The Third Book of Moses, Called Leviticus

Chapter 20

Of him who gives his children to Moloch, 1-3. Of him who favors such a one, 4, 5. Of going to wizards, 6. Of sanctification, 7, 8. Of him who curses his parents, 9. Of adultery, 10. Of incest, 11, 12. Of sodomy, 13, 14. Of bestiality, 15-17. Of uncleanness, 18-21. Obedience is required with holiness, 22-26. Wizards must be put to death, 27.

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Again you shall say to the children of Israel, 'Any man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who gives any of his children to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 And I will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people because he has given his children to Molech to defile my sanctuary and to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people of the land at all hide their eyes from the man when he gives his children to Molech and do not kill him, 5 Then I will set my face against that man and against his family and will cut him off and all who go astray after him to commit lewdness with Molech from among their people.

6 'And the soul who turns after those who have familiar spirits and after wizards to go astray after them, I will even set my face against that soul and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Sanctify yourselves therefore and be holy. For I am the LORD your God. 8 And you shall keep my statutes and do them. I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

9 'For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.

10 'And the man who commits adultery with another man's wife, even he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. 11 And the man who lies with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 12 And if a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed a perversion. Their blood shall be upon them. 13 If a man also lies with mankind, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 14 And if a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burnt with fire—both he and they—so that there is no wickedness among you. 15 And if a man lies with a beast, he shall surely be put to death. And you shall slay the beast. 16 And if a woman approaches any beast and lies down thereto, you shall kill the woman and the beast. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

17 'And if a man takes his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing, and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity. 18 And if a man lies with a woman having her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has discovered her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood, and both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19 And you shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, nor of your father's sister, for he uncovers his near kin. They shall bear their iniquity. 20 And if a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless. 21 And if a man takes his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother's nakedness. They shall be childless.

22 'You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my judgments and do them so that the land where I bring you to dwell therein may not vomit you out. 23 And you shall not walk in the manners of the nations which I cast out before you, for they committed all these things, and therefore, I abhorred them. 24 But I have said to you, "You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land that flows with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who have separated you from other people. 25 You shall therefore distinguish between clean beasts and unclean and between unclean birds and clean. And you shall not make your souls abominable by beast or by bird, or by any manner of living animal that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. 26 And you shall be holy to me, for I, the LORD, am holy and have severed you from other people so that you should be mine.

27 'Also a man or a woman who has a familiar spirit, or who is a wizard, shall surely be put to death. They shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.'"

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Leviticus, Chapter 20[➚]

Notes

[v.9] - Quoted in Matthew 15:4; Mark 7:10.

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