Leviticus 19:2
New International Version
“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

New Living Translation
“Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

English Standard Version
“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Berean Standard Bible
“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

King James Bible
Speak 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.

New King James Version
“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

New American Standard Bible
“Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

NASB 1995
“Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

NASB 1977
“Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.

Amplified Bible
“Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Christian Standard Bible
“Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, Yahweh your God, am holy.”

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
to say to the community of Israel: I am the LORD your God. I am holy, and you must be holy too!

English Revised Version
Speak 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Tell the whole congregation of Israel: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Good News Translation
to say to the community of Israel, "Be holy, because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

International Standard Version
"Tell the entire assembly of Israel that they are to be holy, since I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Majority Standard Bible
“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

NET Bible
"Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, 'You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

New Heart English Bible
"Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, 'You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy.

Webster's Bible Translation
Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

World English Bible
“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and you have said to them: You are holy, because I, your God YHWH, [am] holy.

Young's Literal Translation
Speak unto all the company of the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, Ye are holy, for holy am I, Jehovah, your God.

Smith's Literal Translation
Speak to the assembly of the sons of Israel, and say to them, Ye shall be holy, for I Jehovah your God am holy.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: Be ye holy, because I the Lord your God am holy.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Speak to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

New American Bible
Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.

New Revised Standard Version
Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“Speak with all the assembly of the children of Israel and say to them: 'Be Holy Ones because I am holy; I AM LORD JEHOVAH your God.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Speak 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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Speak to the congregation of the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Idolatry Forbidden
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.…

Cross References
1 Peter 1:15-16
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, / for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

1 Thessalonians 4:7
For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.

Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

1 John 3:3
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.

Ephesians 1:4
For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love

2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. / Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

Isaiah 6:3
And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”

Exodus 19:6
And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth.

Psalm 99:9
Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.

Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.


Treasury of Scripture

Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

Ye shall

Leviticus 11:44,45
For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth…

Leviticus 20:7,26
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God…

Leviticus 21:8
Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.

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Leviticus 19
1. A repetition of various laws














Speak to the entire congregation of the Israelites
The directive to "speak" underscores the importance of verbal communication in conveying God's commandments. The Hebrew word used here is "דַּבֵּר" (daber), which implies a formal and authoritative declaration. This is not a suggestion but a command from God, emphasizing the seriousness of the message. The "entire congregation" indicates that this message is for all Israelites, not just a select group. It highlights the communal aspect of holiness, suggesting that holiness is not just an individual pursuit but a collective responsibility. Historically, the Israelites were a covenant community, and this command reinforces their identity as God's chosen people, set apart for His purposes.

and tell them
The phrase "and tell them" reiterates the necessity of clear communication. The Hebrew root "אָמַר" (amar) is used here, which often conveys the idea of making something known or declaring. This reinforces the idea that God's expectations are not hidden or mysterious but are openly communicated to His people. The act of telling implies a transmission of knowledge that is meant to be understood and acted upon. In the context of ancient Israel, oral tradition was a primary means of preserving and transmitting God's laws and teachings.

Be holy
The command "Be holy" is central to this verse and to the entire book of Leviticus. The Hebrew word for "holy" is "קָדוֹשׁ" (qadosh), which means set apart, sacred, or consecrated. Holiness in the biblical sense involves moral and spiritual purity, as well as a distinctiveness from the surrounding nations. This call to holiness is not just about ritual purity but encompasses all aspects of life, including ethical behavior and worship. The Israelites are called to reflect God's character in their lives, setting them apart as His people. This concept of holiness is foundational to the covenant relationship between God and Israel.

because I, the LORD your God, am holy
The phrase "because I, the LORD your God, am holy" provides the rationale for the command to be holy. The name "LORD" is the English representation of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, which is God's personal name revealed to Moses. It signifies His eternal, self-existent nature. The declaration "your God" emphasizes the personal relationship between God and the Israelites. God's holiness is the standard and motivation for the holiness of His people. The Hebrew word for "holy" here is the same as before, "קָדוֹשׁ" (qadosh), underscoring the idea that God's nature is the ultimate model for human conduct. This statement is a profound theological assertion that God's people are to mirror His character in their lives, reflecting His purity, righteousness, and love. Historically, this call to holiness set Israel apart from the pagan nations, serving as a witness to the one true God.

(2) Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel.--The importance which 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 which occurs nowhere else in Leviticus in this formula, and which is only to be found once more in the whole Pentateuch (Exodus 12:3), at the institution of the Passover, the great national festival which 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 (see Leviticus 19:1), cluster the different precepts of this section. It is this solemn formula which links together the various injunctions in the chapter before us. As the Lord who is their God is Himself holy, they who are His people must also be holy, or as the saying which obtained during the second Temple 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 be in contradiction to His holy nature, but that your life should bear the impress and reflect the image of God. (See Leviticus 11:44; Matthew 5:48; 1Peter 1:15.) . . .

Verse 2. - Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. The religious motive is put forward here, as in the previous chapter, as the foundation of all morality. It is God's will that we should be holy, and by being holy we. are like God, who is to be our model so far as is possible to the creature. So in the new dispensation, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation" (1 Peter 1:15).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Speak
דַּבֵּ֞ר (dab·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the entire
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

congregation
עֲדַ֧ת (‘ă·ḏaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5712: A stated assemblage

of the Israelites
בְּנֵי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

and tell
וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ (wə·’ā·mar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

them:
אֲלֵהֶ֖ם (’ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

‘Be
תִּהְי֑וּ (tih·yū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

holy
קְדֹשִׁ֣ים (qə·ḏō·šîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

because
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I,
אֲנִ֖י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God,
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

am holy.
קָד֔וֹשׁ (qā·ḏō·wōš)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary


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OT Law: Leviticus 19:2 Speak to all the congregation (Le Lv Lev.)
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