Τὸν νόμον μου φυλάξεσθε τὰ κτήνη σου οὐ κατοχεύσεις ἑτεροζύγῳ καὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνά σου οὐ κατασπερεῖς διάφορον καὶ ἱμάτιον ἐκ δύο ὑφασμένον κίβδηλον οὐκ ἐπιβαλεῖς σεαυτῷ (Leviticus 19:19 LXX)
You shall keep my law; your cattle you shall not mate with one of a different kind, and your vineyard you shall not sow with mixed seed, and a garment woven from two kinds of material, false, you shall not put upon yourself.
One Law, Three Prohibitions
This verse presents a triad of prohibitions bound together under the imperative to keep God’s law. Each clause carries its own verb of prohibition, and the sequence shifts between future indicative forms with prohibitive force and participial descriptors. Grammatically, the structure reflects both a covenantal tone and a precise legal register, characteristic of the Pentateuchal style in the LXX.
The Primary Imperative: φυλάξεσθε
φυλάξεσθε is a future middle indicative of φυλάσσω used with imperatival force: “you shall keep” or “guard.” In LXX legal language, the future indicative regularly functions as a command, especially in covenantal contexts. The middle voice reflects personal responsibility and involvement—the keeping is for the subject’s own benefit.
Prohibition One: οὐ κατοχεύσεις ἑτεροζύγῳ
κατοχεύσεις is the future active indicative of κατοχεύω (“to cause to breed, to mate”), again used imperatively. The dative ἑτεροζύγῳ (“of a different kind,” literally “different yoke”) comes from agricultural terminology but is applied here to livestock breeding. The term connotes a violation of natural or covenantal order.
Prohibition Two: οὐ κατασπερεῖς διάφορον
κατασπερεῖς (future active indicative of κατασπείρω, “to sow”) governs the accusative διάφορον (“different, diverse”). The context makes clear that the diversity is of seed in a vineyard—a symbolic as well as practical concern in Israelite law, preserving purity and distinctiveness.
Prohibition Three: ἱμάτιον … οὐκ ἐπιβαλεῖς σεαυτῷ
The final prohibition is against wearing a ἱμάτιον (“garment”) ἐκ δύο ὑφασμένον (“woven from two [materials]”), qualified by κίβδηλον (“adulterated, counterfeit”). The verb ἐπιβαλεῖς (future active indicative of ἐπιβάλλω) takes the dative reflexive σεαυτῷ (“upon yourself”), vividly portraying the act of putting on the mixed fabric.
Compound Adjectives and Legal Specificity
Terms like ἑτεροζύγῳ and κίβδηλον show the LXX’s tendency to condense legal concepts into precise, compound or descriptive words. Such terms often carry metaphorical weight beyond the immediate agricultural or textile contexts, pointing toward the larger theme of separation and holiness.
Morphology Table: Key Forms
| Greek Form | Parsing | Root | Lexical Meaning | Function in Verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| φυλάξεσθε | Future Middle Indicative 2nd pl. | φυλάσσω | Guard, keep | Main command |
| κατοχεύσεις | Future Active Indicative 2nd sg. | κατοχεύω | Mate, cause to breed | First prohibition |
| ἑτεροζύγῳ | Dative Singular Neuter | ἑτερόζυγος | Of a different kind/yoke | Qualifies mating restriction |
| κατασπερεῖς | Future Active Indicative 2nd sg. | κατασπείρω | Sow | Second prohibition |
| διάφορον | Accusative Singular Neuter | διάφορος | Different, diverse | Describes seed mixture |
| ὑφασμένον | Perfect Passive Participle Acc. Sg. Neut. | ὑφαίνω | Weave | Describes garment’s construction |
| κίβδηλον | Accusative Singular Neuter | κίβδηλος | Adulterated, counterfeit | Describes garment’s impurity |
| ἐπιβαλεῖς | Future Active Indicative 2nd sg. | ἐπιβάλλω | Put on | Final prohibition |
Holiness in the Details
Leviticus 19:19 LXX anchors the call to keep God’s law in the everyday details of farming, breeding, and clothing. The grammar’s future indicatives functioning as imperatives signal not mere suggestion but binding covenantal obligations. Through these prohibitions, the text teaches that holiness is expressed not only in worship but in the most ordinary acts of life.
