Levítico 20

Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible

Levítico 20

NJB (MT versing) On Human Sacrifices and Immoralities Penalties for Breaking the Law Penalties for Violating the Rules of the Theocratic Community Penalties for Disobedience Penalties a. religious offences 20:1-2a 20:1-5 20:1-2a 20:1-5 20:1-2a 20:2b-5 20:2b-5 20:2b-5 20:6-8 20:6-7 20:6-9 20:6-8 20:6 20:7 b. offences against the family 20:8-21 20:8-9a 20:9 20:9 20:9b 20:10-16 20:10-16 20:10-16 20:10 20:11 20:12 20:13 20:14 20:15 20:16 20:17-21 20:17-21 20:17-18 20:17 20:18 20:19-21 20:19 20:20 20:21 Concluding Exhortation 20:22-26 20:22-26 20:22-26 20:22-26 20:22-24a 20:24b-25 20:26 20:27 20:27 20:27 20:27 20:27 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS As Leviticus 18 and 19 deal with specific definitions of improper acts of covenant partners, chapter 20 deals with the consequences of sins. Leviticus 20:2-5 deals with Molech, who is first mentioned in Lev. 18:21. See SPECIAL TOPIC: MOLECH and SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANE. This chapter uses an intensified grammatical structure (i.e., INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB of the same root). Lev. 20:2 ‒ "shall surely be put to death" (BDB 559, KB 562) Lev. 20:4 ‒ "should ever disregard" (lit. "should ever hide," BDB 761, KB 834) Lev. 20:9 ‒ same as #1 Lev. 20:11 ‒ same as #1 Lev. 20:12 ‒ same as #1 Lev. 20:13 ‒ same as #1 Lev. 20:15 ‒ same as #1 Lev. 20:16 ‒ same as #1 Lev. 20:27 ‒ same as #1 There are terrible consequences to disobedience in time and eternity. YHWH wants a "holy" people to reflect His character to a pagan world (cf. Lev. 11:44; 19:2; 20:7,24,26) A good list of death penalty (i.e., by stoning) cases would be premeditated (non-legal) murder ‒ Exod. 21:12; Lev. 24:17; Num. 35:16-21 kidnaping ‒ Exod. 21:16; Deut. 24:7 idolatry ‒ Exod. 22:19; Lev. 20:1-5; Deut. 13:2-19; 17:2-7 (cursed in Deut. 27:15) blasphemy ‒ Lev. 24:14-16,23 profane the sabbath ‒ Exod. 31:14-15 sorcery ‒ Exod. 22:17; Lev. 20:27 prostitution involving a priest's family ‒ Lev. 21:9 dishonoring parents ‒ Exod. 21:15,17; Lev. 20:8; Deut. 21:18-21 (cursed in Deut. 27:16) adultery ‒ Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22 incest ‒ Lev. 20:11,12,14,17 (see Leviticus 18) homosexuality ‒ Lev. 20:13 bestiality ‒ Lev. 20:15-16 (cursed in Deut. 27:21) Stoning to death by the community was a way to demonstrate Israel as a holy people, a community of purity which must rid itself of wickedness and law breakers (i.e., Lev. 20:2,27; 24:14-23; Num. 15:35; Deut. 21:21).

Levítico 20:1-2

20:2 This chapter's introductory phrase is different from previous chapters. The VERB "say," "speak" is not an IMPERATIVE.

Levítico 20:2-5

20:2b "Molech" See SPECIAL TOPIC: MOLECH. ▣ "put to death" This chapter gives the death penalty for various kinds of violations. See Contextual Insights, C. ▣ "the people of the land" This phrase has several different meanings in different periods of Israel's history (see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 70-72). landed gentry a legislative council (R. K. Harrison, Tyndale OT, p. 204) the common covenant person (c.f., Exod. 5:5) It denotes "stoning" by the whole community (cf. Lev. 20:27; 24:14-23; Num. 15:35,36; Deut. 21:21). It was the designated way for the community of faith to remove the evil person (i.e., Deut. 13:1-18; 18:20). 20:3 "I will set My face" See note at Lev. 17:10. This is a repeated phrase (cf. Lev. 20:3,5,6). ▣ "I will cut him off from among his people" See note at Lev. 17:10. ▣ "so as to. . ." Notice how idolatry affects Israel. defiles YHWH's sanctuary (BDB 379, KB 375, Piel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT; cf. Lev. 15:31; Num. 19:13,20) profanes YHWH's name (BDB 320, KB 319, Piel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT; cf. Lev. 18:21) 20:4 "should ever disregard" "should in any way hide their eyes" "should even close their eyes" TEV, Peshitta "ignores" "choose to close their eyes" JPSOA, NET "shut their eyes" "connive at it" "should by an oversight overlook with their eyes" This VERB (BDB 761, KB 834) is linked to the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE of the same root, which intensifies the thought. The "hiding" can be of the eyes ‒ 1 Sam. 12:3; Ps. 10:1; Pro. 28:27; Isa. 1:15; Ezek. 22:26 ears ‒ Lam. 3:56 fact ‒ 2 Kgs. 4:27 council ‒Job 42:3 Here, it denotes someone who knows a fellow Israeli has given his child (lit. "seed") to Molech and does not tell the proper authorities will be put to death. See SPECIAL TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY. 20:5 "set My face against that man" See note at Lev. 17:10. Notice that several people are to be put to death (probably by the stoning of the whole community, Lev. 20:2). the one who sees the idolatry and does not tell the family (wife, children, grandchildren) of the one who does not tell the ones involved in the idolatry although not specifically mentioned, the family of the one giving his children to Molech because they would have known. I have two comments about this. This is an example of Hebrew corporality. One's actions affect the whole (Exod. 20:5; Joshua 7). This must also be seen in light of Ezekiel 18, where only the sinner is affected. This is typical biblical paradox. See SPECIAL TOPIC: PARADOX IN SCRIPTURE. ▣ "playing the harlot after Molech" This refers to "spiritual adultery" by the fact that YHWH was Israel's true husband (see SPECIAL TOPIC: FATHER) and, therefore, when Israel went after other gods it was a symbol of her going "awhoring after other gods" (cf. Exod. 34:15-16; Lev. 17:7; Deut. 31:16; Jdgs. 2:17; 8:27,33; Jer. 3:1; Ezek. 20:30; Hos. 2:7).

