Leviticus 20:2
in Leviticus 20“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Moreover, 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 of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Leviticus 20
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThat giveth any of his seed unto Molech - To what has been said in the note on Lev 18:21 (note), we may add, that the rabbins describe this idol, who was probably a representative or emblematical personification of the solar influence, as made of brass, in the form of a man, with the head of an ox; that a fire was kindled in the inside, and the child to be sacrificed to him was put in his arms, and roasted to death.
This site's exposition
Then the LORD said to Moses
on Leviticus 20:1-3
Chapter 20 sets the price of what chapter 18 forbade, beginning with the offense that costs a child. Verse 2 says "The people of the land are to stone him", so the community carries out the judgment.
This site's exposition
Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel
The law binds the foreigner living in Israel too. Albert Barnes explains the name Molech as meaning the King, a fire god later called the abomination of the Ammonites. Matthew Henry notes that Abraham's offering of Isaac gave the practice no cover, since that command was countermanded at once.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Abraham's offering Isaac could not give countenance, much less could it give rise to this barbarous practice, since, though that was commanded, it was immediately countermanded.
), which was looked upon as the worst of capital punishments among the Jews. If the children were sacrificed to the malice of the devil, the parents must be sacrificed to the justice of God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Again thou shalt say to the children of Israel,....
God speaketh once, yea, twice, and what he orders to be said again we must be willing to hear again, because for us it is safe, Phil. iii. Three sins are in these verses threatened with death:-- 1.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The criminal, being placed on the edge of the precipice, was then pushed backwards, so that he fell down the perpendicular height on the stone lying below: if not killed by the fall, the second witness dashed a large stone down upon his breast, and then the "people of the land," who were by-standers, rushed forward, and with stones completed the work of death (Mt 21:44;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Molech, literally, “the King”, called also Moloch, Milcom, and Malcham, was known in later times as “the abomination of the Ammonites” 1Ki 11:5. He appears to have been the fire-god of the eastern nations; related to, and sometimes made identical with, Baal, the sun-god. The nature of the rite and of the impious custom called passing children through the fire to Molech is very doubtful. The practices appear to have been essentially connected with magical arts, probably also with unlawful lusts, and with some particular form of profane swearing. The rite in the time of Moses belonged to the region rather of magic than of definite idolatrous worship, and may have been practiced as a lustral charm, or fire-baptism, for the children of incest and adultery. Lev 20:2 Stone him with stones - The commonest form of capital punishment. It was probably preferred as being the one in which the execution was the act of the whole congregation. Lev 20:3 Defile my sanctuary - i. e. pollute the people as identified with their sanctuary.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| תֹּאמַר֒ | tomar | you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אִישׁ֩ | ʾish | a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִבְּנֵ֨י | mibenei | from [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וּמִן־ | umin- | and of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַגֵּ֣ר׀ | hager | the sojourner[s] | H1616 → | 92 times |
| הַגָּ֣ר | hagar | who sojourns | H1481 → | 97 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִתֵּ֧ן | yiten | he will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| מִזַּרְע֛וֹ | mizaro | any of offspring his | H2233 → | 229 times |
| לַמֹּ֖לֶךְ | lamolekh | to <the> Molech | H4432 → | 8 times |
| מ֣וֹת | mot | certainly <to die> | H4191 → | 839 times |
| יוּמָ֑ת | yumat | he will be put to death | H4191 → | 839 times |
| עַ֥ם | ʾam | [the] people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| יִרְגְּמֻ֥הוּ | yirgemuhu | they will stone him | H7275 → | 16 times |
| בָאָֽבֶן׃ | vaaven | with <the> stone[s] | H68 → | 273 times |
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֘לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
תֹּאמַר֒you will say
tomarH559 →5305 times
אִ֣ישׁa person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אִישׁ֩a person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִבְּנֵ֨יfrom [the] people of
mibeneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וּמִן־and of
umin-H4480 →1188 times
הַגֵּ֣ר׀the sojourner[s]
hagerH1616 →92 times
הַגָּ֣רwho sojourns
hagarH1481 →97 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לin Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִתֵּ֧ןhe will give
yitenH5414 →2011 times
מִזַּרְע֛וֹany of offspring his
mizaroH2233 →229 times
לַמֹּ֖לֶךְto <the> Molech
lamolekhH4432 →8 times
מ֣וֹתcertainly <to die>
motH4191 →839 times
יוּמָ֑תhe will be put to death
yumatH4191 →839 times
עַ֥ם[the] people of
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
יִרְגְּמֻ֥הוּthey will stone him
yirgemuhuH7275 →16 times
בָאָֽבֶן׃with <the> stone[s]
vaavenH68 →273 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
Leviticus 18:21You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as…
- Leviticus 20:2–5
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.
- Deuteronomy 18:10
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
- Leviticus 19:12
You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
- Leviticus 22:32
You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you,
- Deuteronomy 12:31
Through
Leviticus 20:27A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:31
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
- Leviticus 20:6
Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
- Leviticus 19:31
Through
Leviticus 24:14“Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 17:7
The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.
- Deuteronomy 17:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.