Leviticus 19:18

Context

Within the "Holiness Code" of Leviticus, chapter 19 stands under the command "Ye shall be holy" (19:2) and sets out a wide range of regulations for daily life: honoring parents and keeping the Sabbath, leaving gleanings at harvest for the poor, not withholding wages, not mistreating people with disabilities, and judging fairly. Verse 18 follows from verse 17 ("Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart"), instructing the Israelites not to bear a grudge against or take vengeance on their own people, but to love them as themselves.

In context, the "neighbour" of the text refers to "the children of thy people," that is, fellow Israelites. Verse 34 of the same chapter, however, widens the scope by commanding that the stranger who dwells among the Israelites also be loved "as thyself."

Interpretation

• As a summary of the Law: When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus cited Deuteronomy 6:5 together with this verse and declared, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-31). Paul, declaring that "love is the fulfilling of the law," summarized the Law with this verse (Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14), and James called it "the royal law" (James 2:8).
• As broadening the scope of "neighbor": Jesus answered the question "And who is my neighbour?" with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). This answer is commonly read as redefining the neighbor: rather than restricting the term to one's own people, Jesus made it a matter of becoming a neighbor to anyone in need. Jesus went further still and taught love for one's enemies (Matthew 5:43-44).

Questions of Application

Interpreters differ on whether "as thyself" amounts to a command to love oneself. The traditional view holds that the phrase presupposes the natural human tendency to care for oneself and calls for loving one's neighbor to the same degree; some modern interpreters, by contrast, regard healthy self-respect as the foundation for love of neighbor. Emphases also differ on whether the commandment is limited to personal ethics or extends to social responsibility for the poor, immigrants, and the vulnerable. The fact that other regulations in chapter 19 address economic justice and the protection of the vulnerable is cited in support of the latter view.

In the Korean Church

The verse frequently serves as a church motto and as the theme verse for relief and service ministries, as well as for ministries to immigrants and multicultural communities. Jesus' "two commandments" are also among the passages most commonly memorized in Sunday school.

Related Passages

• Leviticus 19:33-34
• Mark 12:28-34
• Luke 10:25-37
• Romans 13:8-10
• Galatians 5:14