Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Leviticus
Chapter 19
Ver. 3. Sabbaths. Both those which occur every week, and extraordinary ones, ver. 30.
Ver. 4. Idols. Hebrew, "vain things." (Calmet) --- Molten, or any other sort of workmanship. (Menochius)
Ver. 7. Profane. Hebrew, "it shall be defiled." Septuagint, "improper for sacrifice." Aquila, "It shall be rejected." (Calmet) --- So that the person who had offered it, shall become more guilty. (Menochius)
Ver. 9. Ground. Hebrew and Septuagint, "the extremity of thy field." The Rabbins say, a sixtieth part of all the products of the earth, was to be left for the poor. (Selden, Jur. vi. 6.) Thus God teaches his people to exercise themselves in the acts of mercy. (Du Hamel)
Ver. 10. Strangers. Septuagint and Syriac, "proselytes," who might dwell in the country. As the soil did not belong to them, great compassion was requisite: otherwise they must have perished, or become slaves. --- Lord; the sole proprietor. (Calmet)
Ver. 11. Lie. "When no injury is done to another, it is a great question whether a lie can ever be justified. The case would perhaps be easily decided, if we considered the commandments alone, and not the examples," of those holy men who seem to have sometimes thought it lawful. (St. Augustine, q. 68) But is it not better to allow that these were under an inculpable mistake, than to defend one fault, because it is not attended with the guilt of another, by hurting others? Even lies of jest and of excuse, are contrary to the gravity and open-dealing of a Christian; and God never speaks of lying without marks of disapprobation. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "you shall not deny, or extenuate yourselves," pretending that you cannot give alms. (Oleaster)
Ver. 12. Profane. No greater indignity can be offered to God, than to solicit Him, as it were, to assist us in doing evil, by attesting falsehood. (Philo)
Ver. 13. Morning. Pay what is due to the labourer, immediately, if he desire it. (Haydock) --- It was customary among the Jews to pay their workmen in the evening, Matthew xx. 8.
Ver. 14. Deaf. The word Kophos, used by the Septuagint, means also the dumb, as these defects are generally found in the same person. Nothing can be more base, than to attack those who are unable to defend themselves. Solon forbids anyone "to speak ill of the dead," though he may receive an injury from his children. Those who undermine and ruin the reputation of the absent, are no less to be condemned.
Ver. 16. Detracter, whisperer. Hebrew rakil, stands for both these terms. Some translate a parasite, a merchant, vilifying the goods of others to enhance the price of his own; or a spy, seeking to discover and laugh at others' faults. --- Neighbour; accusing him wrongfully, to the danger of his life; or lying in wait for him like an assassin. But strive rather to rescue those who are attacked. Those who neglect this duty, are responsible for the consequences, according to the Jews, (Selden, Jur. iv. 3,) and the laws of the Egyptians. (Diodorus 1.)
Ver. 17. Openly, is not in the Hebrew or other versions. Instead of bearing malice at the heart, we are authorized to demand our right in a legal manner, or to correct in a fraternal manner, the person who may have injured us, lest we incur sin for our neglect, and the offender continue impenitent. Jesus Christ instructs us to do this with as little disturbance as possible, Matthew xviii. 15. Yet public sins must undergo a public correction, 1 Timothy v. 20. (St. Augustine, ser. 82.) Love should regulate our complaints. (St. Augustine, q. 70.)
Ver. 18. Revenge, by private authority, or out of passion, which the pagans themselves acknowledged was more becoming a brute than a man, feræ est. (Musonias, Sen. de ira ii. 32.) --- Citizens. Hebrew, "observe or lie not in wait." Septuagint, "act not with fury against the son of thy people." (Calmet) --- Hebrew notor, means to upbraid when doing a kindness. --- Thy friend. Hebrew rehaka, may denote thy neighbour, or any one with whom we have any thing to do. Thus God orders us to love strangers as ourselves, (ver. 34,) and to help our enemy, Exodus xxiii. 4. The false insinuations of the Jews are fully exploded by Jesus Christ, Matthew xxii. 39. We must love the offender, but detest the offence. (St. Augustine, contra Faust. xix. 24.) If God required his people to exterminate the Chanaanites, he did not authorize them to entertain any personal animosity against their persons, but they were to act as ministers of his justice. "O Lord, (said Philo very justly) we do not rejoice at the misfortune of our enemy, (Flaccus) having learnt from thy holy laws to compassionate the distress of others. But we thank thee for....delivering us from our afflictions." (Calmet)
Ver. 19. Kind. Mules were therefore either brought from other countries, (3 Kings x. 28,) or they were produced by some of the same species, as, good authors assert, is frequently the case in Syria, Cappadocia, &c. (Pliny, [Natural History?] viii. 44.; Pineda) (Tirinus) --- Spencer (Leg. ii. 20,) says, without any proof, that this law had a reference to the impure conjunctions of animals, in honour of Venus and of Priapus. --- Different seeds, &c. This law tends to recommend simplicity and plain-dealing in all things; and to teach the people not to join any false worship or heresy with the worship of the true God. (Challoner) --- Draw not the yoke with infidels, 2 Corinthians vi. (Theodoret, q. 27.) These different colours were not in themselves evil, since they were used in the priests' vestments. They insinuate, that we must avoid schisms. (Worthington) --- The sowing of different seeds tends to impoverish the soil. (Pliny, xviii. 10.) The Egyptians sowed various seeds on a board, covered with fine mould; and, observing which sort was destroyed by the heat of the sun in the dog-days, superstitiously refrained, that year, from sowing any of it, lest it should produce no crop. (Palladius) --- Sorts. The Rabbins say of linen and wool, as Deuteronomy xxii. 11. They allow other sorts. Josephus ([Aniquities?] iv. 8,) supposes, that garments of the former description were thus reserved for the priests alone. The Flamen, among the Romans, could not wear a woollen garment sowed with thread, without committing a sin; piaculum erat, says Servius. These precepts were to be literally observed, though they concealed a moral instruction of the greatest consequence, importing that all unnatural intercourse was to be avoided. Pythagoras conveyed his instructions under similar enigmatical expressions, saying, "we must not stir up the fire with a sword," &c., as Solomon does likewise. (Proverbs xxx. 15 and Ecclesiasticus xii. 3, 6.) (Calmet)
Ver. 20. Marriageable. Hebrew, "promised, or given in marriage." Septuagint, "reserved for another....she shall," &c. Onkelos and the Arabic version suppose also, that the woman alone was to be scourged with leather thongs; a punishment to which the Samaritan copy condemns only the man. The Rabbins agree with the Septuagint. Others translate, "there shall be an enquiry made, or they shall be set free, and shall not die."