| Leviticus 19 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) "Tabernacle",Biblical illustrations, Sweet Media, 1984. | |
| Book | Book of Leviticus |
| Hebrew Bible part | Torah |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 3 |
| Category | Torah |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 3 |
Leviticus 19 is the nineteenth chapter of theBook of Leviticus in theHebrew Bible or theOld Testament of theChristianBible. It contains laws on a variety of topics, and is attributed by tradition toMoses.[1]
The original text of Leviticus 19, like the rest of Leviticus, was written inHebrew. Some of the more ancient Hebrew sources for this chapter, are theMasoretic Text,Dead Sea Scrolls, andSamaritan Pentateuch. There is also a Greek translation known as theSeptuagint, from the 3rd century BC. Since the introduction ofchapter divisions in the late medieval period, this chapter is divided into 37 verses.
The chapter begins with God giving Moses a message for the Israelites about the need to be holy, to respect parents, and to avoid idolatry (verses 1–4). Next are instructions for peace offerings (5–8), food aid for poor people and foreigners (9–10), and various instructions relating to ethical treatment of others (11–18) and agricultural practices (19). The chapter penalises adulterous relations between a free man and a married female slave (20–22), and restricts the use of fruit from young trees (23–25). The chapter closes with a variety of other regulations on several subjects (26–36) and a general instruction to obey all of God's commands (37).
The laws of Leviticus 19 are put in no obvious order, and as a result scholars tend to think that the chapter includes a collection of regulations from various sources.[1]
The practice of leaving a portion of crops in the field for poor people or foreigners to use, mentioned in verses 9 and 10, reappears inthe second chapter of theBook of Ruth.
Included in this chapter is theGolden Rule (verse 18), which states (Hebrew:ואהבת לרעך כמוך):
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Hillel the Elder (c. 110 BC – 10 AD)[2] used this verse as a most important message of theTorah for his teachings. Once, he was challenged by a gentile who asked to be converted under the condition that the Torah be explained to him while he stood on one foot. Hillel accepted him as a candidate forconversion to Judaism but, drawing onLeviticus 19:18, briefed the man:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.
InJudaism, the whole chapter is part of theweekly Torah portion (parashah)Kedoshim (קְדֹשִׁים) which comprises Leviticus 19:1–20:27.[3]
In addition, the chapter (or parts of it) is sometimes used as the Torah reading during theafternoon service onYom Kippur, particularly inReform Judaism,Reconstructionist Judaism, andConservative Judaism.[4][5][6] In that context, it is used as a substitute for the traditional reading, which is the previous chapter,Leviticus 18.[7]
This chapter contains statements that echo the contents of much of theTen Commandments (Decalogue).[8]
| Topic | Leviticus 19 | Exodus 20 |
|---|---|---|
| graven images | 19:4 | 20:3 |
| using God's name in vain | 19:12 | 20:7 |
| the sabbath | 19:3, 30 | 20:8–12 |
| honouring parents | 19:3 | 20:12 |
| murder | 19:16 | 20:13 |
| adultery | 19:29 | 20:14 |
| stealing | 19:11, 13 | 20:15 |
| lying | 19:11 | 20:16 |
However, the relationship is not obvious because the wording, much of the precise concept and the order of presentation are different.[8]