2a“Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: b‘Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who1 dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall cstone him with stones.
3aI will set My face against that man, and will1 cut him off from his people, because he has given some of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name.
4 And if the people of the land should in any way1 hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some of his descendants to Molech, and they do not kill him,
5 then I will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut him off from his people, and all who prostitute themselves with him to commit harlotry with Molech.
6 ‘And athe person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
7aConsecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
8 And you shall keep aMy statutes, and perform them: bI am the Lord who sanctifies you.
9 ‘For aeveryone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. bHis blood shall be upon him.
10a‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.
11 The man who lies with his afather’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.
12 If a man lies with his adaughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed perversion. Their blood shall be upon them.
13aIf a man lies with a male 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 If a man marries a woman and her amother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.
15 If a man mates with an aanimal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal.
16 If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them.
17 ‘If a man takes his asister, 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 be1 cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his2 guilt.
Molech, literally, "the King" , called also Moloch, Milcom, and Malcham, was known in later times as "the abomination of the Ammonites" I Kings 11:5. He appears to have been the fire-god of the eastern nations; related to, and sometimes made identical with, Baal, the sun-god. The nature of the rite and of the impious custom called passing children through the fire to Molech is very doubtful. The practices appear to have been essentially connected with magical arts, probably also with unlawful lusts, and with some particular form of profane swearing. The rite in the time of Moses belonged to the region rather of magic than of definite idolatrous worship, and may have been practiced as a lustral charm, or fire-baptism, for the children of incest and adultery.
Leviticus 20:2
Stone him with stones - The commonest form of capital punishment. It was probably preferred as being the one in which the execution was the act of the whole congregation.
Leviticus 20:3
Defile my sanctuary - i. e. pollute the people as identified with their sanctuary.
Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Leviticus 20:4:
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