Bible Strands
Leviticus 19:32
You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses the Israelite community through Moses, placing this directive between commands prohibiting spiritism and forbidding the oppression of foreigners.
The words — תָּק֔וּם (ta.Kum) means "you will arise," and וְ/הָדַרְתָּ֖ (ve./ha.dar.Ta) means "and you will honor," both commanding physical and social deference.
The thread — The theme of honoring the aged appears in 1 Timothy 5:1, Proverbs 16:31, and Proverbs 20:29.
Why it lands — The text commands rising before the elderly and honoring them as a direct expression of fearing God. It requires readers to treat age with visible respect rather than dismissal.
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
King James Version
Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.
Cross-references
- 1 Timothy 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers,
- Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.
- Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair is the splendor of the old.
- Lamentations 5:12 Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.
- Leviticus 19:14 You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
- Job 32:4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were older than he.
- Job 32:6 So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite declared: “I am young in years, while you are old; that is why I was timid and afraid to tell you what I know.
- Romans 13:7 Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
- 1 Peter 2:17 Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- Isaiah 3:5 The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable.