 23:19), and honoring Him with it is joined with His provision (Proverbs 3:9-10).
- Leviticus 19:23-25 (BSB)“When you enter the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you shall regard the fruit as forbidden. For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit; thus your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.”Fruit of a new tree was forbidden for three years, consecrated in the fourth, and eaten from the fifth.
- Exodus 23:19 (BSB)“Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”Israel was to bring the best of its firstfruits to the LORD's house.
- Proverbs 3:9-10 (BSB)“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”Honoring the LORD with the first of one's crops is joined with His abundant provision.
General
What were Israelite farmers told to leave behind at harvest (19:9-10), and for whom?
Answer: Field edges and leftovers, for needy people and outsiders
At harvest, Israelite farmers were not to cut the grain right up to the borders of their fields, go back for what they had missed, strip their vineyards bare, or pick up grapes that had fallen. What remained was meant for poor people and for foreigners living among them (19:9-10; 23:22). This let the poor work and gather food for themselves. The book of Ruth shows the law in action: Ruth, a foreign widow, gleaned behind the harvesters and, in God's providence, came to the field of Boaz (Ruth 2:2-3). Deuteronomy adds that a forgotten sheaf should stay in the field for the needy (foreigners, orphans, and widows), and God would bless the giver (Deuteronomy 24:19). God's people are to be generous with what He gives them.
- Leviticus 19:9-10 (BSB)“When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”Harvesters were to leave the edges, the gleanings, and the fallen grapes for poor people and foreigners.
- Leviticus 23:22 (BSB)“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap all the way to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the foreign resident. I am the LORD your God.’””The gleaning law is repeated in the calendar of feasts at harvest time.
- Ruth 2:2-3 (BSB)“And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied. So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.”Ruth, a Moabite widow, gleaned behind the harvesters and came to the field of Boaz.
- Deuteronomy 24:19 (BSB)“If you are harvesting in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”A forgotten sheaf was to be left for the needy, with a promise of God's blessing.
Theological
What provision does 19:9-10 make at harvest, and for whom?
Answer: Unharvested remnants for the needy and resident aliens
Leviticus 19:9-10 limits the landowner's harvest: the edges of the field, the gleanings, and the fallen grapes were to remain for poor people and resident foreigners, a law repeated in 23:22. The provision preserved the dignity of labor for the needy while restraining the owner's grasp. Ruth's gleaning in the field of Boaz (Ruth 2:2-3) shows the statute operating and becoming the setting of God's providence. Deuteronomy extends the principle to the forgotten sheaf and attaches a promise of blessing (Deuteronomy 24:19). Holiness includes open-handed generosity with what God provides.
- Leviticus 19:9-10 (BSB)“When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”Harvesters were to leave the edges, the gleanings, and the fallen grapes for poor people and foreigners.
- Leviticus 23:22 (BSB)“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap all the way to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the foreign resident. I am the LORD your God.’””The gleaning law is repeated in the calendar of feasts at harvest time.
- Ruth 2:2-3 (BSB)“And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied. So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.”Ruth, a Moabite widow, gleaned behind the harvesters and came to the field of Boaz.
- Deuteronomy 24:19 (BSB)“If you are harvesting in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”A forgotten sheaf was to be left for the needy, with a promise of God's blessing.
General
How does God close His command about honest measuring in 19:36?
Answer: By naming Himself as the God who freed them from Egypt
Verses 35-36 forbid cheating in any kind of measuring and require honest scales, honest weights, and honest dry and liquid measures (the ephah and the hin). God then signs the command with His name and His act of rescue: He is the LORD their God who brought them out of Egypt (19:36). Having been freed from oppression, Israel must not cheat others in the marketplace. Proverbs says the LORD hates false scales and delights in accurate ones (Proverbs 11:1) and that unequal weights and measures are detestable to Him (Proverbs 20:10), and Deuteronomy commands accurate weights and measures (Deuteronomy 25:13-15). Honesty in business is part of holy living.
- Leviticus 19:35-36 (BSB)“You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”God requires honest measures and weights and signs the command with His act of redemption from Egypt.
- Proverbs 11:1 (BSB)“Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.”The LORD hates dishonest scales and delights in accurate weights.
- Proverbs 20:10 (BSB)“Differing weights and unequal measures—both are detestable to the LORD.”Differing weights and measures are detestable to the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 25:13-15 (BSB)“You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light. You shall not have two differing measures in your house, one large and one small. You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”Deuteronomy repeats the command for honest weights and measures.
Theological
With what statement does God conclude the command concerning honest measures in 19:36?
