The big picture
Leviticus 19 opens in verse 1 with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”, reaches its middle movement near verse 19 with “Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind…”, and closes in verse 37 with “Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, land, neighbour, just, corners. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Leviticus · King James Version · 37Leviticus 19:1-8
1–8: The LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Leviticus 19:1–8 opens with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” and reaches “Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Gleaning left for the poor, fair judgment at the gate, honest measures, care for the elderly, and love of neighbor, with particular weight carried by LORD, offer, eaten.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 19:1-8
King James Version1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak 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.
3Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
4Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
5And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD , ye shall offer it at your own will.
6It 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.
7And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.
8Therefore 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.
Leviticus 19:9-16
9–16: When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the…
Leviticus 19:9–16 opens with “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field…” and reaches “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Gleaning left for the poor, fair judgment at the gate, honest measures, care for the elderly, and love of neighbor, with particular weight carried by LORD, neighbour, falsely.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou…” The line’s distinctive content terms include harvest, reap, corners. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.
“Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 19:9-16
King James Version9And 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.
10And 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.
11Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
12And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD .
13Thou 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.
14Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD .
15Ye 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.
16Thou 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 .
Leviticus 19:17-24
17–24: Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise…
Leviticus 19:17–24 opens with “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and…” and reaches “But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Gleaning left for the poor, fair judgment at the gate, honest measures, care for the elderly, and love of neighbor, with particular weight carried by LORD, offering, trespass.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon…” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD , unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 19:17-24
King James Version17Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
18Thou 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 .
19Ye 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.
20And 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.
21And 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.
22And 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.
23And 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.
24But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal.
Leviticus 19:25-32
25–32: In the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield…
Leviticus 19:25–32 opens with “And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase…” and reaches “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Gleaning left for the poor, fair judgment at the gate, honest measures, care for the elderly, and love of neighbor, with particular weight carried by LORD, corners, land.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 19:25-32
King James Version25And 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.
26Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
27Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
28Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD .
29Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.
30Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD .
31Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
32Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD .
Leviticus 19:33-37
33–37: If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
Leviticus 19:33–37 opens with “And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.” and reaches “Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD .” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Gleaning left for the poor, fair judgment at the gate, honest measures, care for the elderly, and love of neighbor, with particular weight carried by just, land, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 19:33-37
King James Version33And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
34But 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.
35Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.
36Just 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.
37Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD .
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Leviticus 19:1 begins with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”
Where the chapter turns
Leviticus 19:24 forms a natural hinge: “But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal.”
The final note
Leviticus 19:37 leaves the reader with “Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD .”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, land, neighbour, just, corners, eaten help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What does the narrator emphasize about the rescue?
Mercy amid hesitation and God remembering Abraham, rather than Lot's flawless judgment.
How does the ending resist a simple happy ending?
Fear and abusive choices continue after physical escape.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.