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Leviticus 11:44,45
For Iam the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for Iam holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth…

Leviticus 20:7,26
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for Iam the LORD your God…

Leviticus 21:8
Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you,am holy.

and tell them:
The directive to "tell them" underscores the role of Moses as a mediator between God and the people. This reflects the prophetic tradition where God's messages are delivered through chosen individuals. The act of speaking is significant in biblical tradition, as it is through the spoken word that God often reveals His will (Deuteronomy 18:18).

Be holy
The call to holiness is central to the identity of Israel as God's chosen people. Holiness in this context means being set apart for God's purposes, reflecting His character in their lives. This concept is foundational in the Torah and is reiterated in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:15-16). Holiness involves moral and ritual purity, distinguishing Israel from surrounding nations.

because I, the LORD your God,
This phrase establishes the authority and reason for the command. The use of "I, the LORD" (YHWH) invokes the covenant name of God, reminding Israel of their unique relationship with Him. The phrase "your God" personalizes this relationship, emphasizing that the command to be holy is rooted in their identity as God's people. This covenant relationship is a recurring theme in the Old Testament (Exodus 6:7).

am holy.
God's holiness is the ultimate standard for Israel's conduct. Unlike the gods of surrounding nations, the God of Israel is morally perfect and wholly other. This holiness is not just an abstract attribute but is demonstrated in God's actions and character. The call for Israel to be holy as God is holy is a call to imitate God's character, which is fully revealed in Jesus Christ in the New Testament (Hebrews 12:14). This phrase also points to the eschatological hope of a holy people in a restored creation.

• God’s opening command makes clear that His message is for every Israelite—men, women, children, leaders, servants (cf.Deuteronomy 31:12;Joshua 8:35).

• Holiness is never a private matter; the Lord calls an entire people to reflect His character together (1 Peter 2:9).

• By addressing “the whole congregation,” God affirms both the equality and shared responsibility of all His people (Numbers 15:15–16).

• Moses is instructed to pass on God’s exact words, underscoring the reliability of revelation (Exodus 34:27;Jeremiah 1:7).

• The command links proclamation with obedience—what God says must be communicated plainly so it can be lived out (Matthew 28:20;Acts 20:27).

• God’s Word is never intended to remain with the messenger; it is designed to transform the hearers (Isaiah 55:11).

• The Hebrew audience understood holiness as being set apart for God’s exclusive use (Exodus 19:6).

• Practical holiness touches every sphere of life—speech, relationships, business ethics, worship (cf. the rest ofLeviticus 19;2 Corinthians 7:1).

• New-covenant believers receive the same call: “Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

• Holiness is not optional or partial; it is the central identity marker of God’s people (Hebrews 12:14).

• The ultimate motivation for holiness is God’s own nature. His character sets the standard (Isaiah 6:3;Revelation 4:8).

• Relationship precedes requirement: “your God” highlights covenant grace before covenant demand (Exodus 20:2;Titus 2:11-14).

• God does not ask what He has not first modeled; His holiness is perfect, unchanging, and compelling (Malachi 3:6;James 1:17).

• By linking His name (YHWH) with holiness, He invites trust and obedience rooted in awe and love (Psalm 99:3;1 John 4:19).

Leviticus 19:2 calls every believer into a community-wide, word-centered pursuit of holiness that mirrors the very nature of God. Because the Lord is perfectly holy and personally our God, His people are to live distinct, obedient, and transformed lives that reflect His character in every arena.

I the Lord your God.--Around this solemn declaration, which is repeated no less than sixteen times, both in its full and shorter form (seeLeviticus 19:1), cluster the different precepts of this section. It is this solemn formula which links together the various injunctions in the chapter before us. As the Lord who is their God is Himself holy, they who are His people must also be holy, or as the saying which obtained during the second Temple expresses it, "the surroundings of the king must bear the moral impress of the sovereign;" or, in other words, your nearness to God not only demands. that your conduct should not be in contradiction to His holy nature, but that your life should bear the impress and reflect the image of God. (SeeLeviticus 11:44;Matthew 5:48;1Peter 1:15.) . . .