Answer: His self-identification as their Redeemer from Egypt
Leviticus 19:35-36 requires honesty in every measurement (scales, weights, the dry ephah, and the liquid hin) and grounds the command in the exodus: the LORD is the God who brought Israel out of Egypt. The redeemed are to reflect their Redeemer, who delivered them from oppression, by refusing to defraud others. Proverbs declares false scales an offense to God and accurate weights His delight (Proverbs 11:1; 20:10), and Deuteronomy repeats the requirement of honest measures (Deuteronomy 25:13-15). Commercial integrity is an expression of covenant holiness.
- Leviticus 19:35-36 (BSB)“You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”God requires honest measures and weights and signs the command with His act of redemption from Egypt.
- Proverbs 11:1 (BSB)“Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.”The LORD hates dishonest scales and delights in accurate weights.
- Proverbs 20:10 (BSB)“Differing weights and unequal measures—both are detestable to the LORD.”Differing weights and measures are detestable to the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 25:13-15 (BSB)“You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light. You shall not have two differing measures in your house, one large and one small. You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”Deuteronomy repeats the command for honest weights and measures.
General
True or False: In 19:32, honoring the elderly is linked directly to fearing God.
Answer: True
This is true. Verse 32 commands the Israelites to stand up for the elderly, to show honor to the old, and to fear their God, all in one breath. Respect for the old is part of reverence for the Lord. Proverbs calls gray hair a glorious crown (Proverbs 16:31) and the beauty of the aged (Proverbs 20:29), and Paul tells Timothy to appeal to an older man like a father and to treat older women like mothers (1 Timothy 5:1-2).
- Leviticus 19:32 (BSB)“You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.”Israel is to rise for the elderly, honor the aged, and fear God.
- Proverbs 16:31 (BSB)“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.”Gray hair is called a crown of glory.
- Proverbs 20:29 (BSB)“The glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair is the splendor of the old.”Gray hair is the splendor of the old.
- 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (BSB)“Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”Paul tells Timothy to treat older men and women with the respect due to parents.
Theological
True or False: Leviticus 19:32 joins honor for the aged with the fear of God.
Answer: True
This is true. Verse 32 sets rising before the gray-headed and honoring the elderly in parallel with fearing God, so that deference to age is an expression of reverence for Him. Proverbs presents gray hair as a glorious crown (Proverbs 16:31) and the beauty of the aged (Proverbs 20:29), and Paul directs Timothy to treat older men like fathers and older women like mothers (1 Timothy 5:1-2).
- Leviticus 19:32 (BSB)“You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.”Israel is to rise for the elderly, honor the aged, and fear God.
- Proverbs 16:31 (BSB)“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.”Gray hair is called a crown of glory.
- Proverbs 20:29 (BSB)“The glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair is the splendor of the old.”Gray hair is the splendor of the old.
- 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (BSB)“Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”Paul tells Timothy to treat older men and women with the respect due to parents.
General
What reason does 19:34 give for loving the foreigner as oneself?
Answer: Israel had once been foreigners in Egypt
Verses 33-34 command Israel not to oppress the foreigner who settled among them, but to treat him like one born in the land and to love him as they love themselves, the same love commanded for fellow Israelites in 19:18. The reason is memory: Israel had once been foreigners in Egypt and knew what that was like. Exodus had already given this reason for not oppressing foreigners (Exodus 23:9), and Deuteronomy adds that God Himself loves the foreigner, providing for their food and clothing (Deuteronomy 10:18-19). Gentile Christians have a similar memory: they were once strangers to God's covenants, without hope, but God has brought them near by Christ's blood (Ephesians 2:12-13). Those who have received such welcome from God should extend it to others.
- Leviticus 19:33-34 (BSB)“When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”Israel must not oppress the foreigner but love him as themselves, remembering Egypt.
- Exodus 23:9 (BSB)“Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”Israel knew how it felt to be foreigners, having been foreigners in Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 10:18-19 (BSB)“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”God Himself loves the foreigner, so His people must love the foreigner too.
- Ephesians 2:12-13 (BSB)“remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”Gentile believers were once strangers to God's covenants but have been brought near through Christ.
Theological
What ground does 19:34 give for loving the resident foreigner as oneself?
Answer: Israel's own experience as foreigners in Egypt
Leviticus 19:33-34 extends the love command of 19:18 to the resident foreigner, who is to be treated like the native Israelite and loved as oneself. The motive is redemptive memory: Israel had been foreigners in Egypt (compare Exodus 23:9). Deuteronomy grounds the same duty in the character of God, who loves the foreigner and provides for them (Deuteronomy 10:18-19). The gospel deepens the motive: Gentile believers were once outside the covenants, hopeless and godless in the world, yet have been drawn near through Christ's blood (Ephesians 2:12-13). Those who have been welcomed by grace are to welcome others.
