Leviticus 20:2

2 You will also say to the Israelites: Any Israelite or any immigrant living in Israel who gives their children to Molech must be executed. The common people will stone such a person.

Leviticus 20:2 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 20:2

Again thou shalt say to the children of Israel
The body of the people by their elders, and the heads of their tribes; for the following laws were binding on them all: whosoever [he be] of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that
sojourn in Israel;
everyone of the people of Israel, of whatsoever age, sex, or condition of life: and not they only, but the strangers and proselytes; and not the proselytes of righteousness only, but the proselytes of the gate, who, as well as the others, were to shun idolatry, and other impieties and immoralities after mentioned: that giveth [any] of his seed unto Molech;
which Aben Ezra interprets of lying with an idolatrous woman, or a worshipper of Molech, the abomination or idol of the Ammonites, ( 1 Kings 11:7 ) ; of which see ( Leviticus 18:21 ) ; but more than that is here intended, or even than causing their seed or offspring to pass through the fire to Molech, as in the place referred to; more is meant by it than a lustration of them, or a dedicating them to Molech, by delivering them to his priests to lead them between two fires for that purpose, but even the sacrificing of them to him; and so the Targum of Jonathan seems to understand it, which is,

``that makes (or sacrifices) of his seed Molech to be burnt in the fire:''

for that the Phoenicians or Canaanites, whose customs the Israelites were in danger of imitating, and therefore cautioned against, did sacrifice human creatures, and these the dearest to them, even their beloved and only begotten children, to Saturn, is certain, as Porphyry

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 and Eusebius ^F26 affirm, or to Hercules, as Pliny ^F1, and both the same with Molech, or the sun: he shall surely be put to death;
by the hand of the civil magistrate, which death was to be by stoning, as follows: the people of the land shall stone him with stones:
that is, the people of the house of Israel, as both the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; such as lived in that part of the country where the idolater lived, and where he committed the sin, or was condemned for it; of the manner of stoning, (See Gill on Acts 7:58).
F25 De Abstinent. l. 2. c. 56.
F26 De laudibus Constantin. c. 13. p. 646. Vid. Suidam in voce (sardaniov) .
F1 Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 5.

Leviticus 20:2 In-Context

1 The LORD said to Moses,

2 You will also say to the Israelites: Any Israelite or any immigrant living in Israel who gives their children to Molech must be executed. The common people will stone such a person.

3 Moreover, I will set my own face against such a person, cutting them off from their people, because they gave their children to Molech, making my sanctuary unclean and degrading my holy name by doing so.

4 But if the common people choose to look the other way when someone gives their children to Molech and do not execute such a person,

5 I will set my own face against such a person and their extended family, cutting off from their people—both the guilty party and anyone with them who faithlessly followed Molech.