You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘You shall rise up before the gray head, and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
- KJV Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.
- ESV “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
- NKJV ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.
- NASB ‘You shall stand up in the presence of the grayheaded and honor elders, and you shall fear your God; I am the Lord.
- NLT “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 is to honor the elderly, standing in their presence as an act that reflects the fear of God. Reverence for age expresses reverence for the Lord.
Overview
Rising before the gray-headed and honoring the aged was a visible mark of a society ordered under God. The command links respect for elders directly to fearing God, showing that how we treat people reveals our reverence for their Maker. This wisdom-rooted ethic dignifies every stage of life and reflects the honor due to those who bear God's image.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Tim 5:1Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers,
- Prov 16:31Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.
- Lam 5:12Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.
- Prov 20:29The glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair is the splendor of the old.
- Job 32:6So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite declared: “I am young in years, while you are old; that is why I was timid and afraid to tell you what I know.
- Lev 19:14You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
- Job 32:4Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were older than he.
- Rom 13:7Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
- 1 Pet 2:17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- Isa 3:5The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable.
- 1 Kgs 2:19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, and sat down on his throne. Then the king had a throne brought for his mother, who sat down at his right hand.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 19:32 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.