Leviticus 19:15 Meaning and Explanation
“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Fairness can be distorted by more than greed. We may favor a suffering person from sympathy, defer to an influential person from fear, or make a quick judgment from appearances. This command reaches those hidden pressures. It asks how God's holy people can pursue justice while still caring deeply for every person involved.
Leviticus 19:15 commands impartial judgment. Poverty and power must not bend the decision, because a neighbor deserves to be judged according to what is righteous and true.
The Context of Leviticus 19:15
The LORD speaks through Moses to the whole congregation of Israel, calling them to holiness because He is holy. Leviticus 19 joins worship, family life, harvest practices, speech, labor, care for vulnerable people, and public justice under that call. Verses 9-14 protect the poor, the stranger, hired workers, the deaf, and the blind. Verse 15 then addresses judgment itself. The following verses forbid tale-bearing, hatred, revenge, and grudges, and command love for one's neighbor. Later in the chapter, honest weights and measures extend the same concern for righteousness into ordinary trade.
What Does Leviticus 19:15 Mean?
"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment" gives the central command. Judgment concerns a decision about another person's case, conduct, claim, or dispute. God forbids unrighteousness in the process and outcome. The verse names two temptations. "Respect the person of the poor" means allowing a person's poverty to determine the verdict; "honor the person of the mighty" means allowing status or influence to determine it. Poverty calls for real care, as the surrounding commands show. Power deserves no contempt merely for being power. Yet neither condition supplies the truth of a case. The judge is to see the neighbor as a person answerable before God and to decide in righteousness.
This instruction belongs within a chapter where holiness takes visible social form. Israel was commanded to leave gleanings for poor people and strangers, pay workers promptly, avoid exploiting those with disabilities, and love the neighbor. Such mercy could never become an excuse for false judgment. A community needs both generous provision and truthful decisions. The same God who remembers the vulnerable also requires judges to resist every form of partiality. Verse 35 returns to the phrase "no unrighteousness in judgment" when it commands honesty in measurements, weights, and measures. Courtroom decisions and marketplace practices share one moral ground: dealings with neighbors are lived before the LORD.
The Bible later presents righteous judgment as a mark of the promised king. Isaiah describes the Messiah judging the poor with righteousness and reproving with equity, a judgment that attends to reality rather than outward appearance. Jesus also calls for righteous judgment, directing His hearers beyond superficial assessment. His ministry shows compassion toward people commonly overlooked, while His words expose falsehood and hypocrisy wherever they appear. Leviticus 19:15 therefore helps us recognize justice as a holy service of love. Mercy seeks a neighbor's good, and righteousness refuses to secure that good through a false verdict.
Bible Verses Related to Leviticus 19:15
“Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.”
- Deuteronomy 1:17
“These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.”
- Proverbs 24:23
“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”
- Isaiah 11:4
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”
- James 2:1
Where Leviticus 19:15 Echoes in Scripture
James 2:1-4 gives a strong later echo of this command by confronting preferential treatment within the gathered believers. James describes the temptation to honor a visibly wealthy visitor while treating a poor visitor with contempt, and he identifies such distinctions as corrupt judgment. The passage carries Leviticus 19:15 into ordinary communal life, where seating, attention, welcome, and speech can reveal the same partiality that distorts formal decisions.
How to Apply Leviticus 19:15 Today
This verse invites careful habits wherever our judgments affect others. In a family disagreement, workplace conflict, online accusation, committee decision, or act of discipline, we can slow down before assigning blame. We can hear more than one account, distinguish sympathy from evidence, and refuse to let prominence, wealth, education, weakness, or familiarity settle the matter. Care for those with fewer resources remains a real responsibility; truthful judgment protects them as well. When we lack authority or sufficient knowledge, humility may mean withholding a verdict rather than repeating a report. Prayerful fairness honors God and guards our neighbors' names.
Reflection & Prayer
Where do appearances most readily influence our judgment: a person's need, confidence, reputation, social standing, or closeness to us? We may ask God to show us any partiality we excuse as kindness, loyalty, or caution. Suggested prayer: "Holy Lord, give us hearts that care for every neighbor and minds that seek what is true. Keep us from favoring faces, fearing influence, or speaking beyond what we know. Guide our judgments in righteousness. Amen."