Leviticus Foreigners and the Poor Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter:Verse)

Quote #4

You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God. (NRSV 19:10)

And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God. (KJV 19:10)

In ancient Israel, winemakers have to leave some grapes behind for the poor, homeless, and tourists because there's always the possibility you'll get to see a juicy foodfight.

Quote #5

You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. (NRSV 19:15)

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. (KJV 19:15)

God's a big believer in treating everyone equally—rich or poor, local or outsider. It's a concept that gets a big-time callback in the New Testament book of James.

Quote #6

When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (NRSV 19:33-34)

And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (KJV 19:33-34)

"Love your neighbors as yourself" also applies to foreign immigrants. While the U.S. Supreme Court isn't in the habit of applying principles of Leviticus in its opinions, it came pretty close in its 2012 decision to strike down the Arizona immigration law.