Leviticus 20:1-8

Molech Worship and Spiritism

1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "And to the {Israelites} you shall say, '[If there is] {anyone} from the {Israelites} or from the alien who is dwelling in Israel, who gives {any of} his offspring to Molech, he must surely be put to death; the people of the land must stone him with stones.

3 And I myself will set my face against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he has given {some of} his offspring to Molech, so that {he makes my sanctuary unclean} and profanes {my holy name}.

4 And if the people of the land ever shut their eyes from that man at his giving {some of} his offspring to Molech, not putting him to death,

5 then I myself will set my face against that man and against his clan, and I will cut him off and all those from the midst of their people who prostitute after Molech.

6 As for the person who turns to the mediums and the soothsayers to prostitute after them, I will set my face against that person, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people.

7 " 'And you shall consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy, because I [am] Yahweh your God.

8 And you shall keep my statutes, and you shall do them; I [am] Yahweh who consecrates you.

Leviticus 20:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "And"
• [b]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [c]. Literally "a man a man"
• [d]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [e]. Or "and"
• [f]. Literally "from"
• [g]. Hebrew "the stone"
• [h]. Literally "from"
• [i]. Literally "to make unclean my sanctuary"
• [j]. Hebrew "to profane"
• [k]. Literally "the name of my holiness"
• [l]. Or "disregard"
• [m]. Literally "from"
• [n]. Or "and"
• [o]. Or "And"
• [p]. Hebrew "and I will set"