Leviticus 19:18
New International Version
“’Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

New Living Translation
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

English Standard Version
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

King James Bible
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

New King James Version
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
You shall not take vengeance, nor hold any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

NASB 1995
‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

NASB 1977
‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not keep your anger against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor (acquaintance, associate, companion) as yourself; I am the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.”

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
Don't be angry or try to take revenge. I am the LORD, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never get revenge. Never hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the LORD.

Good News Translation
Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the LORD.

International Standard Version
"You are not to seek vengeance or hold a grudge against the descendants of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."

Majority Standard Bible
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

NET Bible
You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
"'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; I am the LORD.

World English Bible
“‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You do not take vengeance, nor watch the sons of your people; and you have had love for your neighbor as yourself; I [am] YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou dost not take vengeance, nor watch the sons of thy people; and thou hast had love to thy neighbour as thyself; I am Jehovah.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not avenge thyself nor keep anger with the sons of thy people, and didst love thy neighbor as thyself. I Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. Thou shalt love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Do not seek revenge, neither should you be mindful of the injury of your fellow citizens. You shall love your friend as yourself. I am the Lord.

New American Bible
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall not bear any enmity against the children of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Do not keep hate for the children your people, but love your fellow man as yourself. I AM LORD JEHOVAH.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thy hand shall not avenge thee; and thou shalt not be angry with the children of thy people; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; I am the Lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Love Your Neighbor
17You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him. 18Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Cross References
Matthew 22:39
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Mark 12:31
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Romans 13:9
The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

James 2:8
If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

Matthew 5:43-44
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ / But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

1 John 4:21
And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

1 John 3:11
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.

Proverbs 24:29
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

Exodus 23:4-5
If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him. / If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.

Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.


Treasury of Scripture

You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

not avenge

Exodus 23:4,5
If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again…

Deuteronomy 32:25
The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

2 Samuel 13:22,28
And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar…

thou shalt

Matthew 5:43
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

Matthew 19:19
Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Matthew 22:39,40
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself…

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Attempts Avenge Bear Children Equal Feelings Grudge Hard Love Neighbor Neighbour Revenge Seek Thyself Vengeance Watch Wrong
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Attempts Avenge Bear Children Equal Feelings Grudge Hard Love Neighbor Neighbour Revenge Seek Thyself Vengeance Watch Wrong
Leviticus 19
1. A repetition of various laws














Do not seek revenge
The Hebrew root for "revenge" is "naqam," which implies a personal vendetta or retaliation. In the ancient Near Eastern context, revenge was often seen as a way to restore honor or balance. However, this commandment calls for a radical departure from cultural norms, urging the Israelites to trust in God's justice rather than taking matters into their own hands. This reflects a divine call to rise above human instincts and embrace a higher moral standard.

or bear a grudge
The phrase "bear a grudge" comes from the Hebrew "natar," which means to keep or harbor anger. This instruction addresses the internalization of resentment, which can fester and lead to further sin. By prohibiting grudges, the verse encourages a heart of forgiveness and reconciliation, aligning with the broader biblical theme of inner purity and peace. It underscores the importance of emotional and spiritual health in community relationships.

against any of your people
This phrase emphasizes the communal aspect of the commandment. "Your people" refers to fellow Israelites, highlighting the covenantal relationship among God's chosen people. In a historical context, this was crucial for maintaining unity and harmony within the nation. It serves as a reminder that God's laws are designed to foster a supportive and loving community, reflecting His character.

but love your neighbor as yourself
The Hebrew word for "love" is "ahav," which denotes a deep, abiding affection and commitment. This commandment is foundational, later echoed by Jesus in the New Testament as the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39). It calls for empathy and selflessness, urging believers to treat others with the same care and respect they desire for themselves. This principle is transformative, promoting a culture of kindness and mutual respect.

I am the LORD
This declaration, "Ani Yahweh," serves as a divine seal of authority and motivation for obedience. It reminds the Israelites of God's sovereignty and their covenant relationship with Him. By anchoring the commandment in His identity, God emphasizes that these instructions are not merely ethical guidelines but divine imperatives rooted in His holy nature. This phrase calls believers to reflect God's character in their interactions, reinforcing the sacredness of the commandment.

(18) Thou shalt not avenge.--As the preceding verse enjoins upon us to reprove the offender, this verse forbids us to avenge the wrong even when the rebuke has proved ineffectual, thus demanding the greatest sacrifice on the part of the injured person. The administrators of the law during the second Temple illustrate what is meant by avenge by the following example. "When a disobliging person who is in need applies to you to lend him something, and you reply, 'I will not lend you even as you would not lend me,' this is to avenge." (Comp. also Romans 12:19.)

Nor bear any grudge.--The law goes further still. It enjoins that the injured man is to banish from memory the injury he has suffered, though the offender has made no reparation. The spiritual authorities during the time of Christ regarded the simple reference to the injury when a kindly act is performed to our adversary as a violation of this injunction. They illustrated it by the following example. When an adversary applies to you to lend him something, and you actually comply with his request, but in so doing you say, "I lend it you, I will not act as you have acted, for you have refused to lend me," this is a violation of the command not to bear any grudge. "He who at the reconciliation with his adversary readily forgives his transgressions, his own trespasses will also be readily forgiven in the day of judgment," is the oft-repeated precept of the sages during the second Temple. Again, "He who suffers injuries and does not return injury for injury, he who is reviled? 1 does not revile again, fulfils acts of love and rejoice in suffering; of him it is said, 'Those that love him are like the sun, which comes forth in its might from all dark clouds beaming with light'" (Judges 5:31).

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.--This sublime precept formed the centre around which clustered the ethical systems propounded by some of the most distinguished Jewish teachers during the second Temple. When Hillel was asked by one who wished to learn the sum and substance of the Divine Law in the shortest possible time, this sage replied by giving a paraphrase of the precept before us in a negative form, "What thou dost not wish that others should do to thee, that do not thou to others; this is the whole Law, the rest is only its interpretation. Now go and learn." Christ gives it in the positive form (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31; Romans 13:8-10). . . .

Verse 18. - Revenge and malice are forbidden as well as hatred, and the negative precepts culminate in the positive law. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, which sums up in itself one half of the Decalogue (Matthew 22:40). "For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law" (Romans 13:8-10).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

seek revenge
תִקֹּ֤ם (ṯiq·qōm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5358: To grudge, avenge, punish

or bear a grudge
תִטֹּר֙ (ṯiṭ·ṭōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5201: To guard, to cherish

against any
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of your people,
עַמֶּ֔ךָ (‘am·me·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

but love
וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ (wə·’ā·haḇ·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

your neighbor
לְרֵעֲךָ֖ (lə·rê·‘ă·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

as yourself.
כָּמ֑וֹךָ (kā·mō·w·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

I
אֲנִ֖י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Law: Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance nor bear (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 19:17
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