Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 20:7
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I [am] the LORD your God.
7. Almost verbally identical with Lev 11:44 a.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
7-19. Sanctify yourselves therefore,and be ye holyThe minute specification of the incestuous andunnatural crimes here enumerated shows their sad prevalence amongstthe idolatrous nations around, and the extreme proneness of theIsraelites to follow the customs of their neighbors. It is to beunderstood, that, whenever mention is made that the offender was “tobe put to death” without describing the mode, stoning is meant.The only instance of another form of capital punishment occurs in Le20:14, that of being burnt with fire; and yet it is probable thateven here death was first inflicted by stoning, and the body of thecriminal afterwards consumed by fire (Jos7:15).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Sanctify yourselves therefore,…. By abstaining from such impious and idolatrous practices, and separating themselves from all that gave into them, as well as by observing the holy commandments of the Lord; otherwise internal sanctification is not the work of man, but of the Lord himself, as in Le 20:8:
and be ye holy; or a separate people from all others in worship and conversation:
for I [am] the Lord your God; who is a holy God, and therefore it became them to be holy, in imitation of him, Le 19:2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For the Israelites were to sanctify themselves, i.e., to keep themselves pure from all idolatrous abominations, to be holy because Jehovah was holy (Lev 11:44; Lev 19:2), and to keep the statutes of their God who sanctified them (Exo 31:13).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 7, 8:
The text is a positive command. “Sanctify,” qadesh, “separate or set oneself apart.” The word does not mean to be without sin or flaw. It means to be reserved or set apart for the exclusive use of the one to whom devoted.
“Holy,” qadosh, the same root word translated “sanctify.”
The meaning: “Set yourself apart, and reckon yourself to be reserved for the exclusive use of Jehovah your Elohim.”
Holiness is a requisite for God’s child today, see Ro 6:19, 22; 12:1; 1Co 3:17; 2Co 7:1; Eph 1:4; Co. 1:22; 1Th 3:13; 4:7; 1Pe 1:15, 16; 2:5, 9.
The other command of the text: to keep Jehovah’s statutes, and to put them into practice. This is relevant for today, as well, Mt 28:20; Jas 1:22-25; Lu 6:46; Joh 14:15.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(7, 8) Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy.Rather, Ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy, as the same phrase is rendered in the Authorised Version in Lev. 11:44. Though it is immaterial which of the two renderings is adopted, it is important that it should be the same in both passages, since the phrase is exactly the same in the original. It is only by keeping the Divine ordinances that the Israelites will attain to that state of holiness which will not only arm them to resist the abominable rites and idolatrous practices denounced in the foregoing verses, but which will enable them to reflect the holiness of their Lord.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Sanctify yourselves An important part of sanctification, which lies within the gracious ability of men, is to refrain from acts of impurity. See
1Th 4:3. But until the soul is cleansed by the Sanctifier this abstinence will cost a struggle. This is the difference between a justified soul and one entirely sanctified. “The impress of consecration to a holy God is to be stamped on the life of the Israelites in ordinances extending to all important relations and conditions; in every important affair of life the Israelite has to accomplish something demanded by God.” Oehler.
Israel Are To Be Sanctified And Obedient ( Lev 20:7-8 ).
Israel are to sanctify themselves to being holy (Lev 20:7) and must be obedient because Yahweh is santifying them (Lev 20:8).
Lev 20:7
“Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be you holy; for I am Yahweh your God.”
So they are rather to set themselves apart totally to Yahweh, and be holy (set apart in what they were as uniquely like Him) as He is holy, by walking in His revealed ways. For He is Yahweh their covenant God. They are to look to none other but Him, and to serve Him only.
Lev 20:8
“And you shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.”
And because He is the One Who is continually sanctifying them as His people, making them holy, caring for them, watching over them, shepherding them, they are to keep in their hearts, and do, His statutes, all that He has laid down for them to do. We also may treasure His word, but the question is, do we ‘do’ it? See Mat 21:30. To hear is good, but to obey is what is demanded. Some of those statutes are now outlined.
The LORD’S people must be a distinguished people, 1Pe 1:16 .
Lev 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I [am] the LORD your God.
Ver. 7. For I am the Lord your God. ] And God that is holy should be sanctified in righteousness. Isa 5:16
the LORD [Hebrew. Jehovah. your God [Hebrew. Elohim. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint, read. “I am holy, Jehovah your God”.
Lev 11:44, Lev 19:2, Eph 1:4, Phi 2:12, Phi 2:13, Col 3:12, 1Th 4:3, 1Th 4:7, Heb 12:14, 1Pe 1:15, 1Pe 1:16
Reciprocal: Lev 18:2 – General Lev 19:31 – General Lev 20:26 – the Lord Lev 21:8 – for I Jos 3:5 – Sanctify 1Sa 16:5 – sanctify yourselves Eze 20:7 – I am Eze 37:23 – but
SANCTIFICATION HUMAN AND DIVINE
Sanctify yourselves. I am the Lord which sanctify you.
Lev 20:7-8
I. Sanctification is Gods aim for us all.God called us, not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. We were chosen in Christ, that we should be holy and without blame. We are elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience. Holiness is, therefore, the rule of Gods household; and for a man to call himself a Christian, without being holy, is an anomaly. It must be laid on every believer, stepping into the ranks of the visible Church, that holiness is not a matter of option, but of necessity.
II. Sanctification is a joint work.On our side, we are graciously inclined and led to desire to be holy, and put our will on Gods side, crying, Bend me, Bend me. We are then called upon to separate ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. We are commanded to put right everything in our lives which will not bear Gods search-light; to abandon every form of amusement and companionship that hinders our better life. But this is only one side of the question of Sanctification.
III. Holiness is not what we are, or do, or give; but what God is, and does, and gives. It is Gods taking possession of us; it is His Presence, by the Holy Spirit, within us. He made the Sabbath holy by resting in it; the Tabernacle holy by filling it; the Bush holy by shining in it; and He will make us holy by entering our hearts, and filling them.
Illustration
(1) The holiness of saints depends upon no outward condition, requires no special gift of nature or of Providence, of understanding or wisdom, nay, I may say, of grace. It need not be shown in any one form; it does not require the largeness of any one grace; still less does it consist in austere sadness, or stern constraint, or rigid severity as to ourselves or others, except as to our sins. The blessed company of the redeemed saints have and have not found one road to heaven. One road they found, in that they were saved through one Redeemer, looking on to Him and believing in Him before He came or looking to Him when He had come. But all else in their outward lot was different. They were redeemed to God out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
(2) What comfort there is in the constant assurance, I am the Lord which sanctify you; as if His abiding presence were enough to secure the holiness on which He had set His heart. And if for them, how certainly for us? as He has promised to make us blameless, if not faultless, by sanctifying us wholly in spirit, soul, and body.
(3) The law of this twentieth as of many other chapters, is enforced on the ground that the Israelites were called to be a holy people. With how great additional force must this apply to Christians. Not only the Israelite, but the stranger also, defiled Gods sanctuary and profaned His holy name by sin. The same thing must be true always; there is no escape from responsibility because one chooses not to acknowledge allegiance to God. The Divine commands still rest upon him. Only he has less help and support in keeping them while he remains aloof from the commonwealth of Israel.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary