God firmly instructs that any involvement with Molech worship or tolerating such acts leads to grave punishment, highlighting His call for holiness and justice within the community.
In the midst of instructions to guide and shape the nation of Israel, we read Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying (v. 1). This direct statement underscores the divine authority behind all that follows, highlighting God as the One who not only freed the Israelites from Pharaoh’s oppression but also established their spiritual, moral, and social framework. The phrase reminds readers that every word of instruction in Leviticus is meant to transform Israel into a community reflecting the holiness of God Himself. Much like later scriptural passages that affirm God’s sovereignty and creative power (John 1:3John 1:3 commentary), this verse shows He is the supreme Lawgiver who desires His people to heed His voice.
The mention of Moses here situates the passage historically around the mid-second millennium BC, specifically during Israel’s wilderness wanderings, often dated between 1446-1406 BC. Moses serves as the mediator of God’s covenant and the leader chosen to guide the Israelites. He stands at a pivotal point in Israel’s history: having been called by God at Mount Sinai (traditionally identified in the southwestern part of the Sinai Peninsula), Moses received the law that would establish Israel’s religious identity. This short verse affirms how God regularly communicated His statutes through Moses so that the people might understand, obey, and live in a manner fitting the people of a holy God.
Although the verse itself is brief, it heralds the serious moral and ethical regulations that follow in the rest of the chapter, demonstrating how God’s intention is for His people to stand apart from their neighboring nations. By heeding His divine directives, they would cultivate a culture marked by dignity, justice, and reverence for the Lord. Through Moses—speaking on God’s behalf—this verse introduces the weighty commands aimed at shaping Israel into a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (see Exodus 19:6Exodus 19:6 commentary).
God then issues a stern warning through Moses declaring, Any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones (v. 2). Here we see the deep gravity of worshiping or sacrificing children to a false god called Molech, whose cult was even known among other ancient Near Eastern nations. By singling out both Israelites and foreigners dwelling among them, the Lord underscores that no one is exempt from the moral standards He establishes, emphasizing that idolatry and the desecration of innocent lives have severe consequences.
The passage intensifies in the next verse: I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given some of his offspring to Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name (v. 3). The language of setting God's face against a person communicates a direct opposition from the Lord Himself. Molech’s worship would poison Israel’s fellowship with God and contaminate the holiness of His tabernacle. By offering children to a pagan deity, the covenant community was stained with the blood of the innocent, an act utterly opposed to the holiness and life-centered worship God intended for His people.
God also addresses complicity in these acts: If the people of the land, however, should ever disregard that man when he gives any of his offspring to Molech, so as not to put him to death (v. 4), then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family, and I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who play the harlot after him, by playing the harlot after Molech (v. 5). Here, God warns that those who turn a blind eye to sin become partners in it. If the community refuses to act in righteous judgment, God Himself will step in and bring punishment upon everyone who tolerates idolatry and disobedience. This principle echoes into the New Testament, where Christ teaches that leading others into sin is a serious offense (see Mark 9:42Mark 9:42 commentary).
Leviticus 20:1-5Leviticus 20:1-5 commentary come during the time when the Israelites, led by Moses, were formed into a distinct people set apart for God’s holiness. By denouncing Molech worship in such severe terms, God preserves the sanctity of His name and the welfare of His people in the land they would inhabit, as He was preparing them to reflect His character before all nations.
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Leviticus 20:1-5 meaning
In the midst of instructions to guide and shape the nation of Israel, we read Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying (v. 1). This direct statement underscores the divine authority behind all that follows, highlighting God as the One who not only freed the Israelites from Pharaoh’s oppression but also established their spiritual, moral, and social framework. The phrase reminds readers that every word of instruction in Leviticus is meant to transform Israel into a community reflecting the holiness of God Himself. Much like later scriptural passages that affirm God’s sovereignty and creative power (John 1:3John 1:3 commentary), this verse shows He is the supreme Lawgiver who desires His people to heed His voice.
The mention of Moses here situates the passage historically around the mid-second millennium BC, specifically during Israel’s wilderness wanderings, often dated between 1446-1406 BC. Moses serves as the mediator of God’s covenant and the leader chosen to guide the Israelites. He stands at a pivotal point in Israel’s history: having been called by God at Mount Sinai (traditionally identified in the southwestern part of the Sinai Peninsula), Moses received the law that would establish Israel’s religious identity. This short verse affirms how God regularly communicated His statutes through Moses so that the people might understand, obey, and live in a manner fitting the people of a holy God.
Although the verse itself is brief, it heralds the serious moral and ethical regulations that follow in the rest of the chapter, demonstrating how God’s intention is for His people to stand apart from their neighboring nations. By heeding His divine directives, they would cultivate a culture marked by dignity, justice, and reverence for the Lord. Through Moses—speaking on God’s behalf—this verse introduces the weighty commands aimed at shaping Israel into a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (see Exodus 19:6Exodus 19:6 commentary).
God then issues a stern warning through Moses declaring, Any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones (v. 2). Here we see the deep gravity of worshiping or sacrificing children to a false god called Molech, whose cult was even known among other ancient Near Eastern nations. By singling out both Israelites and foreigners dwelling among them, the Lord underscores that no one is exempt from the moral standards He establishes, emphasizing that idolatry and the desecration of innocent lives have severe consequences.
The passage intensifies in the next verse: I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given some of his offspring to Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name (v. 3). The language of setting God's face against a person communicates a direct opposition from the Lord Himself. Molech’s worship would poison Israel’s fellowship with God and contaminate the holiness of His tabernacle. By offering children to a pagan deity, the covenant community was stained with the blood of the innocent, an act utterly opposed to the holiness and life-centered worship God intended for His people.
God also addresses complicity in these acts: If the people of the land, however, should ever disregard that man when he gives any of his offspring to Molech, so as not to put him to death (v. 4), then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family, and I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who play the harlot after him, by playing the harlot after Molech (v. 5). Here, God warns that those who turn a blind eye to sin become partners in it. If the community refuses to act in righteous judgment, God Himself will step in and bring punishment upon everyone who tolerates idolatry and disobedience. This principle echoes into the New Testament, where Christ teaches that leading others into sin is a serious offense (see Mark 9:42Mark 9:42 commentary).
Leviticus 20:1-5Leviticus 20:1-5 commentary come during the time when the Israelites, led by Moses, were formed into a distinct people set apart for God’s holiness. By denouncing Molech worship in such severe terms, God preserves the sanctity of His name and the welfare of His people in the land they would inhabit, as He was preparing them to reflect His character before all nations.