Lev 11:44-45 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Lev 11:44-45: 11:44-45 I am the Lord your God: See study note on 18:2. • be holy, because I am holy: These words express the dominant theme of Leviticus: God is holy. He must be regarded and treated as holy, and he expects holiness from his people (10:3 ; 19:2 ). The profound teaching of this verse is that God’s own nature permeates those who covenant with him (see also 11:45 ; 20:7 , 26 ; 21:8 , 15 ; 22:9 , 16 , 32 ), and they become his holy people (Exod 22:31 ; Deut 28:9 ; cp. 1 Pet 1:16 ).

Summary for Lev 11:44-45: 11:44-45 ^a I am the Lord your God: See study note on 18:2.

• be holy, because I am holy: These words express the dominant theme of Leviticus: God is holy. He must be regarded and treated as holy, and he expects holiness from his people (10:3 ^b; 19:2 ^c). The profound teaching of this verse is that God’s own nature permeates those who covenant with him (see also 11:45 ^d; 20:7 ^e, 26 ^f; 21:8 ^g, 15 ^h; 22:9 ⁱ, 16 ^j, 32 ^k), and they become his holy people (Exod 22:31 ^l; Deut 28:9 ^m; cp. 1 Pet 1:16 ⁿ).
11:45 ^o brought you up from the land of Egypt: This or a similar phrase is found often throughout the Pentateuch (see 19:36 ^p; 22:33 ^q; 25:38 ^r; 26:13 ^s; Exod 13:9 ^t; 20:2 ^u; Num 15:41 ^v; Deut 4:37 ^w). Each time, it reminds the Israelites, God’s covenant people, of God’s great act in liberating them from Egypt. The Exodus event is frequently commemorated elsewhere in the Old Testament (Pss 80:8 ^x; 106:21 ^y; Isa 11:16 ^z; Jer 34:13 ^aa; Hos 12:9 ^ab; 13:4 ^ac; Amos 2:10 ^ad).