Leviticus 20:2

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.

Whosoever ... giveth ... unto Molech - (see the note at Leviticus 18:21.) Molech in Hebrew has the article always prefixed. [The Septuagint renders it archonti (G758).] This was a more horrid crime than the one denounced in the former passage, for the commission of it was to be visited with capital punishment. It is called 'giving one's seed to Molech' - i:e., devoting children in sacrifice, consuming them by fire in honour of Baal or Chemosh (cf. Deuteronomy 12:31; Psalms 106:38; Jeremiah 7:31; Jeremiah 19:5; Ezekiel 16:20; Ezekiel 23:37).

The people of the land shall stone ... 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 execration 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 bystanders, rushed forward, and with stones completed the work of death (Mark 21:44; Acts 7:58).