And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

LEVITICUS 25:1KJV
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Leviticus 25:1 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 25:1 mean?

Leviticus 25:1 introduces a new section by stating that the LORD spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, preparing the reader for the instructions that follow. The verse sets the stage for the laws and guidance God is about to give, emphasizing that these commands come directly from God to Moses in a specific place.

This verse marks a transition point in the book, highlighting that what follows is not just Moses’ own words but a message from the LORD (H3068) delivered at Mount Sinai (H2022, H5514). The setting is important: Mount Sinai is where Israel received the core of their covenant law, and this moment reinforces Moses’ role as the mediator between God and the people.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 25:1

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name of God, used here to show that the instructions come from the covenant God of Israel, not a generic deity.
  • spake (דָּבַר, dabar): This word means “to speak” or “to declare.” It often signals that what follows is a direct communication from God, carrying authority.
  • mount (הַר, har) and Sinai (סִינַי, Sinai): Naming Mount Sinai anchors the message in a real, historical place, reminding the reader of the significance of this mountain as the site of God’s earlier revelations to Israel.

Why Leviticus 25:1 matters

  • Leviticus 25:1 makes clear that the instructions in this chapter are not Moses’ ideas but come directly from God, which adds weight and authority to what follows.
  • By specifying Mount Sinai, the verse connects these laws to the foundational events of Israel’s covenant, reminding readers that these teachings are part of a larger, ongoing relationship between God and His people.
  • The verse helps the reader see that the laws about to be given (such as the Sabbath year and Jubilee) are rooted in the same divine authority as the Ten Commandments and other key instructions.

Where else these words appear

“Sinai” Hebrew H5514 · used in 34 verses

  • Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
  • Exodus 34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
  • Numbers 9:5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.