- Leviticus 19:33-34 (BSB)“When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”Israel must not oppress the foreigner but love him as themselves, remembering Egypt.
- Exodus 23:9 (BSB)“Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”Israel knew how it felt to be foreigners, having been foreigners in Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 10:18-19 (BSB)“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”God Himself loves the foreigner, so His people must love the foreigner too.
- Ephesians 2:12-13 (BSB)“remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”Gentile believers were once strangers to God's covenants but have been brought near through Christ.
General
Jesus named the command of 19:18 about loving one's neighbor the second great commandment. How does Paul describe it?
Answer: As the command that sums up and fulfills the law
The command at the heart of 19:18 is one of the Old Testament verses most often quoted in the New. Jesus named it second only to loving God with all one's heart (Matthew 22:37-39). Paul says that the other commandments, against adultery, murder, theft, and coveting, are all summed up in it, because love does no harm to a neighbor (Romans 13:9-10), and that this one command fulfills the whole law (Galatians 5:14). James calls it the royal law (James 2:8). Loving our neighbor does not earn salvation; rather, people who have been loved by God in Christ are freed and moved to love others, and so the law's purpose is met in their lives.
- Leviticus 19:18 (BSB)“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”The command to love one's neighbor as oneself, sealed with God's name.
- Matthew 22:37-39 (BSB)“Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”Jesus names this command second only to loving God.
- Romans 13:9-10 (BSB)“The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”Paul says the commandments are summed up in this one, and love fulfills the law.
- Galatians 5:14 (BSB)“The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.””Paul says the entire law is fulfilled in this single command.
- James 2:8 (BSB)“If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.”James calls this command the royal law.
Theological
How does Paul characterize the love command of 19:18 in Romans 13:9-10 and Galatians 5:14?
Answer: As the summary and fulfillment of the law's moral demands
Leviticus 19:18 becomes a hinge of New Testament ethics. Jesus ranks it second only to the love of God (Matthew 22:37-39). Paul presents it as the summary of the second table, the commandments against adultery, murder, theft, and coveting, and as what fulfills the law, since love works no harm to a neighbor (Romans 13:9-10; Galatians 5:14). James calls it the royal law (James 2:8). Neighbor-love is not the ground of justification but its fruit: those loved by God in Christ are renewed to love, and so the righteous requirement of the law comes to expression in them.
- Leviticus 19:18 (BSB)“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”The command to love one's neighbor as oneself, sealed with God's name.
- Matthew 22:37-39 (BSB)“Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”Jesus names this command second only to loving God.
- Romans 13:9-10 (BSB)“The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”Paul says the commandments are summed up in this one, and love fulfills the law.
- Galatians 5:14 (BSB)“The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.””Paul says the entire law is fulfilled in this single command.
- James 2:8 (BSB)“If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.”James calls this command the royal law.
General
What does 19:31 say will happen to Israelites who seek out mediums or spiritists?
Answer: They will become unclean through them
Verse 26 forbids divination and sorcery, and verse 31 forbids turning to mediums and spiritists, people who claimed to contact the dead or spirits for hidden knowledge. Seeking them out would make an Israelite unclean, and it meant looking for guidance somewhere other than God. Deuteronomy lists these same practices as things the LORD detests and as part of the reason He was expelling those nations (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Isaiah asks why God's people would consult the dead for the living instead of seeking their God (Isaiah 8:19). King Saul lost his life because of his unfaithfulness, which included consulting a medium instead of the LORD (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).
- Leviticus 19:26 (BSB)“You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.”Divination and sorcery are forbidden.
- Leviticus 19:31 (BSB)“You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”Turning to mediums or spiritists defiles those who seek them.
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (BSB)“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.”These practices are detestable to the LORD and part of why He was expelling the nations.
- Isaiah 8:19 (BSB)“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”God's people should seek their God rather than consult the dead.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (BSB)“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”Saul died for his unfaithfulness, including consulting a medium instead of inquiring of the LORD.
Theological
What consequence does 19:31 attach to seeking mediums and spiritists?
Answer: Defilement through them
Leviticus 19:26 prohibits divination and sorcery, and 19:31 forbids recourse to mediums and spiritists, warning that it defiles. To seek revelation from the dead or the spirit world is to turn from the LORD, who speaks to His people. Deuteronomy classes these practices among the things the LORD detests and names them as part of the reason for the nations' expulsion (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Isaiah rebukes a people who consult the dead instead of their God (Isaiah 8:19), and the Chronicler names Saul's recourse to a medium among the reasons for his death (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).
- Leviticus 19:26 (BSB)“You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.”Divination and sorcery are forbidden.
