Punishment for Child Sacrifice
Study note
The most severe punishment was for anyone who sacrificed their children to the false god Molech. Molech worship involved placing children in the heated arms of a metal idol. The community was commanded to put such a person to death by stoning. If the community looked the other way and failed to punish this crime, God himself would act against both the offender and their family. This showed that protecting children was a primary concern of God's law.
1 Then the Lord gave Moses these instructions: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Tell the people of Israel: Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives a child to the false god Molech must be put to death. The whole community must throw stones at that person." Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3 "I will turn against that person myself and cut them off from the community. By giving a child to Molech, they made my sanctuary dirty and shamed my holy name." And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
4 "If the people look the other way when someone gives a child to Molech, and they refuse to put that person to death," And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
5 "then I will turn against that person and their whole family myself. I will cut them off from the people. I will also cut off everyone who followed their lead by being unfaithful to me through Molech worship." Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
The Call to Holiness
Study note
God also condemned consulting mediums and spiritists, promising to personally act against anyone who turned to them. The passage then calls the people to consecrate themselves and be holy. God declared, 'I am the Lord who makes you holy.' Holiness was not just something the people achieved on their own; it was something God actively worked in them as they obeyed.
6 "I will turn against anyone who goes to mediums or spiritists, being unfaithful to me by consulting them. I will expel that person from the community." And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
7 "Dedicate yourselves to me and live holy lives, because I am the Lord your God." Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
8 "Keep my rules and put them into practice. I am the Lord, the one who makes you holy." And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.
Punishments for Various Offenses
Study note
This section lists specific punishments for various sexual sins and family violations. Cursing one's parents, adultery, and the forbidden relationships listed in chapter 18 all carried serious consequences. The phrase 'their blood will be on their own heads' meant the offender was responsible for their own punishment. Some offenses resulted in being cut off from the community, which could mean exile or loss of tribal membership.
9 "Anyone who curses their father or mother must be executed. By cursing a parent, they have brought this consequence on themselves." For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
10 "If a man sleeps with another man's wife, both the guilty man and woman must be put to death." And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 "If a man has sexual relations with his father's wife, he has shamed his own father. Both parties must be executed. They brought this on themselves." And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
12 "If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both must be executed. What they did is perverse, and they brought this on themselves." And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.
13 "If a man has sexual relations with another man as he would with a woman, both have committed a detestable act. They must be executed; their blood is on their own hands." If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth 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 both a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. All three must be burned with fire so this kind of evil will not exist among you." And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.
15 "If a man has sexual relations with an animal, the man must be put to death. The animal must be killed too." And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.
16 "If a woman approaches an animal for sexual purposes, both the woman and the animal must be killed. They brought this on themselves." And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
17 "If a man takes his own sister -- whether his father's daughter or his mother's daughter -- and they have sexual relations, it is a public disgrace. Both must be expelled from the community in front of everyone. The man has shamed his sister and must accept the consequences." And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
18 "If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, both have exposed the source of her blood flow. Both must be expelled from the community." And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
19 "Do not have sexual relations with your aunt on either side of the family. That would shame a close relative. Both parties must accept the consequences." And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
20 "If a man has sexual relations with his uncle's wife, he has shamed his uncle. Both must accept the consequences -- they will die without having children." And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
21 "If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity. He has shamed his brother. They will remain childless." And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.
Be Holy and Separate
Study note
God closes by urging Israel to obey his laws so the promised land would not reject them as it rejected the nations before them. God said he had separated Israel from other nations to be his own people. He made a distinction between clean and unclean animals as a daily reminder that he had made a distinction between Israel and other peoples. Mediums and spiritists were to be put to death. The message was clear: Israel's survival in the land depended on maintaining holiness.
22 "Follow all my rules carefully. If you don't, the land I am bringing you to will spit you out in disgust." Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.
23 "Do not adopt the customs of the nations I am driving out ahead of you. I despised those nations because they practiced all these things." And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
24 "But I have promised you: You will take possession of their land. I am giving it to you as your very own -- a land overflowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from every other nation." But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.
25 "So you must know the difference between clean and unclean animals and between clean and unclean birds. Do not make yourselves disgusting by eating any animal, bird, or ground creature that I have said is unclean for you." Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
26 "You are to be holy and set apart for me, because I the Lord am holy. I have separated you from every other nation to belong to me." And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
27 "Any man or woman who acts as a medium or spiritist must be executed by stoning. They have brought this on themselves." A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.