Vayikra 20

1 0 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

2 Again, thou shalt say to the Bnei Yisroel, Whosoever he be of the Bnei Yisroel, or of the ger that sojourn in Yisroel, that giveth any of his zera unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death; the Am HaAretz shall stone him with stones.

3 And I will set My face against that ish, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his zera unto Molech, to make tamei My Mikdash, and to commit chillul Hashem against Shem Kodshi (My Holy Name).

4 And if the Am HaAretz close their eyes when that man giveth of his zera unto Molech, and kill him not,

5 Then I will set My face against that ish, and against his mishpochah, and will cut him off, and all that go awhoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

6 And the nefesh that turneth to Ovos (Mediums) and Yidonim (Spiritists), to go a-whoring after them, I will even set My face against that nefesh, and will cut him off from among his people.

7 Consecrate yourselves as kadosh, therefore, and be ye kedoshim: for I am Hashem Eloheichem.

8 And ye shall be shomer over My chukkot, and do them: I am Hashem who sets you apart as kodesh.

9 For every one that curseth his av or his em shall be surely put to death; he hath cursed his av or his em; his dahm shall be upon him.

10 And the ish that committeth adultery with the wife of another ish, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the no’ef (adulterer) and the no’efet (adulteress) shall surely be put to death.

11 And the ish that lieth with the wife of his av hath uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their dahm shall be upon them.

12 And if an ish lie with his kallah (daughter-in-law), both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed tevel (perversion); their dahm shall be upon them.

13 If an ish also lie with zachar, as he lieth with an isha, both of them have committed to’evah; they shall surely be put to death; their dahm shall be upon them.

14 And if an ish take a wife and her em, it is zimmah; they shall be burned with eish, both he and they; that there be no zimmah among you.

15 And if an ish give his shikhvat to a behemah, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the behemah.

16 And if an isha approach unto any behemah, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the isha, and the beast; they shall surely be put to death; their dahm shall be upon them.

17 And if an ish shall take his achot, the bat of his av (father), or the bat of his em (mother), and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their Bnei Am; he hath uncovered the nakedness of his achot (sister); he shall bear his iniquity.

18 And if an ish shall lie with an isha during her davah (menstruous unwellness), and shall uncover her nakedness, he hath made bare her mekor (source), and she hath uncovered the source of her dahm; and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

19 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s achot (sister), nor of thy father’s achot (sister); for he uncovereth (i.e., incestuously dishonored) his near kin; they shall bear their iniquity.

20 And if an ish shall lie with the wife of his dod, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness; they shall bear their chet; they shall die childless.

21 And if an ish shall take his brother’s wife, it is niddah; he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.

22 Ye shall therefore be shomer over all My chukkot, and all My mishpatim, and do them; that HaAretz, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out.

23 And ye shall not walk in the chukkot of HaGoy, which I cast out before you; for they committed all these things; therefore I abhorred them.

24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to inherit it, an Eretz zavat cholov udevash: I am Hashem Eloheichem, which have separated you from the peoples.

25 Ye shall therefore distinguish habehemah hatehorah from teme’ah, and between fowls tamei and tahor: and ye shall not make your nefashot sheketz (abomination) by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as tamei.

26 And ye shall be kadoshim unto Me: for I Hashem am kadosh, and have separated you from the nations, that ye should be Mine.

27 An ish also or isha who is an Ov (Medium) or a Yidoni (Spiritist), shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones; their dahm shall be upon them.

Vayikra 20 Commentary

Chapter 20

Law against sacrificing children to Moloch, Of children that curse their parents. (1-9) Laws repeated, Holiness enjoined. (10-27)

Verses 1-9 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.

Verses 10-27 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.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 20

In this chapter several laws are, repeated, enforced with a penalty annexed to them, and the breach them made capital, to deter from it, as giving seed to Molech, Le 20:1-5; going after such that have familiar spirits, or are wizards, Le 20:6; by shunning which, and other sins, a regard would be shown to holiness, Le 20:7,8; such as cursing parents, Le 20:9; committing adultery, Le 20:10; incestuous copulations, and marriages, and beastly actions, Le 20:11-21; all which it became the Israelites to avoid, lest, when come into the land of Canaan, they should be cast out of it, as the old inhabitants were for the same things, Le 20:22-24; and therefore, that they might appear to be a distinct people from others, they were to put a difference between clean and unclean creatures, Le 20:25,26; and the chapter is closed with a law, making it death for any person to have a familiar spirit, or to be a wizard, Le 19:27.