- Leviticus 19:31 (BSB)“You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”Turning to mediums or spiritists defiles those who seek them.
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (BSB)“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.”These practices are detestable to the LORD and part of why He was expelling the nations.
- Isaiah 8:19 (BSB)“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”God's people should seek their God rather than consult the dead.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (BSB)“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”Saul died for his unfaithfulness, including consulting a medium instead of inquiring of the LORD.
General
According to 19:28, for whom were the forbidden cuts in the body made?
Answer: For the dead
Verses 27-28 forbid shaving the sides of the head, trimming the edges of the beard, cutting the body for the dead, and tattoo marks. In context these practices were tied to mourning and to the religious customs of Israel's neighbors. Deuteronomy explains why Israel was not to do them: they were the LORD's children and a people set apart as holy to Him, so they must not cut themselves or shave their foreheads for the dead (Deuteronomy 14:1-2). Jeremiah mentions cutting oneself and shaving the head as ways people mourned (Jeremiah 16:6), and the prophets of Baal cut themselves as part of their worship (1 Kings 18:28). God's people were to grieve as those who belonged to Him. For Christians, Paul says believers grieve, but not like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
- Leviticus 19:27-28 (BSB)“You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.”Shaving the sides of the head, trimming the beard's edges, cutting the body for the dead, and tattoo marks are forbidden.
- Deuteronomy 14:1-2 (BSB)“You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead, for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.”Israel was not to cut themselves or shave their foreheads for the dead, because they belonged to the LORD.
- Jeremiah 16:6 (BSB)““Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them.”Cutting oneself and shaving the head were common signs of mourning for the dead.
- 1 Kings 18:28 (BSB)“So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.”The prophets of Baal cut themselves as their custom, showing such cutting in pagan worship.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (BSB)“Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.”Believers grieve, but not like those who have no hope.
Theological
In connection with what does 19:28 prohibit cutting the body?
Answer: Mourning for the dead
Leviticus 19:27-28 prohibits trimming the hair of the temples and beard in certain ways, gashing the body for the dead, and tattoo marks, practices associated with mourning rites and the cults of the surrounding peoples. Deuteronomy supplies the rationale: Israel, as the LORD's children and a people consecrated to Him, was not to disfigure itself for the dead (Deuteronomy 14:1-2). Jeremiah reflects the custom of cutting and shaving in mourning (Jeremiah 16:6), and the prophets of Baal show ritual self-laceration in pagan worship (1 Kings 18:28). The covenant people were to mourn as those belonging to the living God; the church likewise grieves, but with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
- Leviticus 19:27-28 (BSB)“You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.”Shaving the sides of the head, trimming the beard's edges, cutting the body for the dead, and tattoo marks are forbidden.
- Deuteronomy 14:1-2 (BSB)“You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead, for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.”Israel was not to cut themselves or shave their foreheads for the dead, because they belonged to the LORD.
- Jeremiah 16:6 (BSB)““Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them.”Cutting oneself and shaving the head were common signs of mourning for the dead.
- 1 Kings 18:28 (BSB)“So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.”The prophets of Baal cut themselves as their custom, showing such cutting in pagan worship.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (BSB)“Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.”Believers grieve, but not like those who have no hope.
General
True or False: Leviticus 19:15 permits judges to favor the poor in court because they are weak.
Answer: False
This is false. Verse 15 forbids favoring the poor just as firmly as it forbids favoring the rich; a judge must decide his neighbor's case fairly. God cares deeply for the poor, as this very chapter shows (19:9-10, 13), but in court the right verdict is the one that fits the facts, not the one that fits a person's wealth or poverty. Exodus 23:3 says the same about a poor man's lawsuit, and Deuteronomy 1:17 tells judges to listen equally to the lowly and the powerful, because the judgment is God's. James applies this to the church: favoritism is sin (James 2:1, 9).
- Leviticus 19:15 (BSB)“You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”Judges must not pervert justice by favoring either the poor or the rich.
- Exodus 23:3 (BSB)“And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.”The Book of the Covenant likewise forbids favoring a poor man in his lawsuit.
- Deuteronomy 1:17 (BSB)“Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.””Judges must show no partiality and not be intimidated, because judgment belongs to God.
- James 2:1 (BSB)“My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.”James forbids favoritism among those who hold faith in Christ.
- James 2:9 (BSB)“But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”Showing favoritism is sin, exposed as such by the law.
Theological
True or False: Leviticus 19:15 permits partiality toward the poor in judicial proceedings.
