Chapter 19

A repetition of sundry laws.

2. Ye shall be holy. This is the keynote of the book of Leviticus. Throughout the book stress is ever on holiness. The reason here given for the command is that God is holy.

3. His mother, and his father. Here the order commonly followed in Scripture is reversed. Some think this an accident, the words in some way transposed. But doubtless God intended it this way. This in no way detracts from the dignity and position of the father, but it does emphasize the fact that mothers are not forgotten by God, and should not be by man.

In too many homes due honor is not given the mother. Perhaps she fails to occupy her rightful place and exert the positive, constructive influence that she should. She may lower her authority in the mind of the child by telling him that father will make him obey when he comes home, thus harming the child. A mother who habitually shirks her responsibility in this way would do well to study the situation, to seek the cause for her own failure, and then take steps to rectify matters. The commandment reads, “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Ex. 20:12).

Keep my sabbaths. The fourth and fifth commandments, here named, are the two positive commandments of the law. Both inculcate reverence and respect for authority.

I am the Lord. This statement is repeated many times in the chapter (vs. 4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37).

4. Turn ye not unto idols. Verse 4 points to the first and the second commandments, particularly the second. We need not bow down to idols of wood and stone to transgress this commandment. Anything honored in the place of God or preferred before Him constitutes an idol, even if it be a matter of the imagination only.

5. A sacrifice of peace offerings. This repeats, by way of emphasis, the instruction given in ch. 7:11–21. As noted in the discussion of ch. 17:1–7, the peace offerings were more easily susceptible to abuse than were the others.

9. Gleanings of thy harvest. God’s care has ever been devoted in a special way to the poor. Often poverty results from a lack of thrift, foresight, diligence, or skill. Again, there are times when it is accidental and unavoidable. But whatever the cause, God looks with pity upon all who are in need and has commissioned His people to provide for them according to their needs. Some, unable to work, are in need of an outright gift and will use it wisely. Others are able and willing to work and should be given an opportunity to do so. Gleaning is not easy, and at times its results are meager. But it is preferable to provide most people with work to do than to present them with an outright gift. It is detrimental to one’s self-respect to receive something for nothing, except in cases of genuine need. Giving people work to do accomplishes several things, both for the giver and for the receiver. It helps the giver to develop a liberal spirit, and often places him in the position of helping God answer prayer. The receiver is also helped; it leads himto give thanks to God and to appreciate those who provide him an opportunity to help himself. It tends to create the spirit of brotherhood.

11. Ye shall not steal. Stealing and falsifying are kindred sins. The latter is often necessary to the former (see ch. 6:2). There are many ways of stealing as well as of lying. Also, there are borderline cases, and these are probably the most common ones. God desires truth in the inward parts (Ps. 51:6), and anything that savors of craftiness or hypocrisy is an abomination to Him (see Eph. 4:14; 1 Tim. 4:2).

12. Not swear by my name falsely. By implication this permits the judicial oath. It is not concerned with swearing (in court) as such, but with swearing falsely. Perjury is rightly considered a most serious crime, because it perverts justice. It is a definite breach of the third commandment and merits severe punishment (Matt. 5:33–37).

13. Not defraud thy neighbour. More exactly, “oppress thy neighbor.” Verse 11 forbids injuries by craftiness; this, by violence or superior power. Some conclude that because a thing is legal, it is therefore permissible to the Christian. A thing may be lawful, yet far from expedient (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23). Also, the law of the land may call lawful certain courses of conduct that God frowns upon. God does not countenance legal loopholes.

The wages. Wages are to be paid promptly, as are debts when they fall due. To withhold wages agreed upon, or the payment of just debts, or to delay these unduly, is displeasing to God and is dishonest (Deut. 24:14, 15). Strict honesty requires that a person enter into no arrangements or accept no obligations unless he has every reason to believe that he can discharge his responsibilities with respect to them. Furthermore, to allow a stipulated time for settlement of an obligation to pass without making satisfactory arrangements is dishonesty of the worst sort, and marks a man as irresponsible and untrustworthy.