Levítico 20:6-8

20:6 "medium and spiritists" See Lev. 19:26,31; 20:27; Deut. 18:10-12. See full notes online in Deuteronomy 19. 20:7 "consecrate" This is the Hebrew term kadosh (BDB 872, KB 1073, Hithpael PERFECT with waw). It is the VERB form of "holy" (see SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY). This is demanded several times in Leviticus (cf. Lev. 11:44; 19:2; 20:7,26). This concept is parallel to (1) "sanctifies" (BDB 872, KB 1073, Piel PARTICIPLE) in Lev. 20:8 (2) "separated" (BDB 95, KB 110) in Lev. 20:24,25, literally, "to divide. Israel made a distinction between what was clean and unclean (Lev. 20:25; Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14). Israel was to be different from her surrounding pagan nations. She was to reflect YHWH's holiness! 20:8 "keep" Notice the number of times in Leviticus this is stated (cf. Lev. 8:35; 18:4,5,26,30; 19:3,19, 30, 37; 20:8,22; 22:9,31; 25:18; 26:2,3; and many more times in Deuteronomy. See SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP and SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT. ▣ "statutes" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION. ▣ "the Lord" This is covenant language. See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. ▣ "sanctifies" Notice the parallel concepts of be holy, Lev. 20:7 sanctify, Lev. 20:8 separate, Lev. 20:24-25 YHWH sanctified them but Israel must "practice" (BDB 793, KB 889, Qal PERFECT with waw) them! All the doctrines of the Bible involve God's sovereignty and mankind's free will. See SPECIAL TOPIC: ELECTION/PREDESTINATION AND THE NEED FOR A THEOLOGICAL BALANCE and SPECIAL TOPIC: PREDESTINATION (CALVINISM) AND HUMAN FREE WILL (ARMINIANISM) and SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT.

Levítico 20:9

20:9 "curses his father or his mother" This is the opposite of "honor" (cf. Exod. 20:12 and would encompass Exod. 21:15). See note at Lev. 19:3. This shows the significance of family stability as it relates to long term societal stability. Note the parallel in Deut. 21:18-21.

Levítico 20:10-16

20:10-21 This deals with sexual abuses mentioned in chapter 18. See full note there. Lev. 20:10 ‒ Lev. 18:20 Lev. 20:11 ‒ Lev. 18:7,8 Lev. 20:12 ‒ Lev. 18:15 Lev. 20:13 ‒ Lev. 18:22 Lev. 20:14 ‒ Deut. 27:23 Lev. 20:15 ‒ Lev. 18:23 Lev. 20:16 ‒ Lev. 18:23 Lev. 20:17 ‒ Lev. 18:9 Lev. 20:18 ‒ Lev. 18:19 Lev. 20:19 ‒ Lev. 18:12,13 Lev. 20:20 ‒ Lev. 18:14 Lev. 20:21 ‒ Lev. 18:16 Leviticus 18 defines the boundaries and chapter 19 the consequences for disobedience. 20:10 The word "adultery" (BDB 610, KB 158) is used four times. Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE Same as 1. adulterer adulteress All require the death penalty. This verse seems to have a redundant phrase which may be the result of an early copyist's error. See SPECIAL TOPIC: TEXTUAL CRITICISM. 20:11 See note at Lev. 18:7,8 and at Contextual Insights, C. 20:12 See note at Lev. 18:15 and at Contextual Insights, C. ▣ NASB, TEV, JPSOA "incest" NKJV, NRSV "perversion" NJB, REB "violated nature" "behaved impiously" "committed a sin" This term (BDB 117) basically means "confusion" in the sense of the NJB, REB (cf. Lev. 18:23; 20:12). 20:13 See note at Lev. 18:22 and at Contextual Insights, C. ▣ "a detestable act" This (BDB 1072) is used earlier in Lev. 7:18; 11:10; 18:22,26,27,29. See notes there. See SPECIAL TOPIC: ABOMINATION (OT) and SPECIAL TOPIC: HOMOSEXUALITY. For a brief discussion of the Bible's condemnation of homosexuality, see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 543-545. 20:14 "they shall be burned with fire" Fire was one way to cleanse. See SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE. ▣ There are several verses that require the burning of law breakers (cf. Gen. 38:24; Lev. 20:14; 21:9). Also, Saul's and his sons' bodies were burned in 1 Sam. 31:12-13. See SPECIAL TOPIC: CREMATION. 20:15 See note at Lev. 18:23 and at Contextual Insights, C. 20:16 See note at Lev. 18:23 and at Contextual Insights, C.