Answer: False
This is false. Verse 15 forbids partiality in both directions, toward the poor as well as toward the rich, and requires righteous judgment of one's neighbor. The LORD's compassion for the poor pervades the chapter (19:9-10, 13), but justice in court must not be bent by sympathy any more than by influence. Exodus 23:3 makes the same point, and Deuteronomy 1:17 grounds judicial impartiality in the fact that the judgment is God's. James brings the principle into the church: favoritism is sin and a transgression of the law (James 2:1, 9).
- Leviticus 19:15 (BSB)“You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”Judges must not pervert justice by favoring either the poor or the rich.
- Exodus 23:3 (BSB)“And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.”The Book of the Covenant likewise forbids favoring a poor man in his lawsuit.
- Deuteronomy 1:17 (BSB)“Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.””Judges must show no partiality and not be intimidated, because judgment belongs to God.
- James 2:1 (BSB)“My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.”James forbids favoritism among those who hold faith in Christ.
- James 2:9 (BSB)“But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”Showing favoritism is sin, exposed as such by the law.
General
Alongside the command to love one's neighbor, what does 19:18 forbid?
Answer: Seeking revenge or holding a grudge
Verse 18 first forbids two things: taking revenge and nursing a grudge against a fellow Israelite. Only then does it give the positive command to love one's neighbor as oneself. Love does not settle scores. Proverbs says not to vow to repay evil but to wait for the LORD to save (Proverbs 20:22), and Paul tells believers not to avenge themselves but to leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:19). In 19:18 the neighbor is one of your own people, but Jesus shows that the command reaches further: in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the true neighbor is whoever acts in mercy, even across ethnic lines (Luke 10:33-37).
- Leviticus 19:18 (BSB)“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”Revenge and grudges are forbidden, followed by the command to love one's neighbor as oneself.
- Proverbs 20:22 (BSB)“Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.”Instead of vowing revenge, a person is to wait on the LORD.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers not to avenge themselves but to leave vengeance to God.
- Luke 10:33-37 (BSB)“But a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.’ Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” “The one who showed him mercy,” replied the expert in the law. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.””In Jesus' parable a Samaritan proves to be the neighbor by showing mercy, so neighbor-love crosses ethnic lines.
Theological
Which attitudes does 19:18 prohibit alongside its command of neighbor-love?
Answer: Vengeance and grudge-bearing
Leviticus 19:18 frames neighbor-love negatively before stating it positively: no vengeance and no nursed grudge against one's own people. The wisdom tradition counsels waiting on the LORD rather than repaying evil (Proverbs 20:22), and Paul forbids personal vengeance because vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:19). In its setting the neighbor is a fellow Israelite, but Jesus' answer to the lawyer in the parable of the Samaritan extends neighbor-love to whoever needs mercy, across ethnic boundaries (Luke 10:33-37).
- Leviticus 19:18 (BSB)“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”Revenge and grudges are forbidden, followed by the command to love one's neighbor as oneself.
- Proverbs 20:22 (BSB)“Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.”Instead of vowing revenge, a person is to wait on the LORD.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers not to avenge themselves but to leave vengeance to God.
- Luke 10:33-37 (BSB)“But a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.’ Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” “The one who showed him mercy,” replied the expert in the law. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.””In Jesus' parable a Samaritan proves to be the neighbor by showing mercy, so neighbor-love crosses ethnic lines.
General
Which two commands are joined together in 19:3?
Answer: Showing respect to both parents, and keeping God's Sabbaths
Right after the call to holiness, God names two basics of daily faithfulness: every Israelite must respect his parents and keep God's Sabbaths (19:3). Both echo the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8, 12). Here the mother is named first, the reverse of the order in Exodus 20:12, and both parents alike are owed respect. Proverbs likewise tells a son to listen to his father's instruction and not to abandon his mother's teaching (Proverbs 1:8). Paul repeats the command to honor parents for Christian children (Ephesians 6:2-3).
- Leviticus 19:3 (BSB)“Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.”Right after the call to holiness, God commands respect for parents and keeping His Sabbaths.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”The fifth commandment requires honoring father and mother.
- Exodus 20:8 (BSB)“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”The fourth commandment requires keeping the Sabbath day holy.
- Proverbs 1:8 (BSB)“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.”Wisdom literature likewise tells a son to heed both father and mother.
- Ephesians 6:2-3 (BSB)““Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.””Paul repeats the command to honor parents for Christian children.
Theological
Which two obligations does 19:3 place side by side?
Answer: Reverence for parents and keeping the Sabbaths
Leviticus 19:3 joins reverence for parents with Sabbath-keeping, the fifth and fourth commandments of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:12, 8), as the first concrete expressions of holiness. The mother is named first, reversing the order of Exodus 20:12, so that both parents stand equally as objects of reverence, as in Proverbs 1:8. Paul carries the command to honor parents into the new covenant household (Ephesians 6:2-3).
