1 וַיְדַבֵּרH1696 יְהוָהH3068 אֶלH413 מֹשֶׁהH4872 לֵּאמֹֽרH559
2 דַּבֵּרH1696 אֶלH413 כָּלH3605 עֲדַתH5712 בְּנֵיH1121 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 וְאָמַרְתָּH559 אֲלֵהֶםH413 קְדֹשִׁיםH6918 תִּהְיוּH1961 כִּיH3588 קָדוֹשׁH6918 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽםH430
3 אִישׁH376 אִמּוֹH517 וְאָבִיוH1 תִּירָאוּH3372 וְאֶתH853 שַׁבְּתֹתַיH7676 תִּשְׁמֹרוּH8104 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽםH430
4 אַלH408 תִּפְנוּH6437 אֶלH413 הָאֱלִילִיםH457 וֵֽאלֹהֵיH430 מַסֵּכָהH4541 לֹאH3808 תַעֲשׂוּH6213 לָכֶםH0 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽםH430
5 וְכִיH3588 תִזְבְּחוּH2076 זֶבַחH2077 שְׁלָמִיםH8002 לַיהוָהH3068 לִֽרְצֹנְכֶםH7522 תִּזְבָּחֻֽהוּH2076
6 בְּיוֹםH3117 זִבְחֲכֶםH2077 יֵאָכֵלH398 וּמִֽמָּחֳרָתH4283 וְהַנּוֹתָרH3498 עַדH5704 יוֹםH3117 הַשְּׁלִישִׁיH7992 בָּאֵשׁH784 יִשָּׂרֵֽףH8313
7 וְאִםH518 הֵאָכֹלH3605 יֵאָכֵלH398 בַּיּוֹםH3117 הַשְּׁלִישִׁיH7992 פִּגּוּלH6292 הוּאH1931 לֹאH3808 יֵרָצֶֽהH7521
8 וְאֹֽכְלָיוH398 עֲוֺנוֹH5771 יִשָּׂאH5375 כִּֽיH3588 אֶתH853 קֹדֶשׁH6944 יְהוָהH3068 חִלֵּלH2490 וְנִכְרְתָהH3772 הַנֶּפֶשׁH5315 הַהִואH1931 מֵעַמֶּֽיהָH5971
9 וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶםH7114 אֶתH853 קְצִירH7105 אַרְצְכֶםH776 לֹאH3808 תְכַלֶּהH3615 פְּאַתH6285 שָׂדְךָH7704 לִקְצֹרH7614 וְלֶקֶטH3951 קְצִֽירְךָH7105 לֹאH3808 תְלַקֵּֽטH3950
10 וְכַרְמְךָH3754 לֹאH3808 תְעוֹלֵלH5953 וּפֶרֶטH6528 כַּרְמְךָH3754 לֹאH3808 תְלַקֵּטH3950 לֶֽעָנִיH6041 וְלַגֵּרH1616 תַּעֲזֹבH5800 אֹתָםH853 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽםH430
11 לֹאH3808 תִּגְנֹבוּH1589 וְלֹאH3808 תְכַחֲשׁוּH3584 וְלֹֽאH3808 תְשַׁקְּרוּH8266 אִישׁH376 בַּעֲמִיתֽוֹH5997
12 וְלֹֽאH3808 תִשָּׁבְעוּH7650 בִשְׁמִיH8034 לַשָּׁקֶרH8267 וְחִלַּלְתָּH2490 אֶתH853 שֵׁםH8034 אֱלֹהֶיךָH430 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָֽהH3068
13 לֹֽאH3808 תַעֲשֹׁקH6231 אֶתH853 רֵֽעֲךָH7453 וְלֹאH3808 תִגְזֹלH1497 לֹֽאH3808 תָלִיןH3885 פְּעֻלַּתH6468 שָׂכִירH7916 אִתְּךָH854 עַדH5704 בֹּֽקֶרH1242
14 לֹאH3808 תְקַלֵּלH7043 חֵרֵשׁH2795 וְלִפְנֵיH6440 עִוֵּרH5787 לֹאH3808 תִתֵּןH5414 מִכְשֹׁלH4383 וְיָרֵאתָH3372 מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָH430 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָֽהH3068
