Leviticus 20:3

3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.

Leviticus 20:3 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
English Standard Version (ESV)
3 I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name.
New Living Translation (NLT)
3 I 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.
The Message Bible (MSG)
3 I will resolutely reject that man and cut him off from his people. By giving his child to the god Molech he has polluted my Sanctuary and desecrated my holy name.
American Standard Version (ASV)
3 I also will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
3 I will condemn them and exclude them from the people. They gave one of their children to Molech, made my holy tent unclean, and dishonored my holy name.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
3 I will turn against that man and cut him off from his people, because he gave his offspring to Molech, defiling My sanctuary and profaning My holy name.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
3 I will turn against that man. I will cut him off from his people. That is because he sacrificed his child to Molech. He has made my sacred tent "unclean." He has treated my name as if it were not holy.

Leviticus 20:3 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 20:3

And I will set my face against that man
Express resentment, anger, wrath, and indignation at him, see ( Psalms 34:16 ) : and will cut him off from among his people:
that is, supposing him to have been guilty of the above horrid crime, and there being not sufficient evidence given of it by witnesses, or the magistrates negligent in doing their duty; and the matter being known to God the omniscient, he, according this declaration, would deal with him himself, and cut him off out of the land of the living, from among his relations, friends, and neighbours, by his own immediate hand; otherwise the law before provided a penalty, which is death by stoning, whereby he would be effectually cut off from his people, and deprived of all natural, civil, and religious privileges in this life, and sent into everlasting punishment in another, unless forgiving grace should be vouchsafed: because he hath given of his seed to Molech;
an iniquity to be punished by the judge, and deserving of everlasting wrath and destruction: to defile my sanctuary;
not by doing this horrid action in it, but by coming into it, having done it; or by offering sacrifice in another place than where God had commanded, as well as such a sacrifice as was abominable to him, sacrifice being to be offered nowhere but on the altar of the Lord in the sanctuary. Jarchi interprets this of the congregation of Israel, which was sanctified to the Lord, in the midst of which this wickedness was committed, and with which they were polluted: and to profane my holy name:
by sacrificing to an idol, when sacrifice should be offered to God; and such a sacrifice as would cause the name of God, and his holy laws, and true religion, to be blasphemed and evil, spoken of among the Gentiles, ( Romans 2:23 Romans 2:24 ) .

Leviticus 20:3 In-Context

1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him.
3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.
4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death,
5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.

Cross References 4

  • 1. ver 5,6; Leviticus 23:30
  • 2. Psalms 74:7; Psalms 79:1; Jeremiah 7:30; Ezekiel 5:11
  • 3. S Leviticus 15:31
  • 4. S Leviticus 18:21
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