1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, 'Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his seed to Molech; he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people because he has given of his seed to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person, when he gives of his seed to Molech, and don't put him to death; 5 then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him, to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people. 6 "'The person that turns to those who are mediums, and to the wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people. 7 "'Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God. 8 You shall keep my statutes, and do them. I am Yahweh 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 "'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 "'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 "'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 lies with a male, as 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 takes a wife and her mother, 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 lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; and you shall kill the animal. 16 "'If a woman approaches any animal, and lies down with it, you shall kill the woman, and the animal: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 17 "'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 shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he has uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. 18 "'If a man lies with a woman having her monthly period, and uncovers her nakedness; he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, nor of your father's sister; for he has made naked his close relative: they shall bear their iniquity. 20 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 "'If a man takes his brother's wife, it is an impurity: he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless. 22 "'You shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them; that the land, where I am bringing you to dwell, may not vomit you out. 23 You shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you: for they did 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 flowing with milk and honey." I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples. 25 "'You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean: and you shall not make yourselves abominable by animal, or by bird, or by anything with which the ground teems, which I have separated from you as unclean for you. 26 You shall be holy to me: for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine. 27 "'A man or a woman that is a medium, or is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones; their blood shall be upon them.'"
Of giving seed to Molech, and the punishment of this crime, Leviticus 20:1-5. Of consulting wizards, etc., Leviticus 20:6-8. Of disrespect to parents, Leviticus 20:9. Of adultery, Leviticus 20:10. Of incestuous mixtures, Leviticus 20:11, Leviticus 20:12. Bestiality, Leviticus 20:13-16. Different cases of incest and uncleanness, Leviticus 20:17-21. Exhortations and promises, Leviticus 20:22-24. The difference between clean and unclean animals to be carefully observed, Leviticus 20:25. The Israelites are separated from other nations, that they may be holy, Leviticus 20:26. A repetition of the law against wizards and them that have familiar spirits, Leviticus 20:27.
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, Leviticus 20:1; going after such that have familiar spirits, or are wizards, Leviticus 20:6; by shunning which, and other sins, a regard would be shown to holiness, Leviticus 20:7; such as cursing parents, Leviticus 20:9; committing adultery, Leviticus 20:10; incestuous copulations, and marriages, and beastly actions, Leviticus 20:11; 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, Leviticus 20:22; and therefore, that they might appear to be a distinct people from others, they were to put a difference between clean and unclean creatures, Leviticus 20:25; and the chapter is closed with a law, making it death for any person to have a familiar spirit, or to be a wizard, Leviticus 19:27.
(Leviticus 20:1-9) Law against sacrificing children to Moloch, Of children that curse their parents.
(v. 10-27) Laws repeated, Holiness enjoined.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.