15 לֹאH3808 תַעֲשׂוּH6213 עָוֶלH5766 בַּמִּשְׁפָּטH4941 לֹאH3808 תִשָּׂאH5375 פְנֵיH6440 דָלH1800 וְלֹאH3808 תֶהְדַּרH1921 פְּנֵיH6440 גָדוֹלH1419 בְּצֶדֶקH6664 תִּשְׁפֹּטH8199 עֲמִיתֶֽךָH5997
16 לֹאH3808 תֵלֵךְH1980 רָכִילH7400 בְּעַמֶּיךָH5971 לֹאH3808 תַעֲמֹדH5975 עַלH5921 דַּםH1818 רֵעֶךָH7453 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָֽהH3068
17 לֹֽאH3808 תִשְׂנָאH8130 אֶתH853 אָחִיךָH251 בִּלְבָבֶךָH3824 הוֹכֵחַH3198 תּוֹכִיחַH3198 אֶתH853 עֲמִיתֶךָH5997 וְלֹאH3808 תִשָּׂאH5375 עָלָיוH5921 חֵֽטְאH2399
18 לֹֽאH3808 תִקֹּםH5358 וְלֹֽאH3808 תִטֹּרH5201 אֶתH853 בְּנֵיH1121 עַמֶּךָH5971 וְאָֽהַבְתָּH157 לְרֵעֲךָH7453 כָּמוֹךָH3644 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָֽהH3068
19 אֶֽתH853 חֻקֹּתַיH2708 תִּשְׁמֹרוּH8104 בְּהֶמְתְּךָH929 לֹאH3808 תַרְבִּיעַH7250 כִּלְאַיִםH3610 שָׂדְךָH7704 לֹאH3808 תִזְרַעH2232 כִּלְאָיִםH3610 וּבֶגֶדH899 כִּלְאַיִםH3610 שַֽׁעַטְנֵזH8162 לֹאH3808 יַעֲלֶהH5927 עָלֶֽיךָH5921
20 וְאִישׁH376 כִּֽיH3588 יִשְׁכַּבH7901 אֶתH854 אִשָּׁהH802 שִׁכְבַתH7902 זֶרַעH2233 וְהִואH1931 שִׁפְחָהH8198 נֶחֱרֶפֶתH2778 לְאִישׁH376 וְהָפְדֵּהH6299 לֹאH3808 נִפְדָּתָהH6299 אוֹH176 חֻפְשָׁהH2668 לֹאH3808 נִתַּןH5414 לָהּH0 בִּקֹּרֶתH1244 תִּהְיֶהH1961 לֹאH3808 יוּמְתוּH4191 כִּיH3588 לֹאH3808 חֻפָּֽשָׁהH2666
21 וְהֵבִיאH935 אֶתH853 אֲשָׁמוֹH817 לַֽיהוָהH3068 אֶלH413 פֶּתַחH6607 אֹהֶלH168 מוֹעֵדH4150 אֵילH352 אָשָֽׁםH817
22 וְכִפֶּרH3722 עָלָיוH5921 הַכֹּהֵןH3548 בְּאֵילH352 הָֽאָשָׁםH817 לִפְנֵיH6440 יְהוָהH3068 עַלH5921 חַטָּאתוֹH2403 אֲשֶׁרH834 חָטָאH2398 וְנִסְלַחH5545 לוֹH0 מֵחַטָּאתוֹH2403 אֲשֶׁרH834 חָטָֽאH2398
23 וְכִיH3588 תָבֹאוּH935 אֶלH413 הָאָרֶץH776 וּנְטַעְתֶּםH5193 כָּלH3605 עֵץH6086 מַאֲכָלH3978 וַעֲרַלְתֶּםH6188 עָרְלָתוֹH6190 אֶתH853 פִּרְיוֹH6529 שָׁלֹשׁH7969 שָׁנִיםH8141 יִהְיֶהH1961 לָכֶםH0 עֲרֵלִיםH6189 לֹאH3808 יֵאָכֵֽלH398
24 וּבַשָּׁנָהH8141 הָרְבִיעִתH7243 יִהְיֶהH1961 כָּלH3605 פִּרְיוֹH6529 קֹדֶשׁH6944 הִלּוּלִיםH1974 לַיהוָֽהH3068
25 וּבַשָּׁנָהH8141 הַחֲמִישִׁתH2549 תֹּֽאכְלוּH398 אֶתH853 פִּרְיוֹH6529 לְהוֹסִיףH3254 לָכֶםH0 תְּבוּאָתוֹH8393 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽםH430
26 לֹאH3808 תֹאכְלוּH398 עַלH5921 הַדָּםH1818 לֹאH3808 תְנַחֲשׁוּH5172 וְלֹאH3808 תְעוֹנֵֽנוּH6049
27 לֹאH3808 תַקִּפוּH5362 פְּאַתH6285 רֹאשְׁכֶםH7218 וְלֹאH3808 תַשְׁחִיתH7843 אֵתH853 פְּאַתH6285 זְקָנֶֽךָH2206
28 וְשֶׂרֶטH8296 לָנֶפֶשׁH5315 לֹאH3808 תִתְּנוּH5414 בִּבְשַׂרְכֶםH1320 וּכְתֹבֶתH3793 קַֽעֲקַעH7085 לֹאH3808 תִתְּנוּH5414 בָּכֶםH0 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָֽהH3068
