Leviticus 20:3

3 And I shall set fast my face against him, and I shall cut away him from the midst of my people, for he gave of his seed to Moloch, and defouled my saintuary, and defouled mine holy name. (And I shall set my face against him, and I shall cut him off from the midst of my people, for he gave his children to Moloch, and defiled my sanctuary, and defiled my holy name.)

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 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
2 Speak thou these things to the sons of Israel, If any man of the sons of Israel, and of the comelings that dwell in Israel, giveth of his seed to the idol Moloch, die he by death; the people of the land shall stone him. (Say thou these things to the Israelites, If any Israelite, or a newcomer who liveth in Israel, giveth his children to the false god Moloch, he shall be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him.)
3 And I shall set fast my face against him, and I shall cut away him from the midst of my people, for he gave of his seed to Moloch, and defouled my saintuary, and defouled mine holy name. (And I shall set my face against him, and I shall cut him off from the midst of my people, for he gave his children to Moloch, and defiled my sanctuary, and defiled my holy name.)
4 That if the people of the land is negligent, and little chargeth (for) my behest, and suffereth the man that gave of his seed to Moloch, neither will slay him, (But if the people of the land be negligent, and care little for my command, and consent to the man who gave his children to Moloch, and indeed will not kill him,)
5 I shall set my face on that man, and on his kindred, and I shall cut him down, and all that consented to him, that they should do fornication, that is, idolatry, with Moloch, from the midst of their people. (I shall set my face against that man, and against his kindred, and I shall cut off him, and all who consented to him, yea, they who would do fornication, that is, idolatry, with Moloch, from the midst of their people.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.