Leviticus 20:7 (ASV)

Passage

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am Jehovah your God.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 20:5 then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that play the harlot after him, to play the harlot with Molech, from among their people.

Leviticus 20:6 And the soul that turneth unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to play the harlot after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am Jehovah your God.

Leviticus 20:8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you.

Leviticus 20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sanctify", "yourselves", "therefore", "holy", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sanctify" and "yourselves", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And the soul that turneth unto them..." into verse 8's "And ye shall keep my statutes and...", so "sanctify" and "yourselves" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sanctify" and "yourselves" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.