29 אַלH408 תְּחַלֵּלH2490 אֶֽתH853 בִּתְּךָH1323 לְהַזְנוֹתָהּH2181 וְלֹאH3808 תִזְנֶהH2181 הָאָרֶץH776 וּמָלְאָהH4390 הָאָרֶץH776 זִמָּֽהH2154
30 אֶתH853 שַׁבְּתֹתַיH7676 תִּשְׁמֹרוּH8104 וּמִקְדָּשִׁיH4720 תִּירָאוּH3372 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָֽהH3068
31 אַלH408 תִּפְנוּH6437 אֶלH413 הָאֹבֹתH178 וְאֶלH413 הַיִּדְּעֹנִיםH3049 אַלH408 תְּבַקְשׁוּH1245 לְטָמְאָהH2930 בָהֶםH0 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽםH430
32 מִפְּנֵיH6440 שֵׂיבָהH7872 תָּקוּםH6965 וְהָדַרְתָּH1921 פְּנֵיH6440 זָקֵןH2205 וְיָרֵאתָH3372 מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָH430 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָֽהH3068
33 וְכִֽיH3588 יָגוּרH1481 אִתְּךָH854 גֵּרH1616 בְּאַרְצְכֶםH776 לֹאH3808 תוֹנוּH3238 אֹתֽוֹH853
34 כְּאֶזְרָחH249 מִכֶּםH4480 יִהְיֶהH1961 לָכֶםH0 הַגֵּרH1616 הַגָּרH1481 אִתְּכֶםH854 וְאָהַבְתָּH157 לוֹH0 כָּמוֹךָH3644 כִּֽיH3588 גֵרִיםH1616 הֱיִיתֶםH1961 בְּאֶרֶץH776 מִצְרָיִםH4714 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽםH430
35 לֹאH3808 תַעֲשׂוּH6213 עָוֶלH5766 בַּמִּשְׁפָּטH4941 בַּמִּדָּהH4060 בַּמִּשְׁקָלH4948 וּבַמְּשׂוּרָֽהH4884
36 מֹאזְנֵיH3976 צֶדֶקH6664 אַבְנֵיH68 צֶדֶקH6664 אֵיפַתH374 צֶדֶקH6664 וְהִיןH1969 צֶדֶקH6664 יִהְיֶהH1961 לָכֶםH0 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶםH430 אֲשֶׁרH834 הוֹצֵאתִיH3318 אֶתְכֶםH853 מֵאֶרֶץH776 מִצְרָֽיִםH4714
37 וּשְׁמַרְתֶּםH8104 אֶתH853 כָּלH3605 חֻקֹּתַיH2708 וְאֶתH853 כָּלH3605 מִשְׁפָּטַיH4941 וַעֲשִׂיתֶםH6213 אֹתָםH853 אֲנִיH589 יְהוָֽהH3068
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 A REPETITION OF SUNDRY LAWS. (Lev. 19:1-37)
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel--Many of the laws enumerated in this chapter had been previously announced. As they were, however, of a general application, not suited to particular classes, but to the nation at large, so Moses seems, according to divine instructions, to have rehearsed them, perhaps on different occasions and to successive divisions of the people, till "all the congregation of the children of Israel" were taught to know them. The will of God in the Old as well as the New Testament Church was not locked up in the repositories of an unknown tongue, but communicated plainly and openly to the people.
