Albert Barnes Commentary Leviticus 19
Albert Barnes Commentary
Leviticus 19
Albert Barnes Commentary
Leviticus 19
"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." — Leviticus 19:2 (ASV)
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 the note on Leviticus 18:24-30.
"Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God." — Leviticus 19:3 (ASV)
Compare Exodus 20:8, Exodus 20:12, and Exodus 31:13-14. The two laws repeated here are the only laws in the Decalogue that assume a positive shape, all the others being introduced by the formula, Thou shalt not. These express two great central points, the first belonging to natural law and the second to positive law, in the maintenance of the well-being of the social body of which Yahweh was the acknowledged king.
"And when ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, ye shall offer it that ye may be accepted." — Leviticus 19:5 (ASV)
Rather, you are to offer it that you may be accepted.
"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. 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." — Leviticus 19:9-10 (ASV)
See Deuteronomy 24:19-21. “Grape” signifies fallen fruit of any kind; and “vineyard” a fruit garden of any kind. Compare Deuteronomy 23:24.
The poor is the poor Israelite; “the stranger” is properly the foreigner, who could possess no land of his own in the land of Israel.
"Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of thy God: I am Jehovah. 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." — Leviticus 19:11-13 (ASV)
(Leviticus 19:11) forbids injuries perpetrated by deceit; (Leviticus 19:13), those perpetrated by violence or power, the conversion of might into right. In Leviticus 19:13, “defraud” should rather be oppress.
Jump to: