1Then the LORD said to Moses,
2“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
3Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
4Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God.
5When you sacrifice a peace offering to the LORD, you shall offer it for your acceptance.
6It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it, or on the next day; but what remains on the third day must be burned up.
7If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is tainted and will not be accepted.
8Whoever eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the LORD. That person must be cut off from his people.
9When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.
10You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.
11You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another.
12You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.
14You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
16You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.
17You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.
18Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
19You are to keep My statutes. You shall not crossbreed two different kinds of livestock; you shall not sow your fields with two kinds of seed; and you shall not wear clothing made of two kinds of material.
20If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.
21The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting as his guilt offering to the LORD.
22The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.
23When you enter the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you shall regard the fruit as forbidden. For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten.
24In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the LORD.
25But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit; thus your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.
26You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.
27You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
28You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
29You must not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity.
30You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.
31You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
32You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
33When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.
34You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
35You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume.
36You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37You must keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and follow them. I am the LORD.”
Leviticus 19 Verse Notes
Lev 19:3-4
Leviticus 19 alludes to the Ten Commandments but not as a unified text
Leviticus 19 contains scattered commands such as revering parents, keeping the Sabbath, not making idols, and prohibitions against stealing and false swearing. While these echo the Ten Commandments, their dispersed nature within the chapter suggests the author was drawing on similar ethical principles rather than referencing the Decalogue as a distinct, unified set of laws.
Summarized by AI · The Ten Commandments · Lecture 4: The Status of the Ten Commandments · watch the clip
Lev 19:9-10
Foraging as a means of survival
Jesus and his followers may have survived by foraging, an practice allowed and even mandated by Old Testament laws for the poor and foreigners. Passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy instruct farmers to leave gleanings from their fields and vineyards for those in need. Biblical examples like Ruth and John the Baptist (eating locusts and wild honey) illustrate foraging. Jesus' disciples picking grain on the Sabbath and Jesus seeking figs from a tree suggest they engaged in similar practices.
Summarized by AI · Through the Eye of a Needle: Jesus's Teachings on Wealth and Their Modern Relevance · Lecture 5: Jesus' Life, Wealth, and Priorities · watch the clip
Lev 19:11-13
Leviticus 19 alludes to the Ten Commandments but not as a unified text
Leviticus 19 contains scattered commands such as revering parents, keeping the Sabbath, not making idols, and prohibitions against stealing and false swearing. While these echo the Ten Commandments, their dispersed nature within the chapter suggests the author was drawing on similar ethical principles rather than referencing the Decalogue as a distinct, unified set of laws.
Summarized by AI · The Ten Commandments · Lecture 4: The Status of the Ten Commandments · watch the clip
Lev 19:17-18
The Good Samaritan's ending: who proved to be a neighbor
Levine reads the parable's close: the lawyer cannot bring himself to say the Samaritan and answers the one who showed him mercy, and Jesus commands him to go and do likewise, turning who is my neighbor into who acted as a neighbor, which she ties to Leviticus 19:17-18 on loving and rebuking a neighbor. She rejects Augustine's allegory (the traveler as Adam, the Samaritan as Jesus, the inn as the church) because parables are not allegories, and retells the story with an Israeli Jew in the ditch rescued by a Palestinian member of Hamas to show how the parable lets us think the unthinkable and discomforts on purpose.
Summarized by AI · The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation · Lecture 2: Samaritans, Priests, and Levites | How History Impacts Parable Interpretation · watch the clip
Lev 19:18
The double love commandment as Jesus' teaching
Jesus reiterates the Baptizer's call to repentance, linking it to an ethical demand for mutual forgiveness. He emphasizes the Ten Commandments, citing Deuteronomy 6:4 for piety (love God) and Leviticus 19:18 for righteousness (love your neighbor). Matthew's Gospel extends this to include loving one's enemies, positioning these as foundational to Jesus' teachings.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 3: Beginnings | From Jesus to Christ · watch the clip
Jesus' Ethics: Love, Care for the Needy, and the Kingdom
Jesus' teachings on ethics and salvation emphasize loving God and neighbor, doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, and caring for the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, and imprisoned. The parable of the sheep and the goats illustrates that entry into the kingdom is based on compassionate behavior towards those in need, even for those who do not explicitly know Jesus.
Summarized by AI · Luke's Maverick Gospel · Lecture 8: Luke and Its Reversals · watch the clip
The Two Great Commandments: Love God and Neighbor
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus cited two passages from the Torah: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' He stated that all the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments, implying that true love for God is demonstrated through actions of love towards one's neighbor.
Summarized by AI · Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide · Lecture 3: Jesus the Moral Teacher · watch the clip
Love God and Neighbor as the Essence of the Law
When asked about the most important commandment, Jesus quoted two passages from the Torah. He stated that the essence of God's law is to love the Lord with all one's heart, soul, and strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself. This highlights the centrality of these two principles in his teaching.
Summarized by AI · The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems · Lecture 5: Misquoting Jesus | Separating the Jesus of History From the Christ of Faith · watch the clip
Love is a pervasive theme in the Hebrew Bible
The assertion that love is absent from the Hebrew Bible is a myth. The Hebrew Bible consistently emphasizes God's love for his people and includes commands to love God with all one's heart, soul, and strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself. Various forms of love, including passionate, familial, communal, and divine love, are found throughout its texts.
Summarized by AI · The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems · Lecture 7: A History of Hatred, Intolerance, and Violence | Is the Bible to Blame? · watch the clip
Entering the Kingdom: Love God and Neighbor
According to Mark, Jesus teaches that entering the Kingdom of God requires following God's law, specifically the greatest commandments: to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. The scribe who understood this was told he was 'not far from the kingdom of God.'
Summarized by AI · The Genius of Mark: Jesus the Secret Messiah · Lecture 3: The Teachings of Jesus in Mark · watch the clip
Love for God and Neighbor as the Greatest Commandments
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus identifies loving God with all one's heart, soul, and strength, and loving one's neighbor as oneself. He asserts that these two commandments fulfill the entire Law and the Prophets, highlighting love as the core principle of God's will.
Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Gospel of Matthew: What Scholars Say About the First Gospel · Lecture 4: The Sermon on the Mount and the New Moses · watch the clip
Lawyer's Correct Answer on the Law
When Jesus asks the lawyer what is written in the Law, the lawyer correctly cites Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, summarizing the greatest commandments as love for God and love for neighbor. This response would have been widely accepted by Jews at the time, with Rabbi Akiva even calling Leviticus 19 the greatest principle in the Torah.
Summarized by AI · The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation · Lecture 2: Samaritans, Priests, and Levites | How History Impacts Parable Interpretation · watch the clip
Loving the Enemy: A Deeper Reading
The Hebrew word for 'neighbor' (re'a) and 'evil one' or 'enemy' (ra') are visually similar in ancient texts due to the absence of vowels. This linguistic ambiguity suggests that Jesus might be subtly challenging the lawyer to consider a deeper interpretation of 'love your neighbor as yourself,' extending it to include loving one's enemy, a concept also found in Matthew 5 and Luke 6.
Summarized by AI · The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation · Lecture 2: Samaritans, Priests, and Levites | How History Impacts Parable Interpretation · watch the clip
Expansive definition of 'neighbor' in Jesus' teachings
While the Torah (Leviticus 19:18) instructs to 'love your neighbor as yourself,' Jesus expanded this concept beyond immediate family, friends, or community. He taught that 'neighbor' refers to anyone in need, including strangers and even enemies, emphasizing actions of help and compassion rather than mere emotional sentiment. This radical redefinition was central to his ethical message for entering the Kingdom.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Christians Invent Jesus' Teachings? · watch the clip
Leviticus' Command to Love Fellow Israelites
The commandment to 'love your neighbor as yourself' in Leviticus 19:18, central to Jewish thought, originally referred to fellow Israelites, including native-born and settled immigrants. However, this love did not extend to those outside of Israel, as seen in the command to destroy groups like the Midianites and Moabites in the book of Numbers.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Surprising Truth Behind ��Love Thy Neighbor�� · watch the clip
Jewish Roots of Jesus' Ethics: Love for God and Neighbor
Jesus' teachings shared similarities with other ancient moral teachers, particularly within Judaism. As a committed Jew, Jesus upheld the Torah, emphasizing the two main commandments: to love God with all one's heart, soul, and and strength (Deuteronomy 6) and to love one's neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19). These were central to his ethical framework.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Invent Charity? · watch the clip