14. The deaf. We may not curse the deaf because he cannot hear, nor put a stumbling block in the way of the blind because he cannot see. To do so is both dishonest and cruel. Says God, “Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way” (Deut. 27:18; cf. Job 29:15). Those who are physically handicapped deserve special consideration. But let them not trade upon their impediment.

15. Shalt thou judge. To have “respect to persons” is to “commit sin” (James 2:9). The artist rightly represents justice as a woman holding a pair of scales in balance, her eyes covered so that she will not be influenced by seeing who or what is before her.

16. A talebearer. That is, of tales likely to breed mischief, because of being either untrue or detrimental to the person concerned. The rabbis taught that there were three sins that remove a man from this world and deprive him of happiness in the next—idolatry, incest, and murder—but that slander is worse than these in that it kills three persons at once: the slanderer, the slandered, and the listener. It is more effective than a double-edged sword.

Stand against the blood of thy neighbour. Preferably, “rise up against the life of thy neighbor,” either directly or by false witness (see Dan. 8:25; 11:14; 1 Chron. 21:1). The Jews interpret it to mean that he who sees anyone in danger, as from drowning, robbery, or wild beasts, is duty bound to help; or that if a man happens to witness a crime or an injustice, he is bound to go to the rescue of the individual wronged, either by personal assistance or by bearing testimony in court.

17. Hate thy brother. It is possible to hate and despise a person, and not give any outward evidence of it. Nevertheless, hatred is sin (1 John 2:9–11). He who hates hurts himself most of all.

Rebuke thy neighbour. Christ said, “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him” (Luke 17:3; see also Matt. 18:15–17). Paul says, “Them that sin rebuke before all” (1 Tim. 5:20); “rebuke them sharply” (Titus 1:13); “rebuke with all authority” (Titus 2:15). The last three statements refer to the responsibility of ministers, but Christ’s advice in Matt. 18:15–17 is applicable to all. It is equally wrong to entertain hatred in the heart and to withhold rebuke. The rabbis taught that he who does not reprove an offender shares in his sin, and that it would be better for him to throw himself into a burning furnace.

18. Thou shalt not avenge. It is a human weakness to desire to “get even” with one who has done us harm, but the Bible countenances no such procedure. Says Paul, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath” (Rom. 12:19). To bear a grudge is quite useless. It does no one good, and does the bearer much harm. It sours the disposition, and gives a warped view of life.

Love thy neighbour. In this injunction are summed up the last six of the commandments (Matt. 22:40). Said Christ, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:43, 44).

Even critics admit that the statement, “Love thy neighbour as thyself,” was a most unusual pronouncement for that day and age of the world. It is unusual for any age. Selfishness prevails today, as it ever has, and there is still little love for a neighbor when one’s interests conflict with his. Usually, it is every man for himself. If we can do our neighbor some good without hurting ourselves, we may approve of it. To a great extent love for one’s neighbor is but enlightened self-interest.

19. Mingled seed. In the beginning God made different species of animals and plants. He never intended that there should be amalgamation of different kinds to the confusion of all. The rule against mixing wool and linen is not clear, nor is it explained elsewhere in the Bible. Its purpose may have been to impress upon the mind the principle as it applies to living things. The idea of keeping the different “kinds” intact as God created them is for the good of all.

20. Whosoever lieth carnally. The bondmaid in this case is betrothed to a husband but has not yet been redeemed. Therefore she is not free, but is considered the property of the one she serves.

Be scourged. Literally, “an inquiry shall be held” (RSV). The Heb. biqqoreth, thus translated, contains the idea of an investigation made with the objective of determining punishment appropriate to the crime. The KJV application of biqqoreth to the woman only is not supported by the Hebrew. It applies equally to both.

21. He shall bring. In addition to whatever punishment was deemed appropriate, the man was to present his trespass offering (see on ch. 7:1). In the first he paid his debt to society; in the second he was reconciled to God. Women were not expected to present such offerings.

23. Uncircumcised unto you. A fruit tree was not considered mature until four years of age. Until that time it was considered “uncircumcised.” That is, its fruit was neither to be eaten nor presented to the Lord. In the fourth year its fruit was to be “holy to praise the Lord withal,” and therefore presented to Him.

26. Blood. Some translate this injunction, “Ye shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it.” The blood was to be drained from any animal slaughtered for food. To this day conscientious Jews observe this rule, and wherever possible have their own slaughtering houses. Elsewhere, on certain days the priest is present at the slaughtering of animals for Jewish use, to see that this and other rules are observed. Such meat is said to be “kosher,” and marked accordingly. Christians, as a rule, pay little attention to this health ordinance, forgetful that it was only on this condition that God originally permitted the use of flesh food (Gen. 9:4). The same restriction was later enjoined upon Gentile Christians (Acts 15:20, 29).

Enchantment. This probably refers to charms and incantations, which, though not in themselves immoral or licentious, tended to superstition and idolatry. It is astonishing to find that many today are still influenced by superstitious beliefs. Even reputable newspapers carry information on “lucky” and “unlucky” days. Men profess to be able to foretell the future by the position of the stars, and to advise what should or should not be done on certain days. Fortunetellers and spirit mediums flourish by the thousands, and millions are deceived by them. Some carry charms in their pockets or on their persons, nail horseshoes over their doors; others “knock on wood” lest evil befall them. Many will not begin or perform certain tasks on a Friday. The number 13 is thought to be unlucky. Some think a black cat an evil omen on a journey, and have been known to goback and begin their journey anew. Some refuse to walk under a ladder, and others again claim to cure certain sicknesses by throwing an object behind their back on a moonless night. Anciently such things were taken more seriously than they are today, and there was danger lest Israel delve further into the magic of the nations about them.

27. Corners of thy beard. The Jews took great pride in their beards, considering them the insigne of manhood and dignity. It has been suggested that a “marred” beard marked its wearer the devotee of a heathen god. That part of the beard thus cut off may have been offered to the gods. God forbade His people to follow this heathen custom. In its context (vs. 26–28) this restriction could have meaning only as a safeguard against heathen religious customs. Its application to the modern custom of shaving off the beard is entirely unwarranted.

28. Cuttings in your flesh. This was done by various ancient peoples in connection with ceremonial rites for the dead. Even today some heathen people follow such practices. Certain New Guinea tribesmen cut off a finger joint upon the death of a member of the family.

Print any marks. This may refer to tattooing, a custom not immoral in itself, but certainly unworthy of God’s people, since it tends to mar the image of the Creator.

29. Prostitute thy daughter. This was a common practice among the nations of antiquity, especially among the poor, who often sold their daughters, and sometimes their wives, into slavery and prostitution. Women were not then generally held in high repute.

30. Keep my sabbaths. Reverence is involved in both commands here enunciated. There are some who keep the Sabbath but do not show due reverence for the sanctuary. There are others who reverence the sanctuary but not the Sabbath. True religion calls for the reverencing of both, for both are holy.

31. Familiar spirits. From Хoboth, literally, “[skin] bottles,” as in Job 32:19. This is the first use of the word in the Bible. Use of the word to designate spirit mediums seems to have been due to their unnatural, indistinct, and sonorous quality of voice, such as might have been produced by speaking into a “bottle” or other receptacle. The word translated “mutter” in Isa. 8:19 means “to murmur,” “to whisper,” “to growl.” It also means “to meditate [out loud],” as when a person addresses himself in a low voice resembling a sigh (see Ps. 143:5). The word translated “peep” is froms\aphaph, a word that imitates the mumbling of a medium. In Isa. 29:4 s\aphaph is rendered “whisper,” and in Isa. 38:14, “chatter.” The LXX usually renders Хoboth as eggastrimuthoi, “ventriloquists,” implying the projection of the voice to the stomach in low and grave sepulchral tones. Ventriloquism would readily lend itself to magical purposes.

