Leviticus 20

Leviticus 20 provides a series of punishments for various sins, especially those related to idolatry, sexual immorality, and unclean practices. It emphasizes the seriousness of sin within the community of Israel and the importance of holiness. God outlines the consequences for these actions, showing how justice is to be administered in order to maintain purity and separation from the practices of pagan nations. This chapter emphasizes that God's people must be distinct and follow His commands faithfully.

Leviticus 20:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3 I will set My face against that man, and will 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.

These verses address the serious offense of child sacrifice to the pagan god Molech, a practice that defiled God's sanctuary and profaned His name. By giving their children to Molech, people demonstrated complete disobedience and rejection of God. The penalty was severe—death by stoning, with God Himself setting His face against the offender. This showed that such behavior would not be tolerated within the community of Israel, and it emphasized the need for the people to remain holy and separate from pagan practices.

Leviticus 20:4-5 (NKJV)
4 And if the people of the land should in any way 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.

Here, God warns that the community must not ignore such grievous sin. If they fail to punish the offender, they too will face God’s judgment. This shows the collective responsibility of Israel to uphold God's law. The term "prostitute themselves" reflects the spiritual unfaithfulness of those who turn to false gods. By involving their children in idolatry, they were abandoning their covenant relationship with God and committing a spiritual act of unfaithfulness.

Leviticus 20:6 (NKJV)
6 And the 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.

This verse condemns those who seek guidance from mediums or familiar spirits, which was another form of spiritual unfaithfulness. The practice of turning to these sources was forbidden because it represented a rejection of God’s authority and His revealed truth. Those who sought supernatural knowledge from these sources were turning their backs on God’s guidance and law, leading to severe consequences—being cut off from the community.

Leviticus 20:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
8 And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

God calls His people to consecrate themselves and be holy, as He is holy. The command to keep His statutes and perform them is a reminder that holiness is not just a state of being but an active pursuit. Obedience to God's laws is what sets the people of Israel apart. By following His statutes, they are sanctified and made holy, reflecting their unique relationship with God. This highlights the theme of separation from the practices of the surrounding nations.

Leviticus 20:9 (NKJV)
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.

Disrespecting and cursing one’s parents is treated with the utmost seriousness. In the ancient world, honoring one’s parents was foundational to the social order and to one's relationship with God. Cursing parents was not merely an act of rebellion against family authority but an offense against God’s command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12). The death penalty reflected the gravity of this violation.

Leviticus 20:10-12 (NKJV)
10 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 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 perversion. Their blood shall be upon them.

These verses deal with various forms of sexual immorality, including adultery and incestuous relationships. Adultery violates the sacred bond of marriage and damages the integrity of the family, which was central to the covenant community. Incest and sexual perversion are likewise seen as destructive to the social and spiritual fabric of Israel. The death penalty for these acts signifies the severity of such offenses in maintaining the holiness of the community.

Leviticus 20:13 (NKJV)
13 If 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.

This verse addresses homosexual relations, labeling them as an abomination in the sight of God. Like other forms of sexual immorality, it was seen as a violation of the natural order established by God for human relationships. The death penalty indicated the severity of the offense in the context of Israel’s covenant community, which was called to be holy and separate from the practices of surrounding pagan nations.

Leviticus 20:14-16 (NKJV)
14 If a man marries a woman 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 mates with an animal, 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.

These verses condemn extreme sexual perversions, such as marrying both a woman and her mother or engaging in bestiality. Such acts were seen as deeply corrupt and defiling to both the individuals and the community. The prescribed punishments—death and burning—served to purge wickedness from Israel and maintain the sanctity of God’s people. These laws aimed to establish clear moral boundaries and eliminate corruption from within the camp.

Leviticus 20:17 (NKJV)
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 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 guilt.

This verse deals with incestuous relationships between siblings. Such relationships were considered wicked and disgraceful in God's eyes, violating both family structure and social order. The punishment for such behavior was to be "cut off" from the people, which implied severe consequences, either banishment or death, depending on the interpretation. It emphasizes the need for moral purity and respect for familial boundaries.

Leviticus 20:18 (NKJV)
18 If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from their people.

This verse addresses sexual relations during a woman’s menstrual period, which was considered ritually unclean under the Mosaic law (Leviticus 15:19-30). Engaging in such an act demonstrated disregard for God’s laws of purity, and both parties were to be "cut off" from the community, underscoring the importance of obedience to the laws governing bodily cleanliness and holiness.

Leviticus 20:19-21 (NKJV)
19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister nor of your father’s sister, for that would uncover his near of kin. They shall bear their guilt.
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 unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

These verses continue the theme of prohibiting sexual relations with close relatives, which were considered sinful and defiling. Such actions violated family integrity and disrespected boundaries established by God. The penalty for these sins was that the offenders would "bear their guilt" or be left childless, meaning they would suffer the consequences of their sin through punishment or the cutting off of their family line.

Leviticus 20:22-24 (NKJV)
22 You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out.
23 And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.
24 But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.

God reminds the Israelites that obedience to His statutes is crucial for remaining in the Promised Land. If they adopt the practices of the pagan nations around them, the land would "vomit" them out, just as it did the nations before them. This emphasizes that Israel was called to be holy and distinct, separated from the sinful customs of other peoples. God's gift of the land was conditional upon their faithfulness to His laws.

Leviticus 20:25-26 (NKJV)
25 You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing 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 separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.

These verses reiterate the importance of maintaining the distinction between clean and unclean animals, reinforcing the theme of holiness and separation. By observing these dietary laws, Israel maintained their identity as God's holy people. The command to "be holy" is central, reflecting God's character and calling for His people to live in a way that distinguishes them from the nations around them.

Leviticus 20:27 (NKJV)
27 A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.

The chapter closes with a final condemnation of anyone who engages in necromancy or communication with familiar spirits. Such practices were seen as direct acts of rebellion against God, who alone holds power over life and death. The penalty for such offenses was death by stoning, a severe judgment that underlined the seriousness of maintaining the purity of Israel’s worship and the prohibition against pagan rituals and practices.