- Leviticus 19:3 (BSB)“Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.”Right after the call to holiness, God commands respect for parents and keeping His Sabbaths.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”The fifth commandment requires honoring father and mother.
- Exodus 20:8 (BSB)“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”The fourth commandment requires keeping the Sabbath day holy.
- Proverbs 1:8 (BSB)“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.”Wisdom literature likewise tells a son to heed both father and mother.
- Ephesians 6:2-3 (BSB)““Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.””Paul repeats the command to honor parents for Christian children.
General
According to 19:5-8, what was to happen to peace offering meat still left over two days after the sacrifice?
Answer: It was to be destroyed by burning
A peace offering was a sacrifice shared as a meal: the fat was burned for God, the priest received a portion, and the worshiper ate the rest. Verse 6 says the meat could be eaten the same day it was sacrificed or the day after, but whatever was still left by day three had to be burned. If anyone ate it on day three, the offering would not be accepted, and the eater would carry his guilt and be cut off, because he had treated what belonged to the LORD as common (19:7-8). The same rule appears in 7:16-18 for vow and freewill offerings, while a thanksgiving offering had to be finished the very day it was offered (7:15). Worship on God's terms was no small matter: holy things belonged to Him and had to be handled as He said.
- Leviticus 19:6-8 (BSB)“It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it, or on the next day; but what remains on the third day must be burned up. If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is tainted and will not be accepted. Whoever eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the LORD. That person must be cut off from his people.”Peace offering meat could be eaten on the day of sacrifice or the next day, but leftovers on the third day had to be burned.
- Leviticus 7:16-18 (BSB)“If, however, the sacrifice he offers is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, but the remainder may be eaten on the next day. But any meat of the sacrifice remaining until the third day must be burned up. If any of the meat from his peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who presented it; it shall be an abomination, and the one who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.”The same rule for vow and freewill peace offerings, with meat eaten on the third day not accepted.
- Leviticus 7:15 (BSB)“The meat of the sacrifice of his peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day he offers it; none of it may be left until morning.”The thanksgiving form of the peace offering was stricter still, eaten the same day.
Theological
What does 19:5-8 require concerning peace offering meat remaining two days after the sacrifice?
Answer: Destruction by fire
The peace offering was a communal sacrificial meal, and 19:5-8 sets its time limit: it could be eaten the same day it was sacrificed or the following day, but anything remaining by day three was to be burned. Eating it on day three rendered it unacceptable and profaned the LORD's holy portion, so the eater bore his iniquity and was to be cut off (19:7-8). The rule matches the regulation for vow and freewill offerings in 7:16-18, while the thanksgiving offering had to be eaten the same day (7:15). Access to holy things was governed by God's word, not by the worshiper's convenience.
- Leviticus 19:6-8 (BSB)“It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it, or on the next day; but what remains on the third day must be burned up. If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is tainted and will not be accepted. Whoever eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the LORD. That person must be cut off from his people.”Peace offering meat could be eaten on the day of sacrifice or the next day, but leftovers on the third day had to be burned.
- Leviticus 7:16-18 (BSB)“If, however, the sacrifice he offers is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, but the remainder may be eaten on the next day. But any meat of the sacrifice remaining until the third day must be burned up. If any of the meat from his peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who presented it; it shall be an abomination, and the one who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.”The same rule for vow and freewill peace offerings, with meat eaten on the third day not accepted.
- Leviticus 7:15 (BSB)“The meat of the sacrifice of his peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day he offers it; none of it may be left until morning.”The thanksgiving form of the peace offering was stricter still, eaten the same day.
General
According to 19:17, what should an Israelite do instead of hating his brother inwardly?
Answer: Correct him frankly so as not to share his guilt
Verse 17 goes beneath outward actions to the heart: an Israelite must not nurse hatred against his brother inwardly. Instead, if his neighbor has done wrong, he should speak to him honestly and directly, so that he does not become guilty himself by his silence (19:17). Hidden resentment is the opposite of love, and loving correction is one of love's forms. Proverbs prizes honest correction over affection kept hidden (Proverbs 27:5-6). Jesus teaches the same: when a brother wrongs you, go and speak with him alone (Matthew 18:15), and Paul says such correction should be done gently, remembering our own weakness (Galatians 6:1).
- Leviticus 19:17 (BSB)“You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.”An Israelite must not harbor hatred inwardly but should rebuke his neighbor directly.
- Proverbs 27:5-6 (BSB)“Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed. The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”Open correction from a friend is better than concealed love.
- Matthew 18:15 (BSB)“If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”Jesus teaches going privately to a brother who has sinned.
