Leviticus 20:4
in Leviticus 20And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if the people of the land do at all hide their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and put him not to death;
KJV
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:
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This verse in Leviticus 20
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
if the people of the land do any ways
on Leviticus 20:4-5
The law then turns on the people who watch and say nothing. The phrase rendered hide their eyes occurs nowhere else in the King James text, and it describes a whole town agreeing to see nothing. God answers by setting his face against the man and against his family, so looking away carries a sentence of its own. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the words as conniving at what a neighbour does rather than as failing to notice it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man,....
And, if the sins of leaders be leading sins, it is fit that their punishments should be exemplary punishments. Children's abusing their parents, by cursing them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
If the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, &c.--that is, connive at their countrymen practising the horrid rites of Molech. Awful was it that any Hebrew parents could so violate their national covenant, and no wonder that God denounced the severest penalties against them and their families.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִ֡ם | veim | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| הַעְלֵ֣ם | ha'lem | certainly <to hide> | H5956 → | 28 times |
| יַעְלִימֽוּ֩ | ya'limu | they will hide | H5956 → | 28 times |
| עַ֨ם | ʾam | [the] people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאָ֜רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ | ʾeineihem | eyes their | H5869 → | 887 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָאִ֣ישׁ | haish | the person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הַה֔וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בְּתִתּ֥וֹ | betito | when gives he | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| מִזַּרְע֖וֹ | mizaro | one of offspring his | H2233 → | 229 times |
| לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ | lamolekh | to <the> Molech | H4432 → | 8 times |
| לְבִלְתִּ֖י | levilti | to not | H1115 → | 112 times |
| הָמִ֥ית | hamit | to put to death | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אֹתֽוֹ׃ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
וְאִ֡םand if
veimH518 →1069 times
הַעְלֵ֣םcertainly <to hide>
ha'lemH5956 →28 times
יַעְלִימֽוּ֩they will hide
ya'limuH5956 →28 times
עַ֨ם[the] people of
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
הָאָ֜רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙eyes their
ʾeineihemH5869 →887 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָאִ֣ישׁthe person
haishH376 →1663 times
הַה֔וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
בְּתִתּ֥וֹwhen gives he
betitoH5414 →2011 times
מִזַּרְע֖וֹone of offspring his
mizaroH2233 →229 times
לַמֹּ֑לֶךְto <the> Molech
lamolekhH4432 →8 times
לְבִלְתִּ֖יto not
leviltiH1115 →112 times
הָמִ֥יתto put to death
hamitH4191 →839 times
אֹתֽוֹ׃<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 17:30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
it leads to
- Acts 14:16
In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
- Titus 2:11–12
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
- Luke 24:47
and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
- Romans 3:25
God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
- Acts 26:17–20
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
- Acts 14:16
Through
1 Kings 20:42And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 22:31–37
Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
- 1 Kings 22:31–37
Through
Deuteronomy 13:8you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him.
it leads to
- Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
- Deuteronomy 19:13
You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.
- Proverbs 1:10
About Leviticus
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.