Universalization of 'Love Your Neighbor'
While the Israelite tradition, as seen in Leviticus 19:18, commanded 'love your neighbor as yourself,' this typically applied to fellow Israelites or immigrants within the community, not to all outsiders. Jesus, influenced by his apocalyptic vision, universalized this ethic. He extended the command to 'love thy stranger' to encompass everyone in need, regardless of their ethnic, national, or religious affiliation, even those with no personal connection.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Love Thy Stranger: The Radical Origins of Western Compassion · watch the clip
Love God and Neighbor: The Greatest Commandments
When asked about the most important commandments, Jesus in Matthew cites loving God with all one's heart, mind, and strength, and loving one's neighbor as oneself. He declares that 'on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets,' indicating that these principles are the foundational requirements for being in God's favor.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Must Christians Keep Kosher? Decoding Matthew��s Answer · watch the clip
Jesus's Universalized Message of Love
Jesus's message of loving one's neighbor, inherited from the Jewish tradition (Leviticus 19:18), was universalized to include all humanity, especially those in need. This expansion, argued to be rooted in his apocalyptic worldview, meant that salvation was not exclusive to Jews but extended to anyone who lived a life of love, as exemplified in the parable of the sheep and the goats.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Mary Before Jesus · watch the clip
Love for Fellow Israelites and Immigrants in Mosaic Law
The Mosaic Law, specifically in Leviticus 19:18, commands Israelites to 'love your neighbor as yourself,' defining 'neighbor' as any fellow Israelite, regardless of familial ties or proximity. Furthermore, the law extended this principle to immigrants, stating that those who joined the Israelite community were to be treated with the same rights as native-born Israelites, an explicit policy on immigration.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Christianity Make the World More Moral? · watch the clip
Jesus' Universalization of the 'Love Your Neighbor' Command
While the Hebrew Bible's command to 'love your neighbor as yourself' was initially applied to fellow Israelites and those living among them, Jesus universalized this ethic. He taught that one's neighbor includes anyone, even an enemy, and that this love should be extended to all humanity. This radical expansion of the concept of 'neighbor' is a core argument for how Jesus transformed Western ethical thought.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Christianity Make the World More Moral? · watch the clip
Altruism in the Hebrew Bible: Love Your Neighbor
The concept of 'love your neighbor as yourself' is an altruistic demand found in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in Leviticus. This demonstrates that altruism, as a concern for others, predates Jesus and is deeply embedded in early biblical laws.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Does Altruism Actually Exist? · watch the clip
Traditional Interpretation of 'Neighbor' in Leviticus
In the context of Leviticus 19:18, 'love your neighbor' traditionally referred to loving one's fellow Israelite. This is supported by the surrounding verses and the subsequent Book of Numbers, which commands the Israelites to conquer and slaughter enemy tribes while loving their own people.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Does Altruism Actually Exist? · watch the clip
Jesus' Summary of the Law: Love God and Neighbor
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus states that the entire law and the prophets depend on two commands: loving God with all one's heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6) and loving one's neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18). This highlights that the essence of the law is about behaving in loving ways toward God and others, rather than strict adherence to ritual details.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Can Anyone Keep the Jewish Law? · watch the clip
Jesus' Understanding of the Law
Jesus' understanding of the Jewish law, as presented in the Gospels, emphasizes that the core of the law is to love God with all one's heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6) and to love one's neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus expanded the definition of 'neighbor' to include anyone in need, and he believed that love could supersede other laws if they conflicted.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Should We Think Luke and Acts Have the Same Author? · watch the clip
Jesus' Interaction with the Syrophoenician Woman
