Leviticus 19:15 Explained

"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour." — Leviticus 19:15 (KJV)

Impartiality commanded in both directions, and the first direction is the one modern readers do not expect.

Read it in context: The Book of Leviticus. Also gathered under verses about justice.

Leviticus 19:15 in context

What does Leviticus 19:15 mean?

Two prohibitions, deliberately paired. Favouring the mighty is the obvious corruption. Favouring the poor is named first, and it is not a caution against generosity — Leviticus commands that at length elsewhere — but against letting sympathy decide a case. The claim is that justice bent toward the sympathetic party is still bent, and that a poor man's right is protected by the same impartiality that protects everyone's.

What is the context of Leviticus 19:15?

Leviticus 19 is the chapter that also contains 'love thy neighbour as thyself' — this verse is four lines above it. The setting is a court, and the audience is ordinary Israelites serving as judges among their own.

How do I pray Leviticus 19:15?

Pray it before judging a dispute where you already like one party. Ask which way your thumb is on the scale; the verse assumes there is one and only differs from you about which direction counts as a fault. Then say what you would decide if the parties were swapped.

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