Leviticus 19:16

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am Jehovah.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה

Transliteration

lōʾ-ṯēlēḵ rāḵîl bəʿammêḵā lōʾ ṯaʿămōḏ ʿal-dam rēʿeḵā ʾănî YHWH

Grammar Details

• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *ṯēlēḵ*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you shall go/walk
• *rāḵîl*: noun, masculine singular - slanderer/talebearer
• *bəʿammêḵā*: preposition + noun, masculine plural + 2nd masculine singular suffix - among your people
• *ṯaʿămōḏ*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you shall stand
• *ʿal*: preposition - upon/against
• *dam*: noun, masculine singular construct - blood of
• *rēʿeḵā*: noun, masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix - your neighbor
• *ʾănî*: 1st person singular independent pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the LORD

Word Meanings

• *ṯēlēḵ* *rāḵîl*: go about as a slanderer/spread slander/gossip
• *ṯaʿămōḏ* *ʿal*-*dam*: stand against the blood/endanger the life/fail to protect

Referenced Verses

• Exod 23:1 : 1 Thou shalt not take up a false report: put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
• Exod 23:7 : 7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
• Ezek 22:9 : 9 Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood; and in thee they have eaten upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they have committed lewdness.
• Ps 15:3 : 3 He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor;
• Prov 11:13 : 13 He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter.
• Prov 20:19 : 19 He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; Therefore company not with him that openeth wide his lips.
• Jer 6:28 : 28 They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly.
• Jer 9:4 : 4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.
• Matt 26:60-61 : 60 and they found it not, though many false witnesses came. But afterward came two, 61 and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
• 1 Kgs 21:10-13 : 10 and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst curse God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him to death. 11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, according as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And the two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him: and the base fellows bare witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did curse God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones.
• Acts 6:11-13 : 11 Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and [against] God. 12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the council, 13 and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak {G989} words against this holy place, and the law:
• Acts 24:4-9 : 4 But, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I entreat thee to hear us of thy clemency a few words. 5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: 6 who moreover assayed to profane the temple: on whom also we laid hold: 8 from whom thou wilt be able, by examining him thyself, to take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him. 9 And the Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that these things were so.
• 1 Tim 3:11 : 11 Women in like manner [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
• 2 Tim 3:3 : 3 without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
• Titus 2:3 : 3 that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;
• 1 Pet 2:1 : 1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
• Exod 20:16 : 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
• Matt 27:4 : 4 saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou [to it].