Leviticus 19:3
New International Version
“’Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

New Living Translation
“Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the LORD your God.

English Standard Version
Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

Berean Standard Bible
Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

King James Bible
Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

New King James Version
‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

New American Standard Bible
Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep My Sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.

NASB 1995
‘Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.

NASB 1977
‘Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.

Legacy Standard Bible
Every one of you shall fear his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am Yahweh your God.

Amplified Bible
Each of you shall respect his mother and his father, and you shall keep My Sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.

Christian Standard Bible
“Each of you is to respect his mother and father. You are to keep my Sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Each of you is to respect his mother and father. You are to keep My Sabbaths; I am Yahweh your God.

American Standard Version
Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God.

English Revised Version
Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Respect your mother and father. Observe my days of worship. I am the LORD your God.

Good News Translation
Each of you must respect your mother and your father, and must keep the Sabbath, as I have commanded. I am the LORD your God.

International Standard Version
"Each of you is to fear his mother and father. "Observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

Majority Standard Bible
Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

NET Bible
Each of you must respect his mother and his father, and you must keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

New Heart English Bible
"'Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

World English Bible
“‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You each fear his mother and his father, and you keep My Sabbaths; I [am] your God YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
Each his mother and his father ye do fear, and My sabbaths ye do keep; I am Jehovah your God.

Smith's Literal Translation
Ye shall fear each his mother and his father, and my Sabbaths ye shall watch: I am Jehovah your God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Let every one fear his father, and his mother. Keep my sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Let each one fear his father and his mother. Observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

New American Bible
Each of you revere your mother and father, and keep my sabbaths. I, the LORD, am your God.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You must revere every man his father and his mother, and keep my commandments; for I am the LORD your God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A man shall be reverent of his father and of his mother and keep my commands, because I AM LORD JEHOVAH your God.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and ye shall keep My sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Let every one of you reverence his father and his mother; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Idolatry Forbidden
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.…

Cross References
Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. / “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), / “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”

Matthew 15:4
For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

Mark 7:10
For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

Proverbs 1:8
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.

Proverbs 6:20
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Exodus 21:17
Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.

Matthew 19:19
honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Mark 10:19
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”

Luke 18:20
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”

Deuteronomy 27:16
‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

1 Timothy 5:4
But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show godliness to their own family and repay their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

Exodus 31:13
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.


Treasury of Scripture

You shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

fear

Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Exodus 21:15,17
And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death…

Deuteronomy 21:18-21
If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: …

keep

Leviticus 26:2
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Exodus 16:29
See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

Exodus 20:8
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Jump to Previous
Fear Honour Mother Observe Respect Revere Reverence Sabbaths
Jump to Next
Fear Honour Mother Observe Respect Revere Reverence Sabbaths
Leviticus 19
1. A repetition of various laws














Each of you
This phrase emphasizes individual responsibility within the community of Israel. The Hebrew word used here is "אִישׁ" (ish), which means "man" or "person." It underscores that the command is not just for a select group but for every individual, highlighting the personal nature of obedience to God's laws. In a conservative Christian perspective, this calls believers to personal accountability in their walk with God.

must respect
The Hebrew word for "respect" is "יָרֵא" (yare), which can also mean "fear" or "revere." This is not a fear of terror but a deep reverence and honor. In the context of family, it implies a profound respect for parental authority, which is foundational to societal stability. This respect is seen as a reflection of one's reverence for God, as the family is a microcosm of God's order.

his mother and father
The order of "mother" before "father" is significant and somewhat unusual in ancient texts, which often prioritized the father. This highlights the equal importance of both parents in the eyes of God. In the historical context of Israel, the family was the primary unit of society, and honoring parents was crucial for maintaining the covenant community. For Christians, this command echoes the fifth commandment and is seen as vital for nurturing godly character.

and you must observe
The Hebrew word "שָׁמַר" (shamar) means "to keep," "guard," or "observe." It conveys a sense of active participation and careful attention. Observing God's commands is not a passive act but requires intentionality and diligence. This is a call to prioritize God's instructions in daily life, reflecting a heart committed to His will.

My Sabbaths
The Sabbath, "שַׁבָּת" (shabbat) in Hebrew, is a sign of the covenant between God and Israel. It is a day set apart for rest and worship, symbolizing God's rest after creation. Observing the Sabbath was a distinctive mark of the Israelites, setting them apart from other nations. For Christians, while the specific observance of the Sabbath may differ, the principle of rest and dedication to God remains a vital spiritual discipline.

I am the LORD your God
This declaration, "אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם" (Ani Yahweh Eloheichem), serves as the divine authority behind the command. It reminds the Israelites of their unique relationship with God, who is both their covenant Lord and personal God. This phrase is a recurring motif in Leviticus, reinforcing that obedience to God's laws is rooted in His identity and their identity as His people. For Christians, it is a reminder of the lordship of Christ and the call to live in a way that honors Him.

(3) Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father.--The first means to attain to the holiness which 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, already the spiritual authorities 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, hence they say precedence is here given to the mother in order to inculcate the duty of fearing them both alike. The expression "fear," however, they take 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; and (3) not to call them by their proper names, but either to call them father or mother, or my master, my lady. Whilst 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 raiment, and (2) to escort them. The parents, they urge, are God's representatives upon earth; hence 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 he who blasphemes the name of God is stoned (Leviticus 24:16), so he who curses his father or mother is stoned (Leviticus 20:9). . . . Verse 3. - Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father. The words fear and reverence are in this connection interchangeable. So Ephesians 5:33, "Let the wife see that she reverence her husband," where the word "reverence" would be more exactly translated by "fear." St. Paul points out that the importance of the fifth commandment is indicated in the Decalogue by its being" the first commandment with promise," that is, with a promise attached to it (Ephesians 6:2). The family life is built upon reverence to parents, and on the family is built society. Obedience to parents is a duty flowing out of one of the first two laws instituted by God - the law of marriage (Genesis 2:24). The second law instituted at the same time was that of the sabbath (Genesis 2:3), and in the verse before us observance of the sabbatical law is likewise inculcated, in the words that immediately follow - ye shall keep my sabbaths.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Each
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of you must respect
תִּירָ֔אוּ (tî·rā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

his mother
אִמּ֤וֹ (’im·mōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

and father,
וְאָבִיו֙ (wə·’ā·ḇîw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

and you must observe
תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ (tiš·mō·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

My Sabbaths.
שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י (šab·bə·ṯō·ṯay)
Noun - common plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7676: Intermission, the Sabbath

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

am 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


Links
Leviticus 19:3 NIV
Leviticus 19:3 NLT
Leviticus 19:3 ESV
Leviticus 19:3 NASB
Leviticus 19:3 KJV

Leviticus 19:3 BibleApps.com
Leviticus 19:3 Biblia Paralela
Leviticus 19:3 Chinese Bible
Leviticus 19:3 French Bible
Leviticus 19:3 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Leviticus 19:3 Each one of you shall respect his (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 19:2
Top of Page
Top of Page