Leviticus 18:5
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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{ "references": [ { "reference": "Romans 10:5", "connection": "Paul quotes this very promise, highlighting that the law demands perfect obedience for life, a standard only fulfilled in Christ, not by human effort." }, { "reference": "Ezekiel 20:11", "connection": "This passage from Ezekiel echoes the theme of life through obedience to God's statutes and judgments, reinforcing the covenant relationship God established with Israel." }, { "reference": "Luke 10:28", "connection": "When asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus directs the lawyer back to the Law, essentially referencing this Leviticus passage and underscoring that true righteousness requires perfect adherence to God's commands." }, { "reference": "Galatians 3:12", "connection": "Paul contrasts the life promised by the Law through doing its commands with life received through faith, showing that the Law's promise of life is impossible to attain in our fallen state." } ] }
This verse appears right after God commands the Israelites to not follow the practices of the Egyptians or Canaanites and to keep His statutes. It's a foundational statement emphasizing that obedience to God's commands, not cultural norms, is the path to life, setting the stage for the specific laws about sexual purity that follow. This principle is later echoed in the New Testament when discussing righteousness through law and faith.
This verse promises life to those who keep God's statutes and rules. But what kind of life are we talking about, and is it really achievable?
The core message here is that obedience to God's commands leads to life. This promise has layers:
Temporal Life:
For ancient Israel, keeping these laws meant a life of prosperity, health, and longevity within the promised land. It was about the blessing of God on their community and their daily existence.
Eternal Life:
As understood through later Scripture (like Paul's references in Romans and Galatians), this promise also points to a deeper, eternal life. It's not that perfect obedience salvation as a strict transaction, but that a life lived in sincere obedience is the God has established, ultimately fulfilled in Christ. This eternal life is a gift through the covenant of grace, not solely earned by works, but evidenced by a life surrendered to God.
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The verse ends with a powerful declaration: 'I am the LORD.' What does this simple phrase reveal about the promise of life?
The declaration 'I am the LORD' (or 'I am Jehovah') is crucial. It’s not just a closing statement; it's the foundation for the entire promise.
God's Authority:
As 'the LORD,' God is the sovereign authority who institutes these commands. He has the right to set the terms for life.
God's Faithfulness:
This title also speaks to God's faithfulness. He is the one who established the covenant and promises life. His character guarantees that the promise is real and will be fulfilled for those who obey.
Life Connected to Him:
Ultimately, 'living by them' means living in connection with the LORD Himself. Life isn't just about survival or prosperity; it's about relationship with the divine source of all life.
Understand the original words
chayah · Hebrew Verb
In the context of Torah obedience, this refers to the state of well-being, spiritual vitality, and covenantal blessing. It encompasses both physical life and the eternal life promised through faithful adherence to God's ways.
Paul directly quotes this verse, contrasting the righteousness that comes from the law (requiring perfect obedience for life) with the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ.
Luke 10:28When asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus points to keeping the commandments, echoing the principle that life is found in obedience to God's word, though with the understanding that perfect obedience is unattainable apart from grace.
Ezekiel 20:11This passage from Ezekiel also highlights God's statutes and the promise of life to those who keep them, framing obedience as the path to living in fellowship with God.
Deuteronomy 30:19Here, Moses presents a clear choice between life and death, explicitly linking the choice of obeying God's commands with life, and disobedience with death, reinforcing the core message of Leviticus 18:5.
bensonLeviticus 18:5: "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD."
Leviticus 18:5 . He shall live in them — Not only happily here, but eternally hereafter. This is added as a powerful argument why they should follow God’s commands rather than men’s examples, because their life and happiness depended upon it. And though in strictness, and according to the covenant of works, they could not challenge life for so doing, except their obe…
calvinLeviticus 18:5: "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD."
- Ye shall therefore keep my statutes. Although Moses introduces this passage, where he exhorts the Israelites to cultivate chastity in respect to marriage, and not to fall into the incestuous pollutions of the Gentiles, yet, as it is a remarkable one, and contains general instruction, from whence Paul derives his definition of the righteousness of the Law, (Romans…
{ "references": [ { "reference": "Romans 10:5", "connection": "Paul quotes this very promise, highlighting that the law demands perfect obedience for life, a standard only fulfilled in Christ, not by human effort." }, { "reference": "Ezekiel 20:11", "connection": "This passage from Ezekiel echoes the theme of life through obedience to God's statutes and judgments, reinforcing the covenant relationship God established with Israel." }, { "reference": "Luke 10:28", "connection": "When asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus directs the lawyer back to the Law, essentially referencing this Leviticus passage and underscoring that true righteousness requires perfect adherence to God's commands." }, { "reference": "Galatians 3:12", "connection": "Paul contrasts the life promised by the Law through doing its commands with life received through faith, showing that the Law's promise of life is impossible to attain in our fallen state." } ] }
This verse appears right after God commands the Israelites to not follow the practices of the Egyptians or Canaanites and to keep His statutes. It's a foundational statement emphasizing that obedience to God's commands, not cultural norms, is the path to life, setting the stage for the specific laws about sexual purity that follow. This principle is later echoed in the New Testament when discussing righteousness through law and faith.
This verse appears right after God commands the Israelites to not follow the practices of the Egyptians or Canaanites and to keep His statutes. It's a foundational statement emphasizing that obedience to God's commands, not cultural norms, is the path to life, setting the stage for the specific laws about sexual purity that follow. This principle is later echoed in the New Testament when discussing righteousness through law and faith.
"You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD." — { "references": [ { "reference": "Romans 10:5", "connection": "Paul quotes this very promise, highlighting that the law demands perfect obedience for life, a standard only fulfilled…
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