Ye shall be holy: for I . . . am holy--Separated from the world, the people of God were required to be holy, for His character, His laws, and service were holy. (See
1Pet 1:15).
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths--The duty of obedience to parents is placed in connection with the proper observance of the Sabbaths, both of them lying at the foundation of practical religion.
5 if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will--Those which included thank offerings, or offerings made for vows, were always freewill offerings. Except the portions which, being waved and heaved, became the property of the priests (see Lev. 3:1-17), the rest of the victim was eaten by the offerer and his friend, under the following regulations, however, that, if thank offerings, they were to be eaten on the day of their presentation; and if a freewill offering, although it might be eaten on the second day, yet if any remained of it till the third day, it was to be burnt, or deep criminality was incurred by the person who then ventured to partake of it. The reason of this strict prohibition seems to have been to prevent any mysterious virtue being superstitiously attached to meat offered on the altar.
9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field--The right of the poor in Israel to glean after reapers, as well as to the unreaped corners of the field, was secured by a positive statute; and this, in addition to other enactments connected with the ceremonial law, formed a beneficial provision for their support. At the same time, proprietors were not obliged to admit them into the field until the grain had been carried off the field; and they seem also to have been left at liberty to choose the poor whom they deemed the most deserving or needful (
Ruth 2:2,
Ruth 2:8). This was the earliest law for the benefit of the poor that we read of in the code of any people; and it combined in admirable union the obligation of a public duty with the exercise of private and voluntary benevolence at a time when the hearts of the rich would be strongly inclined to liberality.
11 Ye shall not steal--A variety of social duties are inculcated in this passage, chiefly in reference to common and little-thought-of vices to which mankind are exceedingly prone; such as committing petty frauds, or not scrupling to violate truth in transactions of business, ridiculing bodily infirmities, or circulating stories to the prejudice of others. In opposition to these bad habits, a spirit of humanity and brotherly kindness is strongly enforced.
17 thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour--Instead of cherishing latent feelings of malice or meditating purposes of revenge against a person who has committed an insult or injury against them, God's people were taught to remonstrate with the offender and endeavor, by calm and kindly reason, to bring him to a sense of his fault.
not suffer sin upon him--literally, "that ye may not participate in his sin."
18 thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself--The word "neighbour" is used as synonymous with "fellow creature." The Israelites in a later age restricted its meaning as applicable only to their own countrymen. This narrow interpretation was refuted by our Lord in a beautiful parable (
Luke 10:30-
Luke 10:37).
19 Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind--This prohibition was probably intended to discourage a practice which seemed to infringe upon the economy which God has established in the animal kingdom.
thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed--This also was directed against an idolatrous practice, namely, that of the ancient Zabians, or fire-worshippers, who sowed different seeds, accompanying the act with magical rites and invocations; and commentators have generally thought the design of this and the preceding law was to put an end to the unnatural lusts and foolish superstitions which were prevalent among the heathen. But the reason of the prohibition was probably deeper: for those who have studied the diseases of land and vegetables tell us, that the practice of mingling seeds is injurious both to flowers and to grains. "If the various genera of the natural order Gramineć, which includes the grains and the grasses, should be sown in the same field, and flower at the same time, so that the pollen of the two flowers mix, a spurious seed will be the consequence, called by the farmers chess. It is always inferior and unlike either of the two grains that produced it, in size, flavor, and nutritious principles. Independently of contributing to disease the soil, they never fail to produce the same in animals and men that feed on them" [WHITLAW].
neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee--Although this precept, like the other two with which it is associated, was in all probability designed to root out some superstition, it seems to have had a further meaning. The law, it is to be observed, did not prohibit the Israelites wearing many different kinds of cloths together, but only the two specified; and the observations and researches of modern science have proved that "wool, when combined with linen, increases its power of passing off the electricity from the body. In hot climates, it brings on malignant fevers and exhausts the strength; and when passing off from the body, it meets with the heated air, inflames and excoriates like a blister" [WHITLAW]. (See
Ezek 44:17-
Ezek 44:18).
