Leviticus 26:2
New International Version
“’Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

New Living Translation
You must keep my Sabbath days of rest and show reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

English Standard Version
You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.

Berean Literal Bible
You⁺ shall keep My Sabbaths and you⁺ shall revere My sanctuary. I am YHWH.

King James Bible
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

New King James Version
You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
You shall keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD.

NASB 1995
‘You shall keep My sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the LORD.

NASB 1977
‘You shall keep My sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall keep My sabbaths and fear My sanctuary; I am Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
You shall keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.

Berean Annotated Bible
You⁺ must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD {YHWH}.

Christian Standard Bible
Keep my Sabbaths and revere my sanctuary; I am the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am Yahweh.”

American Standard Version
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
Respect the Sabbath and honor the place where I am worshiped, because I am the LORD.

English Revised Version
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Observe my days of worship and respect my holy tent. I am the LORD.

Good News Translation
Keep the religious festivals and honor the place where I am worshiped. I am the LORD.

International Standard Version
"You are to keep my Sabbath and fear my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

NET Bible
You must keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
"'You shall keep my Sabbaths, and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.

World English Bible
“‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am Yahweh.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You keep My Sabbaths and you revere My sanctuary; I [am] YHWH.

Berean Literal Bible
You⁺ shall keep My Sabbaths and you⁺ shall revere My sanctuary. I am YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
My sabbaths ye do keep, and My sanctuary ye do reverence; I am Jehovah.

Smith's Literal Translation
Ye shall watch my Sabbaths, and ye shall fear my holy place: I Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Observe my Sabbaths, and be fearful toward my Sanctuary. I am the Lord.

New American Bible
Keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall keep my commandments and reverence my sanctuary; I am the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Keep my commands and reverence my Holy Place; I AM LORD JEHOVAH.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Ye shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuaries: I am the Lord.

Additional Translations ...



Context
The Blessings of Obedience
1“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God. 2 You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD. 3If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments,…

Cross References
You must keep My Sabbaths

Exodus 31:13-17
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. / Keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Anyone who profanes it must surely be put to death. Whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from among his people. / For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death. …

Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. / Six days you shall labor and do all your work, / but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. …

Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. / Six days you shall labor and do all your work, / but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. …
and have reverence for My sanctuary.

Leviticus 19:30
You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 10:3
Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent.

Psalm 5:7
But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your loving devotion; in reverence I will bow down toward Your holy temple.
I am the LORD.

Exodus 6:7
I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

Exodus 29:46
And they will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.

Isaiah 45:5
I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,
Isaiah 56:2
Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

Ezekiel 20:12
I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

Ezekiel 20:20
Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’

Matthew 12:8
For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:27-28
Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. / Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Luke 6:5
Then Jesus declared, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Hebrews 4:9-10
There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. / For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.


Treasury of Scripture

You shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:30
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

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Holy Honour Observe Reverence Sabbaths Sanctuary
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Holy Honour Observe Reverence Sabbaths Sanctuary
Leviticus 26
1. Of idolatry
2. Reverence
3. A blessing to those who keep the commandments
14. A curse to those who break them
40. God promises to remember those who repent












You must keep My Sabbaths

Israel’s Sabbaths began with God’s rest after creation and marked the nation as belonging to Him. Weekly rest and the appointed sacred days required Israel to cease ordinary labor, gather for worship, and depend on God’s provision. Their observance set Israel apart from surrounding peoples and anticipated the lasting rest secured through Christ.

Exo 31:13-17 Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths,…
Exo 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.…
Deu 5:12-15 Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,…

and have reverence for My sanctuary.

The tabernacle, and later the temple, was the appointed place of God’s dwelling among His people and the center of sacrifice and worship. Reverence for it required Israel to recognize God’s holiness and approach Him according to His commands. The sanctuary ultimately pointed to Christ, through whom believers are brought into God’s presence.

Lev 19:30 You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary.…
Lev 10:3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant…
Psa 5:7 But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your…

I am the LORD.

God grounded these commands in His own covenant authority. He is Israel’s sovereign Redeemer, faithful to His promises and fully worthy of their obedience.

Exo 6:7 I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God.…
Exo 29:46 And they will know that I am the LORD their God,…
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who commands His people to observe His laws and statutes.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, to whom the laws and commandments, including the observance of the Sabbath and reverence for the sanctuary, are given.

3. Sabbath
A day of rest on the seventh day, instituted by God as a sign of the covenant and a reminder of His creation and deliverance.

4. Sanctuary
The holy place where God's presence dwells among His people, initially the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem.

5. Moses
The prophet and leader through whom God delivered the laws and commandments to the Israelites.
Teaching Points
Sabbath Observance as Worship
Observing the Sabbath is an act of worship and obedience, acknowledging God's sovereignty and provision. It is a time set apart for rest and reflection on God's goodness.

Reverence for God's Presence
Reverence for the sanctuary reflects a heart attitude of respect and honor towards God. Today, this reverence extends to our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit and our corporate worship gatherings.

Covenant Relationship
The commands to observe the Sabbath and reverence the sanctuary are rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people. They serve as reminders of God's faithfulness and our commitment to Him.

Spiritual Rest in Christ
While the physical observance of the Sabbath is important, it points to the deeper spiritual rest found in Jesus Christ. Believers are called to enter this rest through faith and trust in His finished work.

Holiness and Community
Observing God's commands fosters a sense of holiness and community among believers. It encourages accountability and mutual encouragement in living out our faith.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Leviticus 26:2?

2. How does Leviticus 26:2 emphasize the importance of observing the Sabbath today?

3. What does "revere My sanctuary" mean for Christians in their daily worship?

4. How can we apply the principles of Leviticus 26:2 in modern church practices?

5. What New Testament teachings align with honoring God's Sabbath and sanctuary?

6. How does respecting God's sanctuary influence our relationship with Him and others?

7. How does Leviticus 26:2 relate to the importance of observing the Sabbath today?

8. Why does Leviticus 26:2 emphasize reverence for God's sanctuary?

9. What historical context influenced the command in Leviticus 26:2?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Leviticus 26?


(2) Ye shall keep my sabbaths . . . --This is exactly the same precept laid down in chap 19:30, and is here repeated because of the danger of desecrating the Sabbath to which the Israelite is exposed who sells himself to a heathen. The Israelite will effectually guard against idol-worship, by keeping the Sabbath holy, and reverencing God's sanctuary.

Verse 2. - Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. These words are repeated textually from chapter Leviticus 19:30.

Leviticus 26:2 links three inseparable truths: honor the Lord in your time (Sabbath), honor Him in your space (sanctuary), and honor Him above all because He is the LORD. When we rest as He directs, worship as He desires, and remember Who speaks, we live in the freedom and blessing He intends.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must keep
תִּשְׁמֹ֔רוּ (tiš·mō·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

My Sabbaths
שַׁבְּתֹתַ֣י (šab·bə·ṯō·ṯay)
Noun - common plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7676: Intermission, the Sabbath

and show reverence for
תִּירָ֑אוּ (tî·rā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

My sanctuary.
וּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י (ū·miq·dā·šî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4720: A consecrated thing, place, a palace, sanctuary, asylum

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


Additonal Resources
Leviticus 26:2 Blue Letter Bible
Leviticus 26:2 Bible Gateway
Leviticus 26:2 Bible.com

Leviticus 26:2 NIV
Leviticus 26:2 NLT
Leviticus 26:2 ESV
Leviticus 26:2 NASB
Leviticus 26:2 KJV

Leviticus 26:2 Study Bible
Leviticus 26:2 Biblia Paralela
Leviticus 26:2 Chinese Bible
Leviticus 26:2 French Bible
Leviticus 26:2 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Leviticus 26:2 You shall keep my Sabbaths and have (Le Lv Lev.)

Leviticus 26:1
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