Leviticus20
New Living Translation
1The Lord said to Moses,
2“Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel. “If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death.
3I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech.
4And if the people of the community ignore those who offer their children to Molech and refuse to execute them,
5I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech.
6“I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.
7So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
8Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy.
9“Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. Such a person is guilty of a capital offense.
10“If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death.
11“If a man violates his father by having sex with one of his father’s wives, both the man and the woman must be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.
12“If a man has sex with his daughter-in-law, both must be put to death. They have committed a perverse act and are guilty of a capital offense.
13“If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.
14“If a man marries both a woman and her mother, he has committed a wicked act. The man and both women must be burned to death to wipe out such wickedness from among you.
15“If a man has sex with an animal, he must be put to death, and the animal must be killed.
16“If a woman presents herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it, she and the animal must both be put to death. You must kill both, for they are guilty of a capital offense.
17“If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a shameful disgrace. They must be publicly cut off from the community. Since the man has violated his sister, he will be punished for his sin.
18“If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual period, both of them must be cut off from the community, for together they have exposed the source of her blood flow.
19“Do not have sexual relations with your aunt, whether your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. This would dishonor a close relative. Both parties are guilty and will be punished for their sin.
20“If a man has sex with his uncle’s wife, he has violated his uncle. Both the man and woman will be punished for their sin, and they will die childless.
21“If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has violated his brother, and the guilty couple will remain childless.
22“You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out.
23Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them.
24But I have promised you, ‘You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from all other people.
25“You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any unclean animal or bird or creature that scurries along the ground. I have identified them as being unclean for you.
26You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.
27“Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 20.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Law against sacrificing children to Moloch, Of children that curse their parents. (1–9). Laws repeated, Holiness enjoined. (10–27).
vv1-9
Are we shocked at the unnatural cruelty of the ancient idolaters in sacrificing their children? We may justly be so. But are there not very many parents, who, by bad teaching and wicked examples, and by the mysteries of iniquity which they show their children, devote them to the service of Satan, and forward their everlasting ruin, in a manner even more to be lamented? What an account must such parents render to God, and what a meeting will they have with their children at the day of judgment! On the other hand, let children remember that he who cursed father or mother was surely put to death. This law Christ confirmed. Laws which were made before are repeated, and penalties annexed to them. If men will not avoid evil practices, because the law has made these practices sin, and it is right that we go on that principle, surely they should avoid them when the law has made them death, from a principle of self-preservation. In the midst of these laws comes in a general charge, Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy. It is the Lord that sanctifies, and his work will be done, though it be difficult. Yet his grace is so far from doing away our endeavours, that it strongly encourages them. Work out your salvation, for it is God that worketh in you.
vv10-27
These verses repeat what had been said before, but it was needful there should be line upon line. What praises we owe to God that he has taught the evil of sin, and the sure way of deliverance from it! May we have grace to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; may we have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
גֵּר: properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigner
גּוּר: properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather forhostility (as afraid)
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
זֶרַע: seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
Cross References
Leviticus 20Direct parallel forbidding the giving of offspring to the pagan deity Molech.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explicit law forbidding a man from marrying or uncovering the nakedness of his brother's wife.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jesus explicitly cites and confirms the law of puting to death children who curse parents.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Internal chapter parallel repeating the core mandate to sanctify yourselves and be holy.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
New Testament command quoting the Levitical charge 'Be ye holy; for I am holy.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Identical phrase of God setting His face against a person and cutting them off.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explicit covenant parallel declaring Yahweh as the One who sanctifies His covenant people.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The foundational covenant law declaring that anyone cursing father or mother must be executed.
Supported by John Calvin
John the Baptist rebukes Herod Antipas for taking his brother Philip's wife.
Supported by John Calvin
Warns Israel that the land will vomit or spue them out for committing abominations.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The foundational dietary code defining clean and unclean beasts, birds, and creeping things.
Supported by JFB
Contrasts humanly ignoring or winking at sins with God overlooking times of ignorance.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct prohibition against turning to mediums, wizards, and familiar spirits.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The specific judicial penalty of death for both the adulterer and the adulteress.
Supported by John Calvin
Paul references the prohibition of a man sleeping with his father's wife as intolerable.
Illustrates execution by stoning followed by burning with fire as specified in verse 14.
Supported by JFB
The underlying moral prohibition against bestiality, here coupled with the death penalty.
God's presence separates and distinguishes Israel from all other people upon the earth.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Peter's vision of clean and unclean beasts, illustrating the breaking down of national barriers.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical account of Saul seeking out a woman with a familiar spirit at Endor.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel prohibition against turning after those who have familiar spirits or wizards.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Civil law demanding capital punishment for practicing witchcraft.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The direct moral prohibition against uncovering the nakedness of one's father's wife.
The direct moral prohibition against lying with one's daughter-in-law.
The underlying moral prohibition against homosexual practice, labeled an abomination.
The underlying moral prohibition regarding relations during a woman's impurity.
Israel chosen to be a holy, peculiar people, severed from other nations.
Supported by John Calvin