Leviticus 19:16 (DRB)

Passage

Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour. I am the Lord.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 19:14 Thou shalt not speak evil of the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind: but thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, because I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:15 Thou shalt not do that which is unjust, nor judge unjustly. Respect not the person of the poor: nor honour the countenance of the mighty. But judge thy neighbour according to justice.

Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: But reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him.

Leviticus 19:18 Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. Thou shalt love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "shalt", "detractor", "whisperer", "people", and "stand". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "shalt", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Thou shalt not do that which is..." into verse 17's "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in...", so "thou" and "shalt" 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 "thou" and "shalt" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.