Each time it says "you" here, it is plural. "Holy" means "set apart" and "separate", but, as strange as it sounds, it is impossible to be truly separate in isolation! All of the spiritual gifts cannot function unless the whole Body is present. All must be in place before true holiness as YHWH intends it can exist. We are not holy for the sake of separateness as such, nor are we truly separate until we are all together in our set-apartness. What follows is a description of how one must live if he wishes to remain in YHWH's Land and a part of His people—in short, what it means to be Israel. It means constantly separating ourselves from more and more habits, attitudes, and thought patterns, because as we walk further upward, the bar keeps being raised. It starts with the obvious sins that everyone knows are wrong, and tightens to anything that disagrees with the instructions Moshe brought down from the mountain, then anything that disrupts the life of the community. "Missing the mark" is no longer just missing the target; sin is now defined as missing the bull’s eye in any way at all. The outer rings now no longer count. Maturing as a Body is a weeding process that sifts out and throws away more than we keep. We must define what is outside, and leave it there. But there are two sides to the wall of separation. More important than being separated from all other loyalties, we are separated unto YHWH and His flock; without that element, it is just an exercise in self-righteous pride. We screen out the rest so we can concentrate our commitment on Him and His Kingdom’s priorities. The Torah is the eyeglasses that define it more sharply for us.

Stand in awe of: or simply, fear. Sixteen times in this passage He repeats, "I am YHWH your Elohim." The point seems to be, "Obey because of who I am, and in the obeying you will come to know Me as I am." Why the juxtaposition of honor for parents and sabbath-keeping? Because apart from your parents, you would not have been able to enter this world, and apart from the sabbath, the commandment which is a "sign", you would never be able to enter even the most basic aspects of YHWH's cycle of appointed times. Of course, pagan parents are never to be respected above YHWH's commands; Y'shua said his true relatives were those who obey YHWH. We honor our parents by keeping the Sabbath, even if they do not, because by thus being people of integrity we cast them in the best possible light, since we are the fruit by which they are known. Mother and father: Why in that order? Our first mother sinned, then our father, by failing to keep holy the one thing that was set apart; they tore down a wall YHWH had set up. The real sin was listening to the serpent's logic instead of simply obeying YHWH's command. The Sabbath is the one remaining time in this age of our fallenness during which we can deeply partake of Eden. It is a time that is elevated above time and in it we are separate from all that is outside. Our most ancient parents’ loss of Paradise for their failure to guard what was set apart warns us to be fearful of doing the same with the Sabbath. We need to see it not as a yoke of iron, but as a golden necklace, or it will become the yoke for us and be no less binding on us.

An abomination: or "like refuse". Accepted: or "pleasing". We must do things in season; doing them at the wrong time--a "love that comes too late"--leaves an abhorrent taste in His mouth, as when the Israelites tried to go conquer Kanaan after YHWH had already pronounced their sentence on them. At one point Y'shua said his work would be finished on the third day (Luk. 13:32); now is the time to gather with him, because a time is coming when it will no longer be the right time to harvest. It will be time to sort and winnow and sift, and that time is already upon us. Continuing to come back to partake of it would make the Tabernacle seem more like a soup kitchen than a holy place, and the focus would shift from the offering to the eating, and this is not what the Kingdom is really about. (Rom. 14:17) The Temple is a place where YHWH is to be revealed, not our private barbecue grill! This would ruin the picture of sharing with the rest of Israel.

Bear his consequences: or, retain his twistedness. I.e., he will not get back to Eden. Person: literally, soul. If a person gets "out of season"--out of step with YHWH's appointed times, especially if they are deliberately changed as they were by the self-appointed "head" of the Church, Constantine, then we bring a curse on ourselves and our children.

By rabbinic tradition, one was considered to have an "evil eye" if he did not leave at least 40% of his crop for the needy, provided he had the means to do so. (This was after the regular tithes.) So it is an issue of generosity vs. selfishness. How much of his hard labor was one willing to donate? It also requires faith: once he leaves it ungleaned, he also loses control over who will glean it. He cannot choose those who deserve to receive it; he has to leave that to YHWH's sovereign justice. If we worry about the part that is left behind, we will not carry out the things that we ARE responsible to do--serve each other and become a community, a Temple for Him to fill. Y’shua said when one's eye is sound (as opposed to evil), his whole body would be full of light. When our eye is clear (which Prov. 22:9 associates with giving bread to the poor), we can see clearly that the whole Land is really His, and we are only put in charge of it; it is a privilege to partake of any of it. The Hebrew word for joy also means "full of brightness". YHWH said if we did not serve Him with joy, we would end up serving oppressive enemies. (Deut. 28:47) Discouragement is the opposite of joy, and keeps us from ascending further. Removing one another's joy and courage is sin! "Fear not" and "be strong" are His commands. It takes strength to strengthen others, and that includes disciplining those who will not exercise self-discipline. And what strengthens anyone more than a peace offering in which we tell about what YHWH has done?