ХOboth is feminine, suggesting that spirit mediums were usually women. A medium was said to “have” a “familiar spirit.” She was not possessed by a “familiar spirit,” but possessed the “spirit.” A literal rendering of 1 Sam. 28:7 would be, “a woman, the mistress of a familiar spirit.” Used as a noun the English word “familiar” means “an intimate,” “a companion.” “Familiar spirit” might therefore appropriately be “intimate spirit” or perhaps “companion spirit,” that is, one that consorted with the medium and might be summoned by its “mistress” and told what to do. The possessor, or “mistress,” of the Хob usually stooped while speaking as a medium, and according to Isa. 29:4 spoke as if “out of the ground.” This may account for the fact that when Saul consulted the witch at Endor, she “saw gods ascending out of the earth” (1 Sam. 28:13), and explain why Saul “stooped with his face to the ground” (v. 14) to converse, as he thought, with Samuel (vs. 15–19).

The “teraphim” of the OT (see on Gen. 31:19) seem, at times at least, to have been used by spirit mediums as “props” for pretended communication with the dead, often with the aid of ventriloquism. In Zech. 10:2 it is stated that “the teraphim utter nonsense” (RSV) when inquired of. In at least one instance the word “teraphim” refers to an image so closely resembling a human being that it deceived messengers sent by Saul into thinking thatDavid himself was lying in bed (1 Sam. 19:12–17). A ventriloquist could easily simulate conversation with an image in a manner sufficiently realistic to convince superstitious minds that the spirits of the dead were speaking. It would be only natural for the devil to control the words of a spirit medium in harmony with his own purposes.

32. The hoary head. This command amplifies the fifth commandment. Reverence and respect are fundamental virtues. Irreverence, disrespect, and lack of serious thought have ever been besetting sins. This is the day of youth. They are indeed the hope of the world and of the church. But this does not imply setting aside men of age and experience, nor disregard for their counsel.

Fear thy God. This command is always present truth. The church in our day is admonished, “Fear God, and give glory to him” (Rev. 14:7).

33. A stranger. Strangers of old were generally looked upon with suspicion. Why had the stranger left home? Had he committed some crime? Was he a fugitive from justice? Was he a runaway slave? Naturally questions arose in a day when few ventured far from their ancestral hills and valleys. The stranger was on the defensive, but God’s people were not to vex him.

34. As one born among you. It was not enough that the stranger be left alone, neither annoyed nor molested. They were to treat him with the same consideration they manifested toward one another. Christ enunciated this same standard while on earth. In fact, He quoted directly from this chapter of Leviticus when He said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39; Lev. 19:18). Lest some might conclude that by “neighbor” Christ meant a Jew, He spoke the parable of the good Samaritan. Any man in need, be he Jew or Samaritan, friend or stranger, is our neighbor (Luke 10:30–37).

Ye were strangers. It is well for us to remember that there may have been times in the past when we were among strangers and needed a helping hand or an encouraging word. This should make us more kind to those who need our help and encouragement.

35. Do no unrighteousness. God commands strict honesty in measures of length, weight, and quantity. In all exchanges, strict justice is to be observed. Says Christ, “With the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).

Ellen G. White comments

9 MH 186

9, 10 AA 337; Ed 44; PP 531

11 4T 336, 350

13 5T 350

13-153T 517

14 3T 519

17 DA 441; MB 87; 1T 214; 4T 513; 7T 260

18 COL 261, 381; PP 136, 305, 373, 424

30 ML 286; MYP 265; 5T 491

31 GC 556; PP 689

32 AH 363; Ed 244; LS 275; ML 279

33, 34 PP 507

34 DA 500

35, 36 MH 188