According to the Bible, What Do I Gain from Rebuking My Friend? (Part 1/3)

Our verse (Leviticus 19:17) has three parts.

First, what not to do:

לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ

‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart.’

Here, hatred is an emotional state, not an action. We see this from the word "בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ"—you must remove the feeling of hatred from your heart.

Next, what to do:

הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ

‘You shall surely rebuke your neighbor.’

This part focuses on action, not emotion. The verse teaches that we should help our friend when needed, starting with a suggestion to correct their ways.

Finally, the result:

וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא

‘And not bear sin because of him.’

The outcome is that you will not sin because of him. Your hatred toward him could lead you to carry sin (imagine sin as something physical that can be held).

Now that we have read these important verses, next time, we will dive deeper into their connections.