Leviticus 19:18 Meaning and Explanation
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The command to release a wound and love our neighbor as ourselves comes straight from the heart of God.
The Context of Leviticus 19:18
Part of the holiness laws God gives Israel through Moses at Sinai, a long chapter of instructions for how a people set apart are to live with one another in fields, courts, and homes.
What Does Leviticus 19:18 Mean?
Tucked into a chapter of everyday rules sits one of the largest sentences in the Bible. God names a real temptation first: the urge to get even, and the slower habit of holding a grudge, keeping the wound open and the score remembered. Against both He sets a single positive command, to love our neighbor as ourselves. The measure is striking. We are to want for the person beside us the same good we instinctively want for ourselves. And the verse ends where its authority rests: "I am the LORD." This carries the full weight of a command. It is the character of God laid over how we treat each other.
Jesus took this very line and lifted it to the height of the whole law. Asked which command was greatest, He joined loving God with loving neighbor and said, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40). Then He lived it to the end, loving us while we were still far off, refusing revenge even from the cross. In Him the command becomes a gift: He pours into us the very love He asks of us, so that letting go of a grudge becomes possible.
Leviticus 19:18 in the Original Language
re'a (רֵעַ), 'neighbour' -- a companion, a fellow, the person near at hand.
How to Apply Leviticus 19:18 Today
When someone has wronged us, this verse gently names the grudge we may be carrying and offers a different path. We are invited to want real good for the person beside us, the same good we want for ourselves. We do not manufacture that love alone; we ask the Lord, who loved us first, to work it in us.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leviticus 19:18
What does Leviticus 19:18 mean?
The command to release a wound and love our neighbor as ourselves comes straight from the heart of God.
What is the context of Leviticus 19:18?
Part of the holiness laws God gives Israel through Moses at Sinai, a long chapter of instructions for how a people set apart are to live with one another in fields, courts, and homes.
How can I apply Leviticus 19:18 today?
When someone has wronged us, this verse gently names the grudge we may be carrying and offers a different path. We are invited to want real good for the person beside us, the same good we want for ourselves. We do not manufacture that love alone; we ask the Lord, who loved us first, to work it in us.