Leviticus 18:2
New International Version
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the LORD your God.

New Living Translation
“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the LORD your God.

English Standard Version
“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God.

Berean Standard Bible
“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God.

King James Bible
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.

New King James Version
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘I am the LORD your God.

New American Standard Bible
“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.

NASB 1995
“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.

NASB 1977
“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God.

Amplified Bible
“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.

Christian Standard Bible
“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am Yahweh your God.

American Standard Version
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am Jehovah your God.

Contemporary English Version
to tell the people of Israel: I am the LORD your God!

English Revised Version
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Tell the Israelites: I am the LORD your God.

Good News Translation
to say to the people of Israel, "I am the LORD your God.

International Standard Version
"Tell the Israelis that I am the LORD your God.

Majority Standard Bible
?Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God.

NET Bible
"Speak to the Israelites and tell them, 'I am the LORD your God!

New Heart English Bible
"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'I am the LORD your God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I am the LORD your God.

World English Bible
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you have said to them: I [am] your God YHWH;

Young's Literal Translation
Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, I am Jehovah your God;

Smith's Literal Translation
Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, I am Jehovah your God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: I am the Lord your God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: I am the Lord your God.

New American Bible
Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I, the LORD, am your God.

New Revised Standard Version
Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: I am the LORD your God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“Speak with the children of Israel and say to them: 'I AM LORD JEHOVAH your God.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: I am the LORD your God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, I am the Lord your God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Unlawful Sexual Relations
1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God. 3You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs.…

Cross References
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 20:2
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 5:6
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 29:13
and so that He may establish you today as His people, and He may be your God as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Jeremiah 31:33
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Ezekiel 20:5
and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’

Ezekiel 20:19
I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.

Ezekiel 36:28
Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.

Ezekiel 37:23
They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’

Romans 9:25-26
As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,” / and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. / Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.


Treasury of Scripture

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 18:4
Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 11:44
For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Leviticus 19:3,4,10,34
Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God…

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Leviticus 18
1. Unlawful marriages and unlawful lusts














Speak to the Israelites
This phrase establishes the audience as the Israelites, the chosen people of God. It is important to note that the Israelites were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and they were in a covenant relationship with God. This covenant was marked by the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, which set them apart from other nations. The Israelites were to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6). This command to speak to them underscores the importance of communication from God through His appointed leader, Moses, who served as a mediator between God and the people.

and tell them:
The directive to "tell them" emphasizes the role of Moses as a prophet and leader. It highlights the importance of verbal communication in transmitting God's laws and decrees. In the ancient Near Eastern context, oral tradition was a primary means of preserving and conveying important information. This phrase also underscores the responsibility of leaders to faithfully communicate God's word to His people, a theme that is echoed throughout Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 2 Timothy 4:2).

I am the LORD your God.
This declaration is a reaffirmation of God's identity and His covenant relationship with Israel. The use of "I am" connects to the divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14), signifying God's eternal, self-existent nature. The term "LORD" (YHWH) is the personal name of God, emphasizing His covenant faithfulness. By stating "your God," it personalizes the relationship, reminding the Israelites of their unique status as God's chosen people. This phrase serves as a foundation for the laws that follow, as it establishes God's authority and the reason for obedience. It also foreshadows the New Covenant, where Jesus Christ, as God incarnate, fulfills the law and establishes a new relationship with believers (Matthew 5:17, Hebrews 8:6-13).

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and are now receiving God's laws and commandments.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal existence and faithfulness to His promises. He is the one true God who has established a relationship with the Israelites.

3. Moses
The prophet and leader of the Israelites, through whom God communicates His laws and commandments to His people.

4. Mount Sinai
The place where God gave the Law to Moses, including the instructions found in Leviticus.

5. The Covenant
The agreement established between God and the Israelites, where God promises to be their God, and they are to be His people, following His laws and commandments.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and Authority
Recognize that God is the ultimate authority in our lives. Just as He declared to the Israelites, "I am the LORD your God," He calls us to acknowledge His sovereignty and submit to His will.

Covenant Relationship
Understand the importance of the covenant relationship between God and His people. This relationship is based on God's promises and our response of obedience and faithfulness.

Call to Holiness
Embrace the call to holiness in our daily lives. As God is holy, we are to reflect His character in our actions, thoughts, and relationships.

Identity in God
Our identity is rooted in our relationship with God. Just as the Israelites were identified as God's people, we too are called to live out our identity as followers of Christ.

Obedience to God's Commands
Obedience to God's commands is a demonstration of our love and commitment to Him. It is through obedience that we experience the fullness of life that God intends for us.(2) I am the Lord your God.--The Lord is their recognised and sole sovereign, the children of Israel are therefore bound to obey His precepts, and not be led astray by the customs or statutes which prevailed among the people whose country they are to possess. Moreover, as He is holy, the Israelites, by faithfully obeying His sacred laws, will attain to that holiness which will bring them in communion with Him in whose image they were created. This phrase, which is so emphatically repeated twice more in this chapter (Leviticus 18:4; Leviticus 18:30), has only been used once before in this book. (See Leviticus 11:44.)



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Speak
דַּבֵּר֙ (dab·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

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

[and] tell
וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ (wə·’ā·mar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

them,
אֲלֵהֶ֑ם (’ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

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

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

your God.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Law: Leviticus 18:2 Speak to the children of Israel (Le Lv Lev.)
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