Is this commandment from Leviticus 19 swallowed by time or still speaks? The ancient law no one dared mention—explosive truths about Leviticus 19:28

Tue, 05 May 2026 13:52:03 +0000

Is This Commandment From Leviticus 19 Still Speaks? The Ancient Law No One Dared Mention—and Its Explosive Truths For generations, Leviticus 19 has stood as one of the Bible’s most challenging and penetrating passages. Among its many directives, Commandment 9—often summarized as “You shall not cut your flesh for the dead or tattoo your body”—sets a profound moral and spiritual boundary decades before modern ethics began grappling with similar issues. A recent reckoning asks: Is this ancient commandment swallowed by time, or does it still speak with explosive truth for today? ### The Silence Across the Ages At first glance, Leviticus 19:28 feels like a relic—part of a distant world governed by priestly laws with spiritual rather than cultural relevance today. “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead,” says the verse plainly, framed within a sacrificial and separation motif. For centuries, many churches minimized or bypassed this command, conflating dietary laws with ceremonial purity while overlooking its deep moral essence.