Of course, the poor have to go there for themselves and glean; it is not brought to them already cooked. This preserves their dignity too. I am YHWH: i.e., "This is what I am like; get to know Me better by doing this." Sojourner: YHWH wants those who pass through His Land to understand whose Land they are in, and how generous He is. They will ask why things are so different here than anywhere else, and we can tell them that it is because He is the true Elohim. This also recalls the contrast of how the Edomites and Emorites treated Israel when Moshe asked to simply pass through the Land and not even eat any of the grain. (Num. 20:17; 21:22) Generosity is a requirement for anyone who will live in His Land, for it is intended to be an unmixed representation of what He is like.

Steal: We can steal things less tangible than possessions—time, authority, joy, courage, or credit. We can steal someone’s reputation through gossip, or take advantage of a kindness once given and make a person feel obligated to do more for us than we deserve. Lie to: or, trick. Although these commands very directly impact our neighbor's welfare, to fail to carry them out damages the character of the doer more than the recipient of the deeds.

Profane the Name...YHWH: Literally, pierce, weaken, or wound. This can include using it lightly, but also "weakening" its impact by substituting the names of pagan gods out of supposed respect for His true name, because this only causes greater confusion about who He is. We honor a name by bringing it glory, not shame. Who would have ever known who Nun was if it were not for Yehoshua, his son? Yet he is always called "Yehoshua ben Nun", thus honoring his father because he became great in the eyes of YHWH. In the same way, those who honor YHWH's Son also honor YHWH. Take an oath deceptively: or, complete a sham. I.e., do not try to put an appearance of authority on what is only an opinion (or worse, what is a farce) by adding His apparent endorsement. Do not call something His work is it is only your own agenda. Y'shua went further and said not to swear at all in YHWH's Name, for if our word is normally true, why do we need to risk our integrity to add weight to what should already be sufficient reason to trust what we say?

Defraud: or extort from, take advantage of. LXX, "injure". In a hand-to-mouth agricultural economy, workers would be paid immediately so that they could buy food for the next day--or that very evening. Thus to withhold this was to take the very bread from his family's mouths. Robbery is evidence that a man sees himself as an entity separate from the whole community and more deserving than others.

Treat...as of little importance: make fun of, or curse. YHWH is not fond of cruelty and making sport of those who can do nothing to strengthen themselves, especially if it is to make ourselves look better. Words have a real effect even if they are not heard by their object. Words are alive, and we are truly capable of blessing and cursing, so we must be careful what we say. This could also include speaking about someone "behind his back", since he, too, is deaf to what we are saying. Blind: In a broader sense, we are not to make things harder for those who are unable to hear or see. (It may be a different story for those who choose not to see.) How does this apply to the fact that YHWH has intentionally brought a partial "blindness" over Israel (both houses in different ways) in order to carry out another aspect of His plan? (Romans 11:25)

We must not give special immunity to either the poor because he "deserves a break" (see Prov.6:30f), nor the rich and powerful because of his ability to pay you. The case is to be judged strictly on the merits of what the person actually did. One is never to be fined simply because he can afford it. Our own special interests are never to be protected through the court system; there is to be no other influence than the facts. But this is also a command to judge; Paul asks why we can't judge one another, and why he had to do it for the Corinthians. Though Y'shua says that if we judge, we will be judged by the same measure, this is not meant to stop us from judging, but to learn to do it correctly, judging ourselves first; right judgment is an act of righteousness. Yes, get the plank out of your eye, but do not ignore the speck in your brother's eye. To do so is to say he is not important enough to lay our comfort on the line for. Neighbor: When Israel is functioning properly, someone in another household would not judge you unless the head of your household felt he could not render a decision, and even then only he would appeal to those at the next level up; you would not go "over his head". Even Y'shua asked someone why he had come to Him to judge a matter outside His jurisdiction. (Luke 12:14, 57)

Talebearer: slanderer--spreading information whether true or not for the purpose of diminishing another. Fellow: literally, one from the same flock, under the same shepherd. There is a definite connection between these two injunctions: one who allows gossip to spread or receives it without protest is like one who watches his friend being attacked and does not try to intervene. Nothing "kills" faster than words. Yaaqov (James) says the tongue has the power of life and death, and compares it to a spark that kindles a wildfire. We are our brothers''keepers. We can make amends for robbery, but we can never make full restitution for gossip, because the proverbial feathers have already been scattered to the wind and are irretrievable. We can never undo it completely, so avoid it from the start.

Your brother: YHWH never commands us not to hate His enemies, such as Amaleq. In your heart: the sins in the list are growing less and less tangible. No one knows about the hate in your heart but yourself. But it is already a sin. (Matt. 5:22) Again, the text seems to be equating hating a brother with allowing him to remain in sin and not warning him. This goes against conventional ideas that love never offends someone and always wants him to feel good. But Proverbs 13:24 says, "He who spares the rod hates his son." Failing to warn our fellows of impending danger means their blood is upon us, not them. (Ezk. 33:2-6) Withholding an opportunity to repent is the best way to prove we do not love someone. Rebuking a fool gives him an occasion to learn. (Prov. 9:7ff) Put up with sin: or bear sin because of him--i.e., share in his guilt by not rebuking him. Sin will remain in the household if we do not specifically remove it. All these commands are given in regard to someone who is in your same "flock". Both justice and mercy mean a lot more closer to home. You are more responsible for those nearest you than for those in the larger congregation. (1 Corinthians 5:12) YHWH will deal with those outside.

Children: i.e., those less able to receive harsh correction, or those who do not know any better. As you love: Feelings must be kept in check as well as actions. It is much easier to forgive someone you like, and reprove someone you don't, but this is never the way to divide our actions.

Sow your field: i.e., the same area of the field. These are all different ways of depicting the same principle. Things must be kept distinct, so we can tell which are the crop and which are weeds. This includes mixtures like "YHWH our God"--one acceptable name with one that is not--or mixing paganism into biblical faith, which is where most of the church is today. The last prohibition symbolizes a life of purity unmixed with sin. It hearkens back to the story of Qayin and Hevel (Abel): linen comes from the earth; wool comes from a living being that can shed blood and picture redemption (which comes from heaven). There is a place for each, but the two are not to be mixed. But this was also a holy blend used in some of the priestly garments (Ex. 28:6; 39:29); it was reserved exclusively for the sanctuary, not for the lay person. However, some garments found in Dead Sea caves from c. 135 C.E. had white tassels of linen and blue tassels of wool woven together. Thus the tassels which every Israelite is to wear on the extremities of his garments (Num. 15) were of this mixture, symbolizing that they are a "kingdom of priests". (Ex. 19:6) Livestock symbolize our security and wealth. We are not to mix YHWH's peace that passes understanding with security of the type the world gives. Seed represents the Sons of the Kingdom, which are not to be sown among the sons of the evil one in unequal yokes, for how would the children of such mixed marriages be taught to serve YHWH? And garments represent our works; we must not mix kingdom works with earthly ones by using YHWH’s reputation as a way to make a livelihood for ourselves, whether excessive, honest, or not.

The fruit of a tree is indeed bitter or lacks robustness the first few years. If eaten before its time, it will be of no profit to us, and may actually harm us. The firstfruits of the edible yield belong to YHWH, but He requires all this so that the tree may become as fruitful and effective as possible for our sakes. Is He only speaking of literal fruit? A tree is a picture of a person. (Psalm 1:3, etc.) Metaphorically this extends to injunctions such as Paul's that a novice should not be a teacher (1 Tim. 3:6), but must wait until he has been nurtured to maturity and worked through the transition into his new life. The word there for "novice" (neophyte) literally means "one newly-planted"--just like these trees! Before he is pruned (before he is able to praise YHWH properly and is mature enough to teach), his fruit may be genuine, but it is not to be partaken of, because it lacks a well-rounded perspective that only time and study can bring. The revelation given to him in his patience is what will feed us all. Fifth: when one is "full of the five books of Moshe", and well-trained in this foundation, he can become a teacher who can feed others.

