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You 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.
Leviticus 19:17 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
  • KJV Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
  • NKJV ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
  • NASB ‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may certainly rebuke your neighbor, but you are not to incur sin because of him.
  • NLT “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Israel must not hate a brother in the heart but lovingly rebuke him to avoid sharing his sin.

Overview

This remarkable command reaches beyond outward action to the attitude of the heart, forbidding hidden hatred. Loving honesty, including faithful rebuke, is the alternative to harboring resentment. Jesus and the apostles build on this, teaching that true love confronts sin rather than silently nursing bitterness.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 21

  • Luke 17:3Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
  • 1 Jn 2:9If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.
  • 1 Jn 2:11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
  • 1 Jn 3:12–15Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
  • Prov 26:24–26A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
  • Prov 27:5–6Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.
  • Gal 6:1Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
  • Matt 18:15–17If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
  • Eph 5:11Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
  • 1 Tim 5:20But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.
  • 1 Tim 5:22Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
  • Rom 1:32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.
  • Gen 27:41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
  • 1 Cor 5:2And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?
  • 2 Tim 4:2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.
  • Prov 9:8Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
  • Titus 1:13This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sternly, so that they will be sound in the faith
  • Gal 2:11–14When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned.
  • Titus 2:15Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
  • Ps 141:5Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.
  • 2 Jn 1:10–11If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Leviticus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Leviticus 19:17YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LeviticusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.

How Leviticus 19:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.