Leviticus 19:18

“You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.”
Leviticus 19:18 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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The law asks us not to hate, take revenge or hold a grudgeForgiveness Already in the law: no vengeance or grudge, love your neighbor as yourselfLove Do not hold a grudge: rebuke, and love your neighbor as yourselfConflict and Reconciliation

With the Hebrew beneath

You shall notלֹאtake vengeance,תִקֹּםand you shall notוְלֹאbear a grudgeתִטֹּרagainst the sonsאֶת בְּנֵיof your people,עַמֶּךָbut you shall loveוְאָהַבְתָּyour neighborלְרֵעֲךָas yourself.כָּמוֹךָIאֲנִיam YHWH.יְהוָה

Quotation · Matthew 5:43

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Jesus quotes “You shall love your neighbor” without “as yourself.” “And hate your enemy” is not in Leviticus 19:18 or in any other passage of the OT.

Formula: Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη “you have heard that it was said” (Matthew 5:43)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου καὶ μισήσεις τὸν ἐχθρόν σου

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה

Septuagint (Leviticus 19:17-18 in the Septuagint numbering): οὐ μισήσεις τὸν ἀδελφόν σου τῆ διανοίᾳ σου· ἐλεγμῷ ἐλέγξεις τὸν πλησίον σου, καὶ οὐ λήμψῃ δι’ αὐτὸν ἁμαρτίαν. καὶ οὐκ ἐκδικᾶταί σου ἡ χείρ, καὶ οὐ μηνιεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 4 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Luke 10:27

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The expert in the law joins Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18; from the latter he quotes “your neighbor as yourself.”

Formula: Ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τί γέγραπται “what is written in the law?” (Luke 10:26)

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Greek of the New Testament: ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν Ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σου καὶ τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Romans 13:9

Go to Romans 13:9

Paul sums up the commandments in the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

Formula: ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται ἐν τῷ “it is summed up in this word” (Romans 13:9)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: τὸ γάρ Οὐ μοιχεύσεις Οὐ φονεύσεις Οὐ κλέψεις Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις καὶ εἴ τις ἑτέρα ἐντολή ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται ἐν τῷ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה

Septuagint (Leviticus 19:18 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ οὐκ ἐκδικᾶταί σου ἡ χείρ, καὶ οὐ μηνιεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Galatians 5:14

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Paul sums up the whole law in the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

Formula: ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ πεπλήρωται ἐν τῷ “is fulfilled in one word, in this” (Galatians 5:14)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ὁ γὰρ πᾶς νόμος ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ πεπλήρωται ἐν τῷ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · James 2:8

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James calls the second half of Leviticus 19:18 “the royal law.”

Formula: κατὰ τὴν γραφήν “according to the Scripture” (James 2:8)

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Greek of the New Testament: Εἰ μέντοι νόμον τελεῖτε βασιλικὸν κατὰ τὴν γραφήν Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν καλῶς ποιεῖτε

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה

Septuagint (Leviticus 19:18-19 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ οὐκ ἐκδικᾶταί σου ἡ χείρ, καὶ οὐ μηνιεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος. Τὸν νόμον μου φυλάξεσθε. τὰ κτήνη σου οὐ κατοχεύσεις ἑτεροζύγῳ, καὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνά σου οὐ κατασπερεῖς διάφορον, καὶ ἱμάτιον ἐκ δύο ὑφασμένον κίβδηλον οὐκ ἐπιβαλεῖς σεαυτῷ.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Matthew 19:19

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At the end of the commandments Jesus adds the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

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Greek of the New Testament: Τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 7 consecutive words: “καὶ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Matthew 22:39

Go to Matthew 22:39

Jesus gives as the second commandment the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

Formula: Δευτέρα δὲ ὁμοία αὐτῇ “and a second is like it” (Matthew 22:39)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Δευτέρα δὲ ὁμοία αὐτῇ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Mark 12:31

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Jesus gives as the second commandment the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

Formula: δευτέρα αὕτη “the second is this” (Mark 12:31)

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Greek of the New Testament: δευτέρα αὕτη Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν μείζων τούτων ἄλλη ἐντολὴ οὐκ ἔστιν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Leviticus 19:18, word by word

take vengeanceתִקֹּםtikom

avenge

Avenge: make someone pay for the wrong done; take vengeance.

Where else “tikom” appears

bear a grudgeתִטֹּרtitor

bear a grudge

To nurse anger, hold resentment against someone.

Where else “titor” appears

against the sonsבְּנֵיbene

descendant

A descendant or member of a people: "sons of Israel".

Where else “bene” appears

of your peopleעַמֶּame

kin

Relatives: "gathered to his people" at death.

Where else “ame” appears

but you shall loveאָהַבְתָּahavta

love

To care for someone from the heart and seek their good.

Where else “ahavta” appears

your neighborרֵעֲrea

neighbor

The person living near, anyone one deals with.

Where else “rea” appears

am YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

Translation note

Jesus called this the second great commandment, together with loving God (Matthew 22:37-40); Paul says that the law is summed up in it (Romans 13:9).

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Matthew 5:43

Jesus quotes “You shall love your neighbor” without “as yourself.” “And hate your enemy” is not in Leviticus 19:18 or in any other passage of the OT.

See them side by side

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁸You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

Matthew 5:43

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Quotation · Luke 10:27

The expert in the law joins Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18; from the latter he quotes “your neighbor as yourself.”

See them side by side

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁸You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

Luke 10:27

²⁷And he answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Quotation · Romans 13:9

Paul sums up the commandments in the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

See them side by side

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁸You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

Romans 13:9

⁹For: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet; and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Quotation · Galatians 5:14

Paul sums up the whole law in the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

See them side by side

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁸You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

Galatians 5:14

¹⁴For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Quotation · James 2:8

James calls the second half of Leviticus 19:18 “the royal law.”

See them side by side

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁸You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

James 2:8

⁸If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well.

Quotation · Matthew 19:19

At the end of the commandments Jesus adds the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

See them side by side

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁸You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

Matthew 19:19

¹⁹honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Quotation · Matthew 22:39

Jesus gives as the second commandment the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

See them side by side

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁸You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

Matthew 22:39

³⁹And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Quotation · Mark 12:31

Jesus gives as the second commandment the second half of Leviticus 19:18.

See them side by side

Leviticus 19:18

¹⁸You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

Mark 12:31

³¹The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The context

17You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and you shall not bear sin because of him.

18 · This verse (above)

19You shall keep my statutes. Your beasts you shall not let breed with two kinds; your field you shall not sow with two kinds, and a garment of two kinds, of mixed fabric, shall not come on you.

Read all of Leviticus 19

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