Leviticus 20:15

_SANCTIFY YOURSELVES THEREFORE, AND BE YE HOLY: FOR I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD._ Sanctify yourselves ... and be ye holy. The minute specification of the incestuous and unnatural crimes here enumerated shows their sad prevalence among the idolatrous nations around, and the extreme proneness of the Israelites to follow the customs of their neighbours. 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 Leviticus 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 afterward consumed by five (Joshua 7:15). Verse 20. They shall die childless

10-27 These verses repeat what had been said before, but it was needful there should be line upon line. What praises we owe to God that he has taught the evil of sin, and the sure way of deliverance from it! May we have grace to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; may we have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them....

EXPOSITION The subject of Leviticus 18:1, is resumed in this chapter; but that which was before considered as sin only is now regarded as crime, and penalties are attached according to the heinousness of the offense. For example, the sin of "giving of his seed to Molech," or which is the same thing, "letting any of his seed pass through the fire to Molech," had been forbidden as a sin in Leviticus 18:21; now it is condemned as a crime. The various penalties assigned in this chapter are (1) _burning with fire _(Leviticus 18:14); (2) _stoning with stones _...

IF A MAN LIE WITH A BEAST,.... A sin quite unnatural, exceeding shocking and detestable, forbid Leviticus 18:23: HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH: by stoning, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; and this is the death such are condemned to in the Misnah h: AND YE SHALL SLAY THE BEAST; with clubs, as says the Targum of Jonathan; the reasons given in the Misnah i, why the beast was to be slain, are, because ruin came to the man by means of it, and that it might not be said, as it passed along the streets, that is the beast for which such an one was stoned. Aben Ezra says it was to be slain, that it might not cause others to sin; and he adds, there are that say it was to cover the reproach: no doubt the true reason was to deter the more from this detestable sin, that if a beast, which was only accessory to it, and an instrument of it, was put to death, of

3. WARNINGS AGAINST SPECIAL SINS AND THEIR PENALTIES CHAPTER 20 _ 1. Warning against Molech--worship and familiar spirits (Leviticus 20:1)_ 2. Warning against cursing parents (Leviticus 20:9) 3. Criminal and vile connections (Leviticus 20:10) 4. Exhortations to obedience and separation (Leviticus 20:22) This chapter reveals the justice of God in dealing with criminals. The death penalty is most prominent. It is pronounced upon the following crimes: Molech worship; dealing with familiar spirits (spiritualism); different forms of incest and sodomy. Men advocate now the abolis

PENALTIES FOR SEXUAL SINS generally death, the manner being unspecified. Adultery, incest, sodomy head the list; the special case of Leviticus 20:14 (contrast Amos 2:7) is followed by the burning of all three persons (_cf._ Leviticus 21:9). Special enormity (RVm) requires special penalty. Bestiality, and other cases of incest, and neglect of the regulation of prohibited periods, are all to be punished by death. Union with an aunt, either on the mother's or father's side, is regarded less harshly, with a threat of Divine vengeance rather than a penalty; for union with the wife of an uncle or brother no action is enjoined, but childlessness is foretold....

BEAST. See Leviticus 18:23....

Directions on the whole similar to those of Leviticus 18:6-20; Leviticus 18:22-23, but adding penalties for transgression....

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 t...

(CHS. 17-26) THE LAW OF HOLINESS This section of Leviticus occupies a position by itself, being distinguished from the rest of the book both by style and contents. A few only of its main characteristics may be noticed here. (1) Among a large number of phrases almost, if not entirely, peculiar to this part of the Pentateuch is the constantly recurring expression 'I am Jehovah,' or 'I am Jehovah your God,' or 'I your God am holy.' This 'divine I,' as it has been called, occurs forty-seven times is these Chapter s, and only six times elsewhere from Genesis to Joshua, but is found again seventy-eight times in Ezekiel. See Intro. § 2. (2) A second distinguishing feature of this section is its more rhetorical style and the comparatively large number of hortatory passages, somewhat in the manner of Deuteronomy: see e.g. Leviticus 26. (3) A third characteristic is the high spiritual tone of thes...