“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.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.
- KJV 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.
- BSB “Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
- NASB “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.
- NLT “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
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 be holy because Yahweh their God is holy, the heart of the entire chapter.
Overview
This foundational command roots all of Israel's ethics in the holiness of God himself. To be God's people is to reflect his character in every area of life. The New Testament directly applies this verse to believers, calling Christians to be holy in all their conduct because the One who called them is holy.
Cross-references & the web
Theme
- Holiness"You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy."
Cross-references · 11
- Lev 11:44–45For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.
- Lev 20:7“‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God.
- 1 Pet 1:15–16but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior;
- 2 Cor 6:14–16Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
- Matt 5:48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
- Lev 20:26You shall be holy to me; for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine.
- 2 Cor 7:1Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Exod 19:6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
- Lev 21:8You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you; for I Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy.
- Isa 6:3–4One called to another, and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!”
- Amos 3:3Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 19:2 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.