Chapter 19 of Leviticus is often referred as the Law of Holiness, though sometimes the name includes the whole section Chapters 17-26. Originally, a collection of different rules for daily life, the chapter is unified by the recurrent theme of God's holiness. First of all the whole point of these rules is stated in 19:2 "Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy." Though not repeated in full, this general principle recurs as "I am the Lord, your God" (e.g. verses 3, 10, 25, 31), or in a shorter form, "I am the Lord" (e.g. verses 12, 14, 16, 18).

This refrain gives the foundation of all the different rules, many of which echo the words of the Ten Commandments. As such, the principle places them beyond all discussion for it effectively places them on a high level, the level of divine law. Even though some of them do not seem to be relevant to us today, those closest to the Ten Commandments in particular are no merely human rules, for with God's grace, they can lead us in the way of holiness.

The Bible frequently speaks, directly or indirectly of the power of God's word. This power is His holiness, wisdom and love.