Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
Chapter 19
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Do not steal, lie, or deceive one another.
Do not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God; I am the Lord.
Do not oppress your neighbor or steal from him. The wages of a hired worker should not remain with you all night until morning.
You must not curse a deaf person or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you must respect your God; I am the Lord.
Do not distort justice; do not show favoritism to the poor or bow down to the great; you must judge your neighbor fairly to avoid sharing in his guilt.
Do not go around slandering your people, nor seek the death of your neighbor; I am the Lord.
Do not harbor hatred in your heart against your brother; openly confront your neighbor to avoid sharing in their guilt.
Do not seek revenge or hold a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
Commentaries
Various Precepts.
We see a lengthy list of commandments that, at first glance, may seem disconnected because they address a mix of moral, ethical, religious, and even agricultural issues, which today we might call environmental. Despite this variety, they are connected by a single theme: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (2). Every part of human life—whether religious, social, moral, or ethical—is directed at honoring God’s name and fostering personal holiness.
What is new in this chapter is that, among the religious concerns (1-8) and more general ones, like maintaining harmony in farming (19.23-25) and personal appearance (27ff), there is a set of rules about just relations with neighbors (9-18). These reach their peak in verse 18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” which Jesus himself called the central message of the Law and the Prophets, alongside love of God (Mt 22:39).