Leviticus 20:26
“And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This verse concludes Leviticus 20, a chapter of warnings against the defiling practices of the nations, by restating the reason Israel was called to live differently -- they belonged to a holy God.
What Does Leviticus 20:26 Mean?
The purpose of holiness in this verse is belonging: God set His people apart so that they would be His. After a chapter of warnings against the corrupt practices of surrounding nations, God states plainly why Israel must live differently. He had "severed" them -- separated them deliberately -- from other peoples, and that separation was not for its own sake. It was so that they might be holy unto Him and, above all, that they should be His own treasured people.
The phrase "holy unto me" shows that holiness is directional. It is not abstract moral perfection but devotion to a Person. The God who is holy draws a people to Himself and asks them to share His character. The word translated "severed" pictures a clear, intentional dividing -- the same kind of separating seen at creation when God divided light from darkness. Israel's distinctness was meant to be just that visible. To belong to a holy God is to be changed by Him, set apart from what defiles and set toward what He loves. The closing aim, "that ye should be mine," reveals the tender heart behind every command: God wanted a people who were truly His own.
In the Original Language
The verb "severed" is badal, to divide or separate distinctly -- the same verb used when God divided light from darkness. "Holy" again renders qadosh, set apart and sacred.
Cross References
“For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy.”
- Leviticus 11:44
“For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself.”
- Deuteronomy 7:6
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.”
- 1 Peter 2:9
Application
Remember that being set apart is ultimately about belonging to God, not merely avoiding wrong. Let your distinct way of living flow from the joy of being truly His.