23 ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised; three years . . . it shall not be eaten of--"The wisdom of this law is very striking. Every gardener will teach us not to let fruit trees bear in their earliest years, but to pluck off the blossoms: and for this reason, that they will thus thrive the better, and bear more abundantly afterwards. The very expression, 'to regard them as uncircumcised,' suggests the propriety of pinching them off; I do not say cutting them off, because it is generally the hand, and not a knife, that is employed in this operation" [MICHAELIS].
26 shall not eat any thing with the blood--(See on
Lev 17:10).
neither . . . use enchantment, nor observe times--The former refers to divination by serpents--one of the earliest forms of enchantment, and the other means the observation, literally, of clouds, as a study of the appearance and motion of clouds was a common way of foretelling good or bad fortune. Such absurd but deep-rooted superstitions often put a stop to the prosecution of serious and important transactions, but they were forbidden especially as implying a want of faith in the being, or of reliance on the providence of God.
27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, &c.--It seems probable that this fashion had been learned by the Israelites in Egypt, for the ancient Egyptians had their dark locks cropped short or shaved with great nicety, so that what remained on the crown appeared in the form of a circle surrounding the head, while the beard was dressed into a square form. This kind of coiffure had a highly idolatrous meaning; and it was adopted, with some slight variations, by almost all idolaters in ancient times. (
Jer 9:25-
Jer 9:26;
Jer 25:23, where "in the utmost corners" means having the corners of their hair cut.) Frequently a lock or tuft of hair was left on the hinder part of the head, the rest being cut round in the form of a ring, as the Turks, Chinese, and Hindus do at the present day.
neither shalt thou mar, &c.--The Egyptians used to cut or shave off their whiskers, as may be seen in the coffins of mummies, and the representations of divinities on the monuments. But the Hebrews, in order to separate them from the neighboring nations, or perhaps to put a stop to some existing superstition, were forbidden to imitate this practice. It may appear surprising that Moses should condescend to such minutić as that of regulating the fashion of the hair and the beard--matters which do not usually occupy the attention of a legislator--and which appear widely remote from the province either of government or of a religion. A strong presumption, therefore, arises that he had in mind by these regulations to combat some superstitious practices of the Egyptians.
28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead--The practice of making deep gashes on the face and arms and legs, in time of bereavement, was universal among the heathen, and it was deemed a becoming mark of respect for the dead, as well as a sort of propitiatory offering to the deities who presided over death and the grave. The Jews learned this custom in Egypt, and though weaned from it, relapsed in a later and degenerate age into this old superstition (
Isa 15:2;
Jer 16:6;
Jer 41:5).
nor print any marks upon you--by tattooing, imprinting figures of flowers, leaves, stars, and other fanciful devices on various parts of their person. The impression was made sometimes by means of a hot iron, sometimes by ink or paint, as is done by the Arab females of the present day and the different castes of the Hindus. It is probable that a strong propensity to adopt such marks in honor of some idol gave occasion to the prohibition in this verse; and they were wisely forbidden, for they were signs of apostasy; and, when once made, they were insuperable obstacles to a return. (See allusions to the practice,
Isa 44:5;
Rev 13:17;
Rev 14:1).
30 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary--This precept is frequently repeated along with the prohibition of idolatrous practices, and here it stands closely connected with the superstitions forbidden in the previous verses.
31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits--The Hebrew word, rendered "familiar spirit," signifies the belly, and sometimes a leathern bottle, from its similarity to the belly. It was applied in the sense of this passage to ventriloquists, who pretended to have communication with the invisible world. The Hebrews were strictly forbidden to consult them as the vain but high pretensions of those impostors were derogatory to the honor of God and subversive of their covenant relations with Him as His people.
neither seek after wizards--fortunetellers, who pretended, as the Hebrew word indicates, to prognosticate by palmistry (or an inspection of the lines of the hand) the future fate of those who applied to them.
33 if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him--The Israelites were to hold out encouragement to strangers to settle among them, that they might be brought to the knowledge and worship of the true God; and with this in view, they were enjoined to treat them not as aliens, but as friends, on the ground that they themselves, who were strangers in Egypt, were at first kindly and hospitably received in that country.
37 I am the Lord--This solemn admonition, by which these various precepts are repeatedly sanctioned, is equivalent to "I, your Creator--your Deliverer from bondage, and your Sovereign, who have wisdom to establish laws, have power also to punish the violation of them." It was well fitted to impress the minds of the Israelites with a sense of their duty and God's claims to obedience.