Leviticus 20:9-21

CURSING PARENTS-20:9
SEXUAL CRIMES-20:10-21
TEXT 20:9-21

9

For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

10

And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

11

And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

12

And if a man lie with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

13

And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

14

And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

15

And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

16

And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

17

And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

18

And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath made naked her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

19

And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister; for he hath made naked his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

20

And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

21

And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is impurity: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 20:9-21

460.

Why so severe a punishment for the cursing of parents?

461.

Burning with fire is singled out for three people. Who are they?

462.

Do you believe Israel was deterred from sexual sins because of the severe penalty? Discuss.

PARAPHRASE 20:9-21

Anyone who curses his father or mother shall surely be put to deathfor he has cursed his own flesh and blood. If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and woman shall be put to death. If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has defiled what is his father'S; both the man and the woman must die, for it is their own fault. And if a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both shall be executed: they have brought it upon themselves by defiling each other. The penalty for homosexual acts is death to both parties. They have brought it upon themselves. If a man has sexual intercourse with a woman and with her mother, it is a great evil. All three shall be burned alive to wipe out wickedness from among you. If a man has sexual intercourse with an animal, he shall be executed and the animal killed. If a woman has sexual intercourse with an animal, kill the woman and the animal, for they deserve their punishment. If a man has sexual intercourse with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, it is a shameful thing, and they shall publicly be cut off from the people of Israel. He shall bear his guilt. If a man has sexual intercourse with a woman during her period of menstruation, both shall be excommunicated, for he has uncovered her uncleanness. Sexual intercourse is outlawed between a man and his maiden auntwhether the sister of his mother or of his fatherfor they are near of kin; they shall bear their guilt. If a man has intercourse with his uncle's widow, he has taken what belongs to his uncle; their punishment is that they shall bear their sin and die childless. If a man marries his brother's widow, this is impurity; for he has taken what belongs to his brother, and they shall be childless.

COMMENT 20:9-21

Leviticus 20:9 It has been thought that the cursing of father or mother was with the name of God and for this reason we have such a severe penalty for this act. Such a sin strikes at the foundation of society. Where there is no respect of parents there can be no respect for God. Such a one shall be stoned to death. Cf. Exodus 21:17; Proverbs 20:20; Matthew 15:14; Mark 7:10. The reference to his blood shall be upon him suggests that the son knew the penalty before he sinned. Cf. Joshua 2:19. This phrase occurs six times in this chapter (Leviticus 20:9; Leviticus 20:11-13; Leviticus 20:16; Leviticus 20:27).

Leviticus 20:10-21 Traditionally the words shall surely be put to death when not modified by a reference to stoning or burning meant that such a one should be strangled. Such a phrase occurs six times for the following crimes: (1) Adultery with another man's wife; (2) striking father or mother; (3) kidnapping another Israelite; (4) an elder who rebelled against the decision of the senate (Deuteronomy 17:12); (5) the false prophet; (6) prophecy in the name of another god. (Ginsburg) Most of these crimes have been discussed in chapter 19. The third form of capital punishment, i.e. burning with fire is mentioned in Leviticus 20:14. We are indebted again to C. D. Ginsburg for a most graphic description of this:

This, as we have seen, is the third of the four modes of capital punishment. (See Leviticus 20:2.) In the following ten cases those guilty of the sins specified suffered this punishment: (1) the unchaste high priest's daughter (chap. Leviticus 21:9); (2) he who had commerce with his daughter; (3) or with his daughter's daughter; (4) or with his son's daughter; (5) or with his wife's daughter; (6) or with her daughter's daughter; (7) or with her son's daughter; (8) or with his mother-in-law; (9) or with the mother of his mother-in-law; and (10), or with the mother of his father-in-law. It will thus be seen that with the exception of the high priest's daughter this death was only inflicted for incest. As the Bible nowhere states the precise mode in which this kind of death is to be carried out, the authorities during the second Temple maintained that it must be executed in such a manner as to leave the body externally unchanged by the flames, because when God himself inflicted this punishment, the dead bodies of Nadab and Abihu were in a perfect state of preservation. (See chap. Leviticus 10:2.) To effect this the criminal was put into dung up to his knees, a soft cloth containing a hard one was then tied around his throat, while the two witnesses who had secured his sentence drew tighter by the two cords till the criminal opened his mouth, when molten lead was poured down his throat, thus burning him to death. Hence the ancient Chaldee Version renders it here, they shall be burnt with fire, with melted lead in their mouth.

Please refer to Leviticus 19:9-30 for a careful description of the sins for which the penalty is here given.

FACT QUESTIONS 20:9-21

471.

Children could curse parents and not be put to death if they cursed in a particular way. How?

472.

This is a very serious sin. Explain.

473.

What is meant or suggested by the words his blood shall be upon him?

474.

How was it decided that the death penalty should be by strangling?

475.

Why use such a strange manner of burning with fire?