Leviticus 11:44 (DRB)

Passage

For I am the Lord your God. Be holy because I am holy. Defile not your souls by any creeping thing, that moveth upon the earth.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 11:42 Whatsoever goeth upon the breast on four feet, or hath many feet, or traileth on the earth, you shall not eat, because it is abominable.

Leviticus 11:43 Do not defile your souls, nor touch aught thereof, lest you be unclean,

Leviticus 11:44 For I am the Lord your God. Be holy because I am holy. Defile not your souls by any creeping thing, that moveth upon the earth.

Leviticus 11:45 For I am the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that I might be your God.

Leviticus 11:46 You shall be holy, because I am holy. This is the law of beasts and fowls, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and creepeth on the earth:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lord", "holy", "defile", "souls", "creeping", "moveth", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "holy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 43's "Do not defile your souls nor touch..." into verse 45's "For I am the Lord who brought...", so "lord" and "holy" 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 "lord" and "holy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.