Not eat any meat with blood: LXX, "not eat on the mountains". Sorcery: enchantment or fortune-telling: nachash--the same word as the "serpent" in the Garden. But its root meaning is "whisperer", as the snake makes a hissing sound. These "whisperers" incant their secret formulas, which may or may not be genuine; the point is not whether it works or not, but that they are forbidden. It is obtaining information through the wrong channels. YHWH has a chain of command in Israel, and what we do must be above board. If you have a question, ask it in front of the proper authorities, not behind their backs. Go to the Levite to gain general knowledge of Torah; go to the high priest for a specific answer. If it is meant to be revealed, YHWH will reveal it; otherwise, it is off limits to individuals, for it belongs to all Israel, not just because we are interested; more often than not, that has no purpose beyond self-edification. Whispering also reminds us of gossip; here it is juxtaposed with not eating blood: we suck the life out of someone when he is diminished in someone else's eyes, and that is what "whispering" about him does--even when it is not overt; Y'shua says that hating someone in our hearts also curses him in a similar way. "Observe times": This clearly cannot refer to the times and seasons that YHWH has set up as signs, but rather it means considering certain times auspicious or "lucky", following horoscopes, doing magic, etc. The term can also include conjuring, producing rain-clouds by magic, etc.--in short, divination. LXX, "divine by inspection of birds", i.e., their entrails, much like today's "palm-reading".

Round: or "strike off"; Aramaic, "cut around"; LXX, "make a round cutting of the hair"--perhaps like the type of artificial bald spot monks later made based on the superstition that wearing a certain type of cap over it would protect them or make them more spiritual. Mar: the appearance; LXX, "disfigure". Corner: edge, extremity, or side part. First of all, this assumes a man has a beard and is not to shave it (the exceptions being the Nazir, who completes a vow, and those declared clean after having leprosy, where hygiene may be one of the reasons to shave the hair). But what is the picture He is intending by this? It is part of "writing His laws on our gates". Our eyes, ears, and mouth--all the openings of our bodies, really--are like gates to our fortress, which we must guard. Not cutting the hair around them symbolizes the fact that we need to screen or filter what goes in and what comes out. Many pagan "holy" men also had distinctive hairstyles which marred the particular way by which YHWH has decided each man will look best. He wants to avoid any association with this sort of disfigurement. While there is some ambiguity to the command, the extremity would seem to be the ends, not the part close to the face. The uncut beard is a symbol of being an Israelite; Y'hezq'el/Ezekiel chapter 5 uses the cutting off of the beard to symbolize the destruction of the house of Israel, so we do not wish to participate in this picture by shaping our beards according to Gentile standards, and obscuring our Israelite identity at the very time YHWH is bringing it back to light. If a beard is thereby unruly, it reflects the fact that we are not the ones in control; YHWH is.

Cuttings in your flesh: reminiscent of the 450 prophets of Ba'al with which Eliyahu contended. The dead: literally, the soul. This probably relates to ancestor worship and its association with bringing the strength of the ancestor into one’s body. Tattoos: related to the term for writing, so it probably involves some words. We already have a Messiah who is marked and pierced; why do WE need to be marked and pierced? We cannot take his place. Also, pagans frequently tattooed the names of their gods on themselves, and YHWH would not be associated with this disfugurement either. Our actions are how we bear His Name, and we must not bear it in vain.

The only time one could see inside the court nearest to His sanctuary and thus catch a glimpse of the Temple itself was when the doors were open, and this was only on Sabbaths and on the festivals (prescribed times), which were considered sabbaths in an even stronger sense. This is the closest we can approach to His presence, for on Sunday He turns his back and begins to go back to work. He dwells closer to our communities then; our "orbit" is much closer then. So we must be in fear concerning the attitudes we bring into our congregational gatherings.

Necromancer: one who contacts the dead, or has a familiar spirit--i.e., who is possessed by a spirit that impersonates a dead relative. The Hebrew term is the same as a water bottle made from a sewn-up animal skin. Soothsayers: better translated "knowers"--i.e., clairvoyants. This does not mean that everything they do is fraudulent; in fact, as Paul found out, they can be irritatingly truthful. (Acts 16:17) But YHWH has not authorized knowledge to be passed on in this way King Sha'ul turned.to them for something more because he did not trust YHWH.

The sojourner is to be treated as part of the same "flock", since the same thing is required in regard to him as to one's "neighbor" (v. 18). The sojourner in Israel was either seeking asylum or seeking to know the Elohim of Israel, because Israelite society was too demanding for someone "just along for the ride".

It is doubtful whether the animal would ever initiate such an act; it takes a perverted human to do come up with such an idea. But just in case, it is specified clearly that this outcome is for cases in which the woman was the one who seduced the animal.