Leviticus 19:1 3, 9 18 The Decalogue

Target year level: Year Five

Scripture text

World of the text

The ‘Holiness Code’ gets its name from the opening verses of chapter nineteen. YHWH is addressing Moses, so we are to listen to the following directions for behaviour and worship as being fundamental to what it means to be a member of the people of Israel. They are derived from God’s revelation on Sinai. Furthermore, it is no accident that the only other time God introduces himself as ‘I YHWH your God’ (19:2) is at the beginning of the decalogue (Exodus 20:2). The authors of the Holiness Code want the reader to take these laws as seriously as the decalogue.

The Code opens with a summary statement of the third and fourth commandments from the decalogue (Exodus 20:8-12). It begins in this way, perhaps, to highlight one of its key themes: the way we behave in relation to each other is an essential requirement for worship.

YHWH’s concern for the poor (‘anî) lies at the heart of revelation. His words to Moses at the burning bush begin:

I have observed the misery (‘anî) of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them. – Exodus 3:7-8

The oldest existing code of Israel, therefore commands:

You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry …If you lend money to my people, to the poor (‘anî) among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them. – Exodus 22:21-23,25

Apart from the frequent references in Deuteronomy, the only other text in the Torah to speak of concern for the poor is this one here in Leviticus 19:10 and its equivalent in Leviticus 23:22.

The fact that it is placed here at the head of the legislation concerning relationship between people is significant. To share in the holiness of the Holy One, a person must share God’s concern for the poor.

One can find similar statements of concern for the poor in other ancient cultures, but Israel is unique in showing the same concern for foreigners who dwell in the land. Lacking the support of their kin, these resident foreigners, unable to own land, are at risk of being destitute. They need the charity of the Israelite landowners.

If we are going to allow the holiness of YHWH into our lives we must not take what belongs to another - even when it is done in such a way that no one notices. This is the point of the prohibition against stealing in verse eleven. Verse eleven also prohibits denying something we know to be true, or, conversely, affirming something as true that we know to be untrue.

That the over-arching theme is holiness is underlined in verse twelve. Calling on God’s holy name to support an untruth is a profanation, a desecration. No one might find out, and so we might think we can go unpunished. ‘I am YHWH’ reminds us that we cannot deceive God, and that violation of God’s commands will be punished.

Verse thirteen speaks in general terms of exploitation and violent theft. These bite home when followed by a simple example: ‘you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a hired worker until morning’. He is not in a position to insist on his rights, but the Holy One will surely hear his cry (see Exodus 3:7).

The deaf may not hear you, and the blind may not see that it was you who caused them to stumble, but YHWH hears and sees and will punish. The deaf and the blind are under YHWH’s protection.

A judgment is to give expression to the truth. It must be ‘just’, not ‘unjust’.

The following psalm is to the point:

God has taken his place in the divine council;

in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:

“How long will you judge unjustly

and show partiality to the wicked?

Give justice to the weak and the orphan;

maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.

Rescue the weak and the needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” – Psalm 82:1-4

Verse sixteen warns against slander, which can lead to a false judgment and so perhaps to death. On the other hand, if someone else is slandering and we know it, we cannot stand by in silence when the life of another is at risk.

This is not enunciating an abstract principle. It is stating how to respond to someone we are actually in contact with, called a ‘brother’, a ‘fellow’, or a neighbour – terms that refer to a fellow Israelite. To hate says more than a feeling. It is to think, decide and do evil to another. The expression ‘in your heart’ puts the focus here on the thinking and deciding. The remedy is to openly reprove the person whom we are tempted to hate. Otherwise the hatred could lead us to wrongful action.

This leads on immediately to verse eighteen which tells us not to bear a grudge or to give expression to it by taking revenge. The remedy for this is to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. As with ‘hate’, so with ‘love’, more than feeling is involved. It is to think, decide and do good to another, just as we think, decide and do good to ourselves. As in the previous verses ‘I am YHWH’ accents the divine authority of this command, as well as reminding us of the one whose judgment we have to face if we fail to heed this command.

As chapter nineteen is structured, these verses form the climax of the ethical demands of holiness (though see 19:34). Tobit captures some of the implications of this command when he states: ‘What you hate, do not do to anyone’ (Tobit 4:15). Rabbi Hillel (died c. 10 CE), when asked to give a summary of the Torah, is said to have replied: ‘That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow’ (The Babylonian Talmud, Šabbat 31a).

Paul quotes verse eighteen as summing up the Torah:

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. – Romans 13:8-10

In this, he was following Jesus, who went further by commanding love of one’s enemies:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

– Matthew 5:43-45