Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah (or Pentateuch). It is founded on two crucial beliefs: the first, that the world was created "very good" and retains the capacity to achieve that state although it is vulnerable to sin and defilement; the second, that the faithful enactment of ritual makes God's presence available, while ignoring or breaching it compromises the harmony between God and the world. The traditional view is that Leviticus was compiled by Moses, or that the material in it goes back to his time, but internal clues suggest that it originated in post-exilic (i.e., after c.538 BCE) Jewish worship centred on reading or preaching. Scholars are practically unanimous that the book had a long period of growth, that it includes some material of considerable antiquity, and that it reached its present form in the Persian period (538-332 BCE). The core ideas around which Leviticus develops are the holy character of God and the will of God for Israel's holiness. God's holiness, mankind's sinfulness, sacrifice, and God's presence in the sanctuary are the book's most common themes. With a clear, authoritative tone, the book sets forth instruction toward personal holiness at the urging of God. Leviticus is presented here in five different versions with chapter and verse commentary from Matthew Henry. The King James Version Douay-Rheims Version The American Standard Version Bible in Basic English Version Webster Bible Version Matthew Henry Commentary