26 And ye shall be holy H6918 unto me: for I the LORD H3068 am holy, H6918 and have severed H914 you from other people, H5971 that ye should be mine.
Speak H1696 unto all the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, Ye shall be holy: H6918 for I the LORD H3068 your God H430 am holy. H6918
Sanctify H6942 yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: H6918 for I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430
But I have said H559 unto you, Ye shall inherit H3423 their land, H127 and I will give H5414 it unto you to possess H3423 it, a land H776 that floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey: H1706 I am the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which have separated H914 you from other people. H5971
And G2532 the four G5064 beasts G2226 had G2192 each G303 G1520 of them G2596 G1438 six G1803 wings G4420 about G2943 him; and G2532 they were full G1073 of eyes G3788 within: G2081 and G2532 they rest G372 not G3756 G2192 day G2250 and G2532 night, G3571 saying, G3004 Holy, G40 holy, G40 holy, G40 Lord G2962 God G2316 Almighty, G3841 which G3588 was, G2258 and G2532 is, G5607 and G2532 is to come. G2064 G3801
For thou art an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God: H430 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath chosen H977 thee to be a special H5459 people H5971 unto himself, above all people H5971 that are upon the face H6440 of the earth. H127
And the LORD H3068 hath avouched H559 thee this day H3117 to be his peculiar H5459 people, H5971 as he hath promised H1696 thee, and that thou shouldest keep H8104 all his commandments; H4687 And to make H5414 thee high H5945 above all nations H1471 which he hath made, H6213 in praise, H8416 and in name, H8034 and in honour; H8597 and that thou mayest be an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 as he hath spoken. H1696
Exalt H7311 ye the LORD H3068 our God, H430 and worship H7812 at his footstool; H7272 H1916 for he is holy. H6918
Get you out H5493 of the way, H1870 turn aside H5186 out of the path, H734 cause the Holy One H6918 of Israel H3478 to cease H7673 from before H6440 us.
And G2532 to the angel G32 of the church G1577 in G1722 Philadelphia G5359 write; G1125 These things G3592 saith G3004 he that is holy, G40 he that is true, G228 he that hath G2192 the key G2807 of David, G1138 he that openeth, G455 and G2532 no man G3762 shutteth; G2808 and G2532 shutteth, G2808 and G2532 no man G3762 openeth; G455
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.