Leviticus 19:2

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

“Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them,‘You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם

Transliteration

dabbēr ʾel-kol-ʿăḏaṯ bənê-Yiśrāʾēl wə-ʾāmartā ʾălēhem qəḏōšîm tihyû kî qāḏôš ʾănî YHWH ʾĕlōhêḵem

Grammar Details

• *dabbēr*: Piel imperative, masculine singular - speak!
• *ʾel*: preposition - to, toward
• *kol*: construct noun - all of, whole of
• *ʿăḏaṯ*: construct noun, feminine singular - congregation/assembly of
• *bənê*: construct noun, masculine plural - sons/children of
• *Yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *wə-ʾāmartā*: waw consecutive + Qal perfect, 2nd masculine singular - and you shall say
• *ʾălēhem*: preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix - to them
• *qəḏōšîm*: adjective, masculine plural - holy ones/holy
• *tihyû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you shall be
• *kî*: conjunction - for, because
• *qāḏôš*: adjective, masculine singular - holy
• *ʾănî*: 1st person singular independent pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the LORD
• *ʾĕlōhêḵem*: noun, masculine plural construct + 2nd masculine plural suffix - your God

Word Meanings

• *dabbēr*: speak/address/tell
• *ʿăḏaṯ*: congregation/assembly/community
• *qəḏōšîm*: holy/set apart/consecrated
• *tihyû*: you shall be/you must be/you are to be
• *kî*: for/because/since
• *qāḏôš*: holy/set apart/consecrated

Referenced Verses

• Lev 11:44-45 : 44 for I am the LORD your God and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground, 45 for I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, and you are to be holy because I am holy.
• Lev 20:7 : 7 Exhortation to Holiness and Obedience“‘You must sanctify yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.
• Lev 20:26 : 26 You must be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the other peoples to be mine.
• 1 Pet 1:15-16 : 15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 16 for it is written,“You shall be holy, because I am holy.”
• Exod 19:6 : 6 and you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites.”
• Matt 5:48 : 48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
• 2 Cor 6:14-16 : 14 Unequal Partners Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said,“I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
• 2 Cor 7:1 : 1 Self-Purification Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God.
• Lev 21:8 : 8 You must sanctify him because he presents the food of your God. He must be holy to you because I, the LORD who sanctifies you all, am holy.
• Isa 6:3-4 : 3 They called out to one another,“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” 4 The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke.
• Amos 3:3 : 3 Do two walk together without having met?