- Galatians 6:1 (BSB)“Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”Paul says correction must be gentle and humble.
Theological
What alternative to inward hatred does 19:17 prescribe?
Answer: Frank rebuke, so as not to share his guilt
Verse 17 addresses the heart: hatred cherished inwardly is forbidden, and in its place stands direct, honest rebuke, so that one does not incur guilt through complicit silence. Concealed resentment is contrary to love, while faithful correction is an expression of it (Proverbs 27:5-6). Jesus prescribes private confrontation of a brother who sins (Matthew 18:15), and Paul requires that restoration be pursued in gentleness and self-watchfulness (Galatians 6:1).
- Leviticus 19:17 (BSB)“You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.”An Israelite must not harbor hatred inwardly but should rebuke his neighbor directly.
- Proverbs 27:5-6 (BSB)“Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed. The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”Open correction from a friend is better than concealed love.
- Matthew 18:15 (BSB)“If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”Jesus teaches going privately to a brother who has sinned.
- Galatians 6:1 (BSB)“Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”Paul says correction must be gentle and humble.
General
In the case of 19:20-22, why were the man and the slave woman not put to death?
Answer: Because she was still a slave, not yet set free
This case involves a slave woman who was pledged to someone else but had not been bought back or freed. A man who slept with her was to face a penalty, but not death, because she was not yet free (19:20). The contrast is with Deuteronomy 22:23-24, where a man who slept with an engaged young woman in a town was executed together with her. Her status changed the legal case, but the sin was still real: the man had to bring a ram as a guilt offering (a sacrifice for a wrong done), and the priest made atonement for him, covering his sin, so that he was forgiven (19:21-22; compare 6:6-7). Such sacrifices pointed ahead to Christ, whose once-for-all offering truly makes His people holy (Hebrews 10:10).
- Leviticus 19:20-22 (BSB)“If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting as his guilt offering to the LORD. The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.”A man who slept with a slave woman pledged to another man faced a penalty short of death and had to bring a guilt offering.
- Deuteronomy 22:23-24 (BSB)“If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her, you must take both of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death—the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. So you must purge the evil from among you.”By contrast, when a man slept with a virgin pledged in marriage in the city, both were to be stoned.
- Leviticus 6:6-7 (BSB)“Then he must bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for anything he may have done to incur guilt.””The guilt offering was a ram through which the priest made atonement so the offender was forgiven.
- Hebrews 10:10 (BSB)“And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”The sacrifices of the law pointed to Christ, whose body was offered once for all to sanctify His people.
Theological
Why does 19:20 exempt the parties from the death penalty?
Answer: The woman had not yet been freed
Leviticus 19:20-22 treats a case involving a slave woman pledged to someone else and not yet redeemed or freed. Because she was not free, the capital sanction that could apply in the case of a betrothed free woman (Deuteronomy 22:23-24) did not apply; there was to be a penalty short of death. Yet the man's sin required expiation: he brought a ram as a guilt offering, the priest made atonement, and he was forgiven (19:21-22; compare 6:6-7). The guilt offering foreshadows the once-for-all offering of Christ's body, by which His people are sanctified (Hebrews 10:10).
- Leviticus 19:20-22 (BSB)“If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting as his guilt offering to the LORD. The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.”A man who slept with a slave woman pledged to another man faced a penalty short of death and had to bring a guilt offering.
- Deuteronomy 22:23-24 (BSB)“If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her, you must take both of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death—the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. So you must purge the evil from among you.”By contrast, when a man slept with a virgin pledged in marriage in the city, both were to be stoned.
- Leviticus 6:6-7 (BSB)“Then he must bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for anything he may have done to incur guilt.””The guilt offering was a ram through which the priest made atonement so the offender was forgiven.
- Hebrews 10:10 (BSB)“And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”The sacrifices of the law pointed to Christ, whose body was offered once for all to sanctify His people.
General
What three kinds of mixing does 19:19 forbid?
Answer: Crossbred livestock, mixed seed in a field, and blended fabric
Verse 19 forbids three kinds of mixing: crossbreeding two sorts of animals, planting a field with mixed seed, and wearing clothing woven from two different materials. Deuteronomy 22:9-11 gives parallel laws, naming wool and linen as the forbidden blend. Leviticus itself connects Israel's many distinctions, such as separating clean creatures from unclean ones, to the fact that God had separated Israel from other peoples as His own possession (Leviticus 20:24-26). Various further reasons have been suggested; many see the separation of kinds as fitting that wider emphasis on distinction, a daily reminder that Israel was a people set apart. The New Testament describes such outward regulations as temporary, in force until the new order that came with Christ (Hebrews 9:10).