In Matthew 15, Jesus initially rebuffs a Syrophoenician woman seeking healing for her daughter, stating his mission is for the 'children of Israel.' He refers to her as a 'dog,' but her witty reply about 'crumbs from the table' leads him to heal her daughter. This story illustrates Matthew's theological point that Jesus' primary mission was to the Jews, with Gentiles receiving salvation as a byproduct.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Really Go to Hell? · watch the clip
The Two Greatest Commandments
Jesus identified two commandments as the most important in the entire Torah, summarizing all law. The first, from Deuteronomy 6, is to love God with all one's heart, soul, and strength. The second, from Leviticus 19:18, is to love one's neighbor as oneself.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Do Fundamentalists (Actually) Follow Jesus? · watch the clip
Jesus' Universal Definition of 'Neighbor'
In the Mosaic Law, 'neighbor' typically referred to a fellow Israelite, with commands to destroy outsiders like the Canaanites. Jesus, however, reinterpreted this, expanding 'neighbor' to mean all humans, including enemies and Samaritans, emphasizing universal love.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Do Fundamentalists (Actually) Follow Jesus? · watch the clip
God's Love and Wrath in the Old Testament
The Old Testament God is often characterized by wrath and vengeance, while the New Testament God is seen as loving and forgiving. However, this is an oversimplification. The Old Testament God also demonstrates love for his people, Israel, and commands them to love God and their neighbors. Simultaneously, he is a God of justice and wrath, inflicting suffering and death on others, as seen in the conquest of Jericho.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the God of Revelation the Same as the God of Jesus? · watch the clip
Lev 19:19
Prohibited Sexual Practices and Combinations
Leviticus 18 and 19 list various prohibitions, including incest, bestiality, and male homosexual acts, with Leviticus 18:22 explicitly stating it is an abomination for a male to lie with a male. Additionally, Leviticus 19 prohibits mixing different kinds of animals, crops, or fabrics in garments, suggesting a broader principle against 'like and unlike' combinations.
Summarized by AI · Finding Moses: What Scholars Know About the Exodus and the Jewish Law · Lecture 6: The Jewish Law | A Closer Look · watch the clip
Christians selectively apply Old Testament laws
Christians often selectively apply Old Testament laws, embracing those they find 'congenial' while dismissing others as irrelevant or superseded by Jesus. For example, some focus on prohibitions against male sexual relations in Leviticus while ignoring other laws in the same chapter, such as those against wearing mixed fabrics, demonstrating an arbitrary approach to biblical law.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Everyone Misreads the 10 Commandments · watch the clip
Cherry-picking Old Testament laws
People often selectively apply Old Testament laws, adhering to some while ignoring others. For example, Leviticus condemns male homosexual acts but also prohibits wearing mixed-fabric garments or planting two different crops in one field. Critics of homosexuality often uphold the former while disregarding the latter, demonstrating a cherry-picking approach to biblical law.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How to Weaponize the Bible · watch the clip
Lev 19:26
Prohibition Against Eating Meat with Blood
Leviticus 19 prohibits eating meat with blood in it, which would include rare steak. This law underscores a dietary restriction that is part of the broader purity and holiness codes in the Jewish law.
Summarized by AI · Finding Moses: What Scholars Know About the Exodus and the Jewish Law · Lecture 6: The Jewish Law | A Closer Look · watch the clip
Lev 19:33-34
Jesus' Opposition to Nationalism
Jesus was against nationalism, advocating for love of enemies rather than hatred. He exemplified this by portraying a Samaritan, a group hated by many Jews, as the one who loved his neighbor. National boundaries were irrelevant to Jesus, who taught welcoming foreigners and treating them as oneself, a concept found in Jewish scriptures.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Do Fundamentalists (Actually) Follow Jesus? · watch the clip
Lev 19:34
Love for the Alien/Stranger
Leviticus 19:34 explicitly commands the love of the alien or stranger (Hebrew: ger), treating them as citizens, because the Israelites themselves were once strangers in Egypt. This ethical prompt is echoed in Matthew 25, where welcoming the stranger is presented as a measure of righteousness, emphasizing hospitality over conversion.
Summarized by AI · The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation · Lecture 2: Samaritans, Priests, and Levites | How History Impacts Parable Interpretation · watch the clip
Jewish tradition mandates care for the poor
The Torah explicitly commands the care of the poor, widows, orphans, and strangers, emphasizing that these vulnerable groups are under God's special protection and therefore must be cared for by the community. This tradition counters any notion that Jewish thought despises the poor or discourages charitable giving.
Summarized by AI · The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation · Lecture 3: Laborers and Management in the Vineyard | How to Assess Kingdom Economics · watch the clip
