Leviticus 19:17
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse doesn't just tell us not to hate our brothers; it commands us to actively confront them when they sin. This "frank reasoning" isn't about being judgmental, but about preventing their sin from accumulating and potentially making us responsible for not intervening.
This verse sits within a powerful chapter that's laying out the ethical code for God's people, not just in worship, but in their daily lives and relationships. It follows commands about not stealing, not lying, and not defrauding, setting a high bar for how they should treat one another. After emphasizing a specific prohibition against harboring hatred in your heart towards another, it pivots to the positive action required: confronting wrongdoing directly and lovingly, rather than letting it fester or allowing the other person to continue in harmful ways.
Think about that time someone wronged you, and you just stewed in it. Did you hate them? This verse says that not speaking up can be a form of hate.
The passage is crystal clear: 'You shall not hate your brother in your heart.' But it doesn't stop there. It then tells us how not to hate: 'you shall reason frankly with your neighbor.'
This isn't about bottling up anger or pretending everything is fine when it's not. True love for our neighbor, as commanded here, requires us to address sin directly.
Hatred often festers in silence, leading to bitterness and broken relationships. The antidote prescribed by God is courageous, honest communication. It's about confronting the wrong, not the person's character, with the goal of restoration, not condemnation.
The end of the verse says we shouldn't 'suffer sin upon him.' What does it truly mean to 'bear sin' for someone else, and why is it a sin not to confront wrong?
The phrase 'not suffer sin upon him' is a powerful, albeit sometimes confusing, command. Many scholars understand it not just as 'allowing' someone to continue in sin, but as actively avoiding becoming complicit in their sin.
When we see a brother or sister going down a path of sin and we say nothing, we are, in a sense, 'bearing sin' for them. This means we are failing to do our part in helping them bear their own burden, and by our silence, we become indirectly responsible. It’s like watching someone walk towards a cliff edge and not shouting a warning.
Our inaction can make us liable for the consequences of their sin, not because we caused it, but because we failed to intervene lovingly and truthfully.
Understand the original words
sane' · Hebrew Verb
An intense emotional hostility or ill-will directed toward another, which the Bible identifies as a root of murder and spiritual alienation.
chet · Hebrew Noun
A serious moral failing or transgression against the law of God; specifically here, the guilt acquired by neglecting to confront a brother’s wrongdoing.
Jesus echoes this command by instructing how to approach a brother who sins against you, emphasizing direct, private confrontation as the first step.
Luke 17:3This passage directly references the Levitical command, showing Jesus' affirmation of the principle that addressing a brother's sin is a loving act.
Romans 15:14Paul describes believers as being 'able to instruct one another,' highlighting the importance of mutual admonishment and spiritual guidance within the community.
Galatians 6:1This verse speaks to restoring those caught in a sin with a 'gentle spirit,' connecting the act of reproof with love and a desire for restoration, not condemnation.
1 John 3:15John links hatred of a brother to murder, underscoring the deep spiritual significance of the command in Leviticus not to harbor hatred, but to address wrongs constructively.
bensonLeviticus 19:17: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
Leviticus 19:17 . Thou shalt not hate — As thou dost, in effect, if thou dost not rebuke him. Thy brother — The same as thy neighbour; that is, every man. If thy brother hath done wrong, thou shalt neither divulge it to others, nor hate him, and smother that hatred by sullen silence; nor flatter him therein, but shalt freely, and in love, tell him of his f…
pooleLeviticus 19:17: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
To prevent murder, last spoken of, he forbids hatred, which is the common cause, and a degree of murder, 1Jo 3:15 . Thy brother; the same with neighbour , as it follows, i.e. every man, Matthew 5:44 ; for it is manifest that God’s law commanded them to love strangers no less than Israelites. If thy brother hath done thee or others any injury, thou shalt ne…
The verse doesn't just tell us not to hate our brothers; it commands us to actively confront them when they sin. This "frank reasoning" isn't about being judgmental, but about preventing their sin from accumulating and potentially making us responsible for not intervening.
This verse sits within a powerful chapter that's laying out the ethical code for God's people, not just in worship, but in their daily lives and relationships. It follows commands about not stealing, not lying, and not defrauding, setting a high bar for how they should treat one another. After emphasizing a specific prohibition against harboring hatred in your heart towards another, it pivots to the positive action required: confronting wrongdoing directly and lovingly, rather than letting it fester or allowing the other person to continue in harmful ways.
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This verse sits within a powerful chapter that's laying out the ethical code for God's people, not just in worship, but in their daily lives and relationships. It follows commands about not stealing, not lying, and not defrauding, setting a high bar for how they should treat one another. After emphasizing a specific prohibition against harboring hatred in your heart towards another, it pivots to the positive action required: confronting wrongdoing directly and lovingly, rather than letting it fester or allowing the other person to continue in harmful ways.
"“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him." — The verse doesn't just tell us not to hate our brothers; it commands us to actively confront them when they sin. This "frank reasoning" isn't about being judgmental, but about preventing their si…
