Ye shall be holy ... - These words express the keynote to the whole book of Leviticus, being addressed to the whole nation. There does not appear to be any systematic arrangement in the laws which follow. They were intended as guards to the sanctity of the elect people, enforcing common duties by immediate appeal to the highest authority. Compare Leviticus 18:24-30 note. read more
Leviticus 19:2. Ye shall be holy Separated from all the forementioned defilements, and entirely consecrated to God, and obedient to all his laws. I am holy Both in my essence, and in all my laws, which are holy, and just, and good. read more
Miscellaneous matters (19:1-37)Probably the miscellaneous laws collected here were decisions or warnings given by Moses in cases where there was some doubt about what was right or wrong. Often all that was needed was a reminder of existing laws; for example, those concerning respect for parents, Sabbath-keeping, worship of idols and eating of sacrificial food (19:1-8).When harvesting, farmers were always to leave something for the poor (9-10). Employers had to pay wages promptly, and judges had... read more
spake. See note on Leviticus 5:14 . read more
all the congregation, &c. Only here in Leviticus, and once more in the Pentateuch (Exodus 12:3 ). children. Hebrew sons. holy = set apart. See note on Exodus 3:5 . I the LORD, &C. There are fifteen groups in this body of laws (Leviticus 19:0 ), seven ending with the longer formula, "I am the LORD your God" (23, 4, 10, 25, 31, 34, 36), and eight with the shorter formula "I am the LORD" (12, 14, 16, 18, 28, 30, 32, 37) read more
This great chapter is the O.T. equivalent of the N.T. Sermon on the Mount, or the practical phase of living the holy life as outlined by Paul in the Romans 12. At no other place in the O.T. is there achieved so high a plane of morality as that which appears here, where Israel was commanded to "Love thy neighbor as thyself," and to include also the alien stranger in the same affection. Coleman wrote that, "it is one of the greatest chapters in the O.T., a Mosaic anticipation of the Sermon on the... read more
RELIGIOUS DUTIES (Leviticus 19:2b-10)"Ye shall be holy, for I Jehovah your God am holy. Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God."a. Be holy.b. Honor parents and sabbaths.The great admonition here is "Ye shall be holy!" This is actually the key sentence of the whole chapter and embraces all of the subsequent injunctions. It is indeed appropriate that the first specific order regards the fear (meaning reverence here)[8] of parents.... read more
2. 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... read more
Respect for parents and Sabbath observance (Leviticus 19:3) were the foundations for moral government and social wellbeing respectively. Compare the fourth and fifth commandments.Idolatry and image making (Leviticus 19:4) broke the first and second commandments. This verse recalls the golden calf incident (Exodus 32).Regarding the sacrifices, the main expression of worship, as holy (Leviticus 19:5-8), revealed true loyalty to God contrasted with the idolatry of Leviticus 19:4.The preceding... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 19:2
Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. The religious motive is put forward here, as in the previous chapter, as the foundation of all morality. It is God's will that we should be holy, and by being holy we. are like God, who is to be our model so far as is possible to the creature. So in the new dispensation, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" ( Matthew 5:48 ). "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of... read more