Levítico 20:17-21

20:20,21 "They will be childless" For a Jewish family to be childless even affected their afterlife (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 534-535). In this chapter this is the result of "cut off" (i.e., the family line ceases; see note at Lev. 7:20).

Levítico 20:22-26

20:22 "to keep" See SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP and SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT. ▣ "My statutes and all My ordinances" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION. ▣ "the land. . .will not spew you out" As Israel's sin made the Tabernacle ceremonially unclean, so Israel's sin made the land unclean. The land is personified as spewing out (cf. Lev. 18:28) the Hebrews as it had the Canaanites (cf. Lev. 20:23 and Gen. 15:16). 20:23 "I have abhorred them" This VERB (BDB 880, KB 1089, Qal IMPERFECT) means "to feel disgust." In the Pentateuch it is used in several senses. Gen. 27:46 ‒ Rebekah was distraught over her Canaanite daughter-in-law Exod. 1:12; Num. 22:3 ‒ the Egyptians feared the Israelites because of their numbers Num. 21:5 ‒ the Israelites were sick and tired of the manna they had to eat every day here, the VERB is theologically parallel to "abhor" (BDB 1055, KB 1646, cf. Lev. 20:25) "loath" (BDB 1072, KB 1702); cf. Gen. 43:32; 46:34; Exod. 8:26; Ps. 95:10; see SPECIAL TOPIC: ABOMINATION (OT) 20:24 "a land flowing with milk and honey" This phrase describes the agricultural abundance of Canaan. It is mentioned several times. YHWH's initial call to Moses, Exod. 3:8,17 consecration of the firstborn after the 10th plague on Egypt, Exod. 13:5 YHWH's message about the conquest by the power of YHWH's special angel, Exod. 33:3 the spies sent into Canaan, Num. 13:27; 14:8 remember all the victories and blessings were a gift from YHWH, Deut. 8:7-10; 31:20 an allusion to Gen. 15:12-22 ‒ Exod. 11:9 consecration and giving of first fruits after the conquest, Deut. 26:9 write the law on the stones from Jordan, Deut. 31:20 just after crossing Jordan, Josh. 5:6 ▣ "separated" The terms "holy," "set apart," and "separated" have a similar root idea—that which is given to God for His special use. The people of God are holy because they have been set apart as a kingdom of priests (cf. Lev. 20:26; Exod. 19:5-6; 33:16). Israel was meant to bring the whole world to God. God has revealed Himself through Israel. One of the real problems with Israel's lack of faith is that she affects the whole world. See SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN. 20:25 "You are therefore to make a distinction" This is the essence of the concept of "holiness" in Leviticus. YHWH is "separate"; they, too, should be different from their pagan neighbors in every area of life. Leviticus 20:25, like Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14, deals with food. The VERB translated "make distinction" (BDB 95, KB 110, Hiphil PERFECT with waw is exactly the same for as the last VERB of Lev. 20:24, "I have separated." The basic meaning of the VERB is "to divide." separate Israel from the other nations, Lev. 20:24 separate Israel's food, clean from unclean, Lev. 20:25 in Exod. 26:33 it is used of the veil that separates the "Holy of Holies" from the "Holy Place" of the inner shrine of the Tabernacle in Num. 16:9 it is used of the priests being separated to serve YHWH (i.e., they took the place of the firstborn, cf. Exodus 13) 20:6 This is the key theological concept of Leviticus (cf. Lev. 11:14; 19:2; 20:24). Israel was uniquely YHWH's people by covenant, not just creation.

Levítico 20:27

20:27 In some way this verse seems to intrude on the context but it does show another area of Israel's distinctiveness (cf. Lev. 19; 26-28,31; 20:6,27; Deuteronomy 18). This chapter clearly revealed Israel's tendency toward idolatry!