Leviticus 19: Love Your Neighbor
The heart of the Holiness Code unfolds practical holiness in daily life, summed up in the command to love your neighbor as yourself.
Leviticus 19 (WEB)
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.
3 “‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God.
4 “‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.
5 “‘When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.
6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day: and if anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire.
7 If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted;
8 but everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of Yahweh, and that soul shall be cut off from his people.
9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.
10 You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.
11 “‘You shall not steal. “‘You shall not lie. “‘You shall not deceive one another.
12 “‘You shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.
13 “‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. “‘The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.
14 “‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
15 “‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.
16 “‘You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people. “‘You shall not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am Yahweh.
17 “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
18 “‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.
19 “‘You shall keep my statutes. “‘You shall not cross-breed different kinds of animals. “‘You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; “‘neither shall there come upon you a garment made of two kinds of material.
20 “‘If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed, or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
21 He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, even a ram for a trespass offering.
22 The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before Yahweh for his sin which he has committed: and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.
23 “‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. Three years shall they be forbidden to you. It shall not be eaten.
24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, for giving praise to Yahweh.
25 In the fifth year you shall eat its fruit, that it may yield its increase to you. I am Yahweh your God.
26 “‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it; neither shall you use enchantments, nor practice sorcery.
27 “‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your heads, neither shall you clip off the edge of your beard.
28 “‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.
29 “‘Don’t profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness.
30 “‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am Yahweh.
31 “‘Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God.
32 “‘You shall rise up before the gray head, and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
33 “‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
34 The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.
35 “‘You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity.
36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 “‘You shall observe all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them. I am Yahweh.’”
Leviticus 19 (KJV)
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.
5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will.
6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.
7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.
8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the Lord: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.
11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.
13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.
15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord.
17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.
22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.
23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.
24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the Lord withal.
25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the Lord your God.
26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.
29 Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.
30 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.
32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.
33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.
36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19 (ASV)
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy.
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God.
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God.
5 And when ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, ye shall offer it that ye may be accepted.
6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if aught remain until the third day, it shall be burnt with fire.
7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it shall not be accepted:
8 but every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the holy thing of Jehovah: and that soul shall be cut off from his people.
9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather the fallen fruit of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am Jehovah your God.
11 Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another.
12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of thy God: I am Jehovah.
13 Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbor, nor rob him: the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind; but thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.
15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.
16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am Jehovah.
17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
18 Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am Jehovah.
19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed: neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.
20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to a husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; they shall be punished; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
21 And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto Jehovah, unto the door of the tent of meeting, even a ram for a trespass-offering.
22 And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass-offering before Jehovah for his sin which he hath sinned: and the sin which he hath sinned shall be forgiven him.
23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as their uncircumcision: three years shall they be as uncircumcised unto you; it shall not be eaten.
24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy, for giving praise unto Jehovah.
25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am Jehovah your God.
26 Ye shall not eat anything with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantments, nor practise augury.
27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am Jehovah.
29 Profane not thy daughter, to make her a harlot; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.
30 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am Jehovah.
31 Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek them not out, to be defiled by them: I am Jehovah your God.
32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.
33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not do him wrong.
34 The stranger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.
35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity.
36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 And ye shall observe all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them: I am Jehovah.
Summary
Yahweh tells Moses to speak to the whole congregation with a sweeping call: “You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.” What follows is a rich and varied collection of commands that bring holiness down into everyday life. The people are to honor parents, keep the Sabbath, reject idols, and offer sacrifices rightly. Holiness shows up in the field, where farmers must leave the corners and gleanings for the poor and the foreigner, and in the marketplace, where honest weights and measures are required. God forbids stealing, lying, deceiving, defrauding a worker of his wages, cursing the deaf, putting a stumbling block before the blind, perverting justice, slandering, and hating one's brother in the heart. At the center stands the command not to take vengeance or bear a grudge, but to love your neighbor as yourself. The chapter even extends love to the stranger, who is to be treated as native-born and loved as oneself, because Israel were once foreigners in Egypt. Through it all runs the refrain “I am Yahweh,” grounding ethics in God's character. Jesus himself drew this chapter's command into the great summary of the law. Here holiness is shown to be deeply practical, neighborly, and merciful.
Key Themes
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The holy God who calls his people to reflect his holiness in love, justice, and mercy toward their neighbors.
- The neighbor — The fellow Israelite—and even the stranger—whom God commands his people to love as themselves.
- The poor and the foreigner — Those on the margins whose dignity and provision God protects through gleaning laws and justice.
Key Verse
Leviticus 19:18 (WEB)
“‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.
Lessons Learned
- Holiness is not merely ritual purity but practical love expressed in everyday relationships and dealings.
- God's concern for justice reaches the poor, the worker, the disabled, and the foreigner.
- True holiness rejects vengeance and grudges, replacing them with active love for one's neighbor.
- Loving the stranger flows from remembering God's mercy—Israel themselves were once foreigners in Egypt.
- We are called to reflect God's holiness. “You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2, WEB) sets the pattern for everything that follows.
- Holiness cares for the poor. Farmers must leave the corners and gleanings “for the poor and for the foreigner” (Leviticus 19:9-10, WEB).
- Love your neighbor as yourself. Rather than vengeance or grudges, God commands, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18, WEB).
- Love extends to the outsider. The stranger is to be “as the native-born,” loved as oneself, for Israel were foreigners in Egypt (Leviticus 19:34, WEB).
- How does this chapter expand our idea of what holiness means in practice?
- What specific groups does God single out for protection, and what does that reveal about his heart?
- Why do you think God repeatedly seals these commands with “I am Yahweh”?
- Jesus called “love your neighbor as yourself” one of the greatest commandments. How does seeing it here, surrounded by everyday duties, shape how you obey it?
- Who is a neighbor or stranger God may be calling you to love more concretely right now? What is one practical step you could take?
- Holiness here is woven into ordinary life—farming, business, speech, justice, and relationships. It is not confined to the sanctuary but shows up in honest scales, fair wages, and refusing to slander. To be holy as God is holy is to love and act justly in the everyday.
- God names the poor, the foreigner, the hired worker, the deaf, the blind, and the elderly (19:9-14, 32-34). His protection of the vulnerable reveals a God who defends those without power and calls his people to do the same as a mark of holiness.
- The refrain grounds each command in God's own character and authority. These are not human conventions but the will of the LORD himself. Because he is holy and he is their God, his people's conduct must reflect him in every sphere.
- Seeing it framed by gleaning laws, honest weights, and care for the deaf and blind keeps the command from staying abstract. Loving your neighbor means concrete acts of justice and mercy. Jesus' summary doesn't replace these specifics; it gathers them up.
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage members to picture a specific person—perhaps someone overlooked or different from them—and one tangible act of love. Keep it gentle and hopeful, rooting the call in the love God has shown us first.