Leviticus 22:31

Lev 22:31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I [am] the LORD.

Ver. 31. I am the Lord.] Your rightful Lord, and my reward is with me, to give unto every man according to his works.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lev_22:31-33

I am the Lord.

Five motives to obedience

Five motives are strewn on their path to constrain them to close obedience.

1. I am the Lord. This is authority employed.

2. I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. This is His holiness, and His desire to diffuse awe of His holy name.

3. I am the Lord which hallow you. Here is an appeal to their privileges as Israelites. Do you not feel that you actually are set apart for Me?

4. I am the Lord which brought you out of Egypt. Here is His claim as Redeemer, who paid the price and set free the captives. Is there gratitude in your souls? Is there sense of thankfulness for favour done?

5. Your God--as well as your Lord: His claim as Father, Shepherd, King, and whatever else there is that is tender in relationship, or beneficial in office, or sweet in character--all is summed up in your God! Who is like our God? Who would not fear Thee? (Jer_10:7). (A. A. Bonar.)

Unquestioning obedience peremptorily enforced

I. What Jehovah was in Israel. I am the Lord.

II. What Jehovah was to Israel. Your God.

III. What Jehovah had done for Israel. That brought you out of the land of Egypt.

IV. What Jehovah would do with Israel. I am the Lord which hallow you. Ceremonially and symbolically priests and people were made holy by--

1. The rights they observed.

2. The sacrifices they offered.

3. The manifested presence of the Lord. (F. W. Brown.)

.

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(31) Therefore shall ye keep my commandments.—Better, and ye shall keep my commandments. The law about the priests and sacrifices now concludes with an appeal to both the priests and the people to faithfully observe these commandments.

Neither shall ye profane my holy name.—Better, and ye shall not profane. The rendering of the conjunctives, both in the former verse and in this, by “therefore” and “neither,” as is done in the Authorised version, is not only unnecessary, but mars the simple and dignified style of the original. For the manner in which God’s name is profaned when His commandments are violated, see Lev_18:21.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

31–33. Concluding exhortation (characteristic of H)

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neither shall ye profane my holy name,.... By transgressing the laws of God, particularly by offering blemished sacrifices, or before the proper tithe; or by slaying the dam and its young on one day; for, as Aben Ezra observes, this is said to the sons of Aaron:

but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel; by his priests among them, and by themselves, conforming to all the precepts, and particularly the last mentioned, which respects them, and their eating up the peace offerings the same day:

I am the Lord which hallowed you; had separated them from all other people, and had given them holy laws to walk by, through the observance of which they would be at least externally holy.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

31. Keep my commandments — We keep the commandment of God by obeying it, his word by believing it, and his promise by appropriating it. These various commands of the Levitical ritual constituted the probation of the Israelites.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 31-33. These verses form the conclusion of the Section and of the Part, enjoining obedience to God"s commandments, reverence for his Name, and consequent holiness.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Concluding exhortation, as in Lev 18:29; Lev 19:37. (On Lev 22:32, cf. Lev 18:21 and Lev 11:44-45.)

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

keep my commandments and carry them out

The words "keep" and "carry out" mean the same thing. They emphasize that the people must obey God's commands. AT: "obey my commandments" (See: Doublet)

You must not profane my holy name

Here the word "name" represents Yahweh himself and his reputation and "profane" means to remove the honor that belongs to God as Creator and Lord of the universe. AT: "You must not dishonor me, for I am holy" or "You must not dishonor my holy reputation" (See: Metonymy)

I must be acknowledged as holy by the people of Israel

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The people of Israel must acknowledge me as holy" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

command

profane

holy

name

acknowledge

people group

Israel

holy

Egypt

God

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ושמרתם — This implies the study of the commandments,

ועשיתם, the doing of them (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 9 3).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND YE SHALL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. The meaning of this is that here He admonished Israel to keep the commandments, that they should be careful with the offerings [that they should not have] blemishes, or be wanting in time, such as before completion of the seven days [after birth of the animal], and [that they may not be slaughtered] on the day that the dam had been slaughtered [or conversely], and that they bring the peace-offerings and the thanks-offering [properly as ordained], and that they slaughter them with the intention that they be accepted for them; thus He included therein all commandments together. Now He has already mentioned above with reference to the statutes and ordinances, And ye shall observe all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances. He states [here], And ye shall not profane My holy Name, which means to say that there should not be among you one who dealeth craftily, [whereas he hath in his flock a male, and voweth,] and sacrificeth unto the Eternal a blemished thing, just as He said with reference to the sons of Aaron, and they profane not My holy Name, warning them in connection with the offerings against impurity or blemishes.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

You shall preserve My commandments — in the heart.

And fulfill them, I am Adonoy — Who will investigate what is in the heart and will see all that has been done.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.