- Leviticus 19:19 (BSB)“You are to keep My statutes. You shall not crossbreed two different kinds of livestock; you shall not sow your fields with two kinds of seed; and you shall not wear clothing made of two kinds of material.”Three kinds of mixing are forbidden: in livestock, in seed, and in clothing.
- Deuteronomy 22:9-11 (BSB)“Do not plant your vineyard with two types of seed; if you do, the entire harvest will be defiled—both the crop you plant and the fruit of your vineyard. Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.”Parallel laws on mixed seed, mixed plow animals, and cloth of wool and linen together.
- Leviticus 20:24-26 (BSB)“But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples. You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”Leviticus ties its distinctions to God's setting Israel apart from the nations as His own.
- Hebrews 9:10 (BSB)“They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.”Such outward regulations were imposed until the time of reform brought by Christ.
Theological
Which three prohibitions of mixture does 19:19 contain?
Answer: Hybrid livestock, mixed sowing, and two-material garments
Leviticus 19:19 forbids three mixtures: hybrid breeding of livestock, mixed sowing of a field, and garments woven of two materials, with Deuteronomy 22:9-11 specifying wool and linen. Various rationales have been proposed, but Leviticus itself connects its system of distinctions to the LORD's having separated Israel from the peoples as His own (Leviticus 20:24-26), and many read the separation of kinds as a daily sign of Israel's consecration within that system. Such external regulations belong to the order the New Testament describes as temporary, in force until the new order brought by Christ (Hebrews 9:10).
- Leviticus 19:19 (BSB)“You are to keep My statutes. You shall not crossbreed two different kinds of livestock; you shall not sow your fields with two kinds of seed; and you shall not wear clothing made of two kinds of material.”Three kinds of mixing are forbidden: in livestock, in seed, and in clothing.
- Deuteronomy 22:9-11 (BSB)“Do not plant your vineyard with two types of seed; if you do, the entire harvest will be defiled—both the crop you plant and the fruit of your vineyard. Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.”Parallel laws on mixed seed, mixed plow animals, and cloth of wool and linen together.
- Leviticus 20:24-26 (BSB)“But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples. You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”Leviticus ties its distinctions to God's setting Israel apart from the nations as His own.
- Hebrews 9:10 (BSB)“They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.”Such outward regulations were imposed until the time of reform brought by Christ.
General
What does 19:13 say about paying a hired worker?
Answer: His pay must not be kept from him overnight
Verse 13 forbids defrauding or robbing a neighbor and gives a specific case: a hired worker's pay must not be kept overnight until the next morning. Day laborers often lived on each day's pay, so a delay could mean a hungry family. Deuteronomy explains that the worker is poor and relies on that day's pay, so he must be paid before sunset, or he might appeal to God against the one who cheated him (Deuteronomy 24:14-15). Jeremiah pronounces woe on the man who builds a palace on his countrymen's unpaid labor (Jeremiah 22:13), and James says that wages held back from workers cry out, and the Lord hears (James 5:4). How we treat those who work for us is part of our holiness before God.
- Leviticus 19:13 (BSB)“You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.”Defrauding or robbing a neighbor is forbidden, and a hired worker's wages must not be held overnight.
- Deuteronomy 24:14-15 (BSB)“Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”Deuteronomy requires paying the poor worker the same day, before sunset, because he relies on those wages.
- James 5:4 (BSB)“Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.”James says withheld wages cry out against the employer, and the Lord hears.
- Jeremiah 22:13 (BSB)““Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,”God pronounces woe on one who builds a palace on his countrymen's unpaid labor.
Theological
What specific application of the ban on fraud does 19:13 give?
Answer: A hired worker's wages may not be withheld overnight
Verse 13 prohibits fraud and robbery and applies the principle to the day laborer: his wages may not be kept overnight. Deuteronomy explains the urgency, since the poor worker relies on that day's pay and may appeal to God against the one who withholds it (Deuteronomy 24:14-15). Jeremiah pronounces woe on the palace-builder who exploits unpaid labor (Jeremiah 22:13), and James warns that withheld wages cry out and are heard by the Lord (James 5:4). Economic justice toward the vulnerable belongs to the holiness God requires.
- Leviticus 19:13 (BSB)“You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.”Defrauding or robbing a neighbor is forbidden, and a hired worker's wages must not be held overnight.
- Deuteronomy 24:14-15 (BSB)“Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”Deuteronomy requires paying the poor worker the same day, before sunset, because he relies on those wages.
- James 5:4 (BSB)“Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.”James says withheld wages cry out against the employer, and the Lord hears.
- Jeremiah 22:13 (BSB)““Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,”God pronounces woe on one who builds a palace on his countrymen's unpaid labor.