Leviticus 18:5

Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Yahweh speaks to the Israelites through Moses, issuing a command before the detailed list of prohibited sexual relations begins in Leviticus 18:6.

The words — חֻקֹּתַי (chuqotai) and מִשְׁפָּטַי (mishpatay) literally mean "my statutes" and "my judgments," linked to יַעֲשֶׂה (ya'aseh), "he will do."

The thread — The quoted principle runs through Ezekiel 20:11, Romans 10:5, and Galatians 3:12 as a covenant law standard rather than a promise.

Why it lands — The text commands adherence to divine statutes and judgments, stating that performing them produces life.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤םu./she.mar.Temand/ you will keep אֶת־'et-<obj.>חֻקֹּתַי֙chu.ko.Ta/istatutes/ my וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>מִשְׁפָּטַ֔יmish.pa.Ta/ijudgments/ my אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich יַעֲשֶׂ֥הya.'a.Sehhe will do אֹתָ֛ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them הָאָדָ֖םha./'a.Dam<the>/ humankind וָחַ֣יva./Chaiand/ he will liveבָּהֶ֑םba./Hemby <the>/ themאֲנִ֖י'a.NiI יְהוָֽה׃ סYah.weh[am] Yahweh

King James Version

Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.

Cross-references

Galatians 3:12 The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”
Ezekiel 20:11 And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.
Romans 10:5 For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”
Ezekiel 20:13 Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:21 But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.
Luke 10:28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”
Exodus 6:2 God also told Moses, “I am the LORD.
Exodus 6:6 Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
Exodus 6:29 He said to him, “I am the LORD; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you.”
Malachi 3:6 “Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.