14 And if a man H376 take H3947 a wife H802 and her mother, H517 it is wickedness: H2154 they shall be burnt H8313 with fire, H784 both he and they; that there be no wickedness H2154 among H8432 you.
Thou shalt not uncover H1540 the nakedness H6172 of a woman H802 and her daughter, H1323 neither shalt thou take H3947 her son's H1121 daughter, H1323 or her daughter's H1323 daughter, H1323 to uncover H1540 her nakedness; H6172 for they are her near kinswomen: H7608 it is wickedness. H2154
And it shall be, that he that is taken H3920 with the accursed thing H2764 shall be burnt H8313 with fire, H784 he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed H5674 the covenant H1285 of the LORD, H3068 and because he hath wrought H6213 folly H5039 in Israel. H3478
And Joshua H3091 said, H559 Why H4100 hast thou troubled H5916 us? the LORD H3068 shall trouble H5916 thee this day. H3117 And all Israel H3478 stoned H7275 him with stones, H68 and burned H8313 them with fire, H784 after they had stoned H5619 them with stones. H68
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 20
Commentary on Leviticus 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
Le 20:1-27. Giving One's Seed to Molech.
2. Whosoever … giveth any of his seed unto Molech—(See on Le 18:21).
the people of the land shall stone him with stones, &c.—Criminals who were condemned to be stoned were led, with their hands bound, without the gates to a small eminence, where was a large stone placed at the bottom. When they had approached within ten cubits of the spot, they were exhorted to confess, that, by faith and repentance, their souls might be saved. When led forward to within four cubits, they were stripped almost naked, and received some stupefying draught, during which the witnesses prepared, by laying aside their outer garments, to carry into execution the capital sentence which the law bound them to do. 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; Ac 7:58).
4. 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.
7-19. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy—The minute specification of the incestuous and unnatural crimes here enumerated shows their sad prevalence amongst the idolatrous nations around, and the extreme proneness of the Israelites to follow the customs of their neighbors. It is to be understood, that, whenever mention is made that the offender was "to be put to death" without describing the mode, stoning is meant. The only instance of another form of capital punishment occurs in Le 20:14, that of being burnt with fire; and yet it is probable that even here death was first inflicted by stoning, and the body of the criminal afterwards consumed by fire (Jos 7:15).
20. they shall die childless—Either by the judgment of God they shall have no children, or their spurious offspring shall be denied by human authority the ordinary privileges of children in Israel.
24. I … have separated you from other people—Their selection from the rest of the nations was for the all-important end of preserving the knowledge and worship of the true God amid the universal apostasy; and as the distinction of meats was one great means of completing that separation, the law about making a difference between clean and unclean beasts is here repeated with emphatic solemnity.