Charles Ellicott Commentary Leviticus 19

And the Lord spoke to Moses. —The prohibitions in the preceding chapter, designed to regulate moral conduct between relatives and close associates in their family circles, are now followed by precepts affecting every aspect of an Israelite’s life, both towards God and man.

Therefore, the authorities during the Second Temple period regarded it as “embodying the Decalogue”; for this reason, and also because it “contains the sum and substance of the precepts of the Law,” it was read in public. The precepts in this chapter are divided into sixteen groups, eight of which end with the emphatic reiteration, I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:2–4; Leviticus 19:10; Leviticus 19:25; Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 19:34; Leviticus 19:36), and eight with the shorter formula, I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:12; Leviticus 19:14; Leviticus 19:16; Leviticus 19:18; Leviticus 19:28; Leviticus 19:30; Leviticus 19:32; Leviticus 19:37).

Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel. — The importance that the Lawgiver Himself attaches to this epitome of the whole Law, as this section is called, may be seen from the fact that God commands Moses to address these precepts to all the congregation of the children of Israel—a phrase that occurs nowhere else in Leviticus in this formula, and that is only to be found once more in the whole Pentateuch (Exodus 12:3), at the institution of the Passover, the great national festival that commemorates the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt.

I the Lord your God. — Around this solemn declaration, which is repeated no less than sixteen times, both in its full and shorter form , cluster the different precepts of this section. It is this solemn formula that links together the various injunctions in the chapter before us. As the Lord who is their God is Himself holy, those who are His people must also be holy. Or, as a saying that was prevalent during the Second Temple period 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 contradict His holy nature, but also that your life should bear the impress and reflect the image of God. (Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15.)

You shall fear every man his mother, and his father. — The first means to attain the holiness that is to make the Israelite reflect the holiness of God is uniformly to reverence his parents. Thus, the group of precepts contained in this chapter opens with the fifth commandment in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:12), or, as the Apostle calls it, the first commandment with promise (Ephesians 6:2). During the second Temple, the spiritual authorities already called attention to the singular fact that this is one of the three instances in the Scriptures where, contrary to the usual practice, the mother is mentioned before the father; the other two being Genesis 44:20 and Leviticus 21:2. As children ordinarily fear the father and love the mother, for this reason, they say, precedence is given here to the mother to inculcate the duty of fearing them both alike.

The expression “fear,” however, they understand to include the following:

1. Not to stand or sit in the place set apart for the parents;
2. Not to carp at or oppose their statements;
3. Not to call them by their proper names, but either to call them father or mother, or my master, my lady.

While the expression “honour,” which is used in the parallel passage in Exodus 20:12, they understand to include:

1. To provide them with food and clothing;
2. To escort them.

The parents, they urge, are God’s representatives on earth; therefore, as God is both to be “honoured” with our substance (Proverbs 3:9), and as He is to be “feared” (Deuteronomy 6:13), so our parents are both to be “honoured” (Exodus 20:12) and “feared” (Leviticus 19:3); and as one who blasphemes the name of God is stoned (Leviticus 24:16), so one who curses his father or mother is stoned (Leviticus 20:9).

And keep my sabbaths. — Joined with this fifth commandment is the fourth of the Decalogue. The education of the children, which at the early stages of the Hebrew commonwealth devolved upon the parents, was more especially carried on by them on Sabbath days. In these leisure hours, when the Israelites were strictly forbidden to engage in any secular work, they found it a pleasant task and a welcome occupation to instruct their children in the many symbols, rites, and ceremonies that formed part of the service of the Sabbaths. Therefore, the observance of the day implied the instruction of the people in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and in acquiring the holiness that is the keynote of this chapter.

Therefore, also, the violation of the sanctity of the Sabbath is denounced as the greatest sin that the Israelites committed (Ezekiel 20:12; Ezekiel 22:8; Ezekiel 23:38, and others). It is probably for this reason that the administrators of the law during the second Temple say that the commandment about the Sabbath has here been selected to limit the duty of filial obedience. Its combination with the fifth commandment is to show that though children are admonished to obey their parents, yet if they should order the profanation of this holy day, the children must not obey. .

Turn ye not unto idols. — As the Lord is their God, and there is no other God besides Him, the Israelites must never turn their affections nor address prayers or inquiries to idols. This part of the verse therefore corresponds with the first commandment of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:3). The expression here rendered “idols,” which, apart from the Prophets and Hagiographa, only occurs once more , denotes non-entities — nothings, and it is in allusion to this meaning of the word that the Apostle remarks, We know that an idol is nothing in the world (1 Corinthians 8:4). According to the administrators of the law during the second Temple, the injunction here “turn not” means “face not,” and forbids even looking at or examining an idol.

Nor make yourselves molten gods. — This part of the verse corresponds with the second commandment in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:4–6), though the phrase “molten gods” only occurs once more where the same prohibition is enforced (Exodus 34:17).

And if you offer a sacrifice. — From Leviticus 17:3-7, it can be seen that the Israelites were in the habit of sacrificing to idols the animals intended for private consumption, and that this practice gave rise to the enactment that when any of the three kinds of quadrupeds were to be slaughtered for daily meat, they should first be devoted to God as peace offerings. Therefore, the transition here is from the prohibition of idolatrous worship to the peace offerings. The simple abstention from sacrificing to idols and offering them to God is not enough. If the Israelites bring a peace offering to the Lord, it must be offered in the prescribed manner.

You shall offer it at your own will. — Better, you shall offer it for your acceptance ; that is, you are to do it in such a manner as will secure for you Divine acceptance.