And the Lord spake unto Moses ,.... After he had delivered the above laws to him in the preceding chapter, he added penalties, to many of them, or declared what punishment should be inflicted on the transgressors of them: saying ; as follows. read more
Again thou shalt say to the children of Israel ,.... The body of the people by their elders, and the heads of their tribes; for the following laws were binding on them all: whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel ; everyone of the people of Israel, of whatsoever age, sex, or condition of life: and not they only, but the strangers and proselytes; and not the proselytes of righteousness only, but the proselytes of the gate, who, as well as... read more
And I will set my face against that man ,.... Express resentment, anger, wrath, and indignation at him, see Psalm 34:16 , and will cut him off from among his people : that is, supposing him to have been guilty of the above horrid crime, and there being not sufficient evidence given of it by witnesses, or the magistrates negligent in doing their duty; and the matter being known to God the omniscient, he, according this declaration, would deal with him himself, and cut him off out of the... read more
And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man ,.... That is, the people of the house of Israel, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; if the friends, relations, and neighbours of such a man, though they know what he is about to do, or has done, yet they shut their eyes wilfully, or look another way; or, however, wink and connive at his wickedness, and will not discover him, and bear witness against him; or if a court of judicature, before whom he comes, does not... read more
Then I will set my face against that man ,.... That man that sees him do the fact, and winks at it, or the judge that connives at him, and will not condemn him, as well as the man that has committed the iniquity: and against his family ; either the family of the witness, who could and should have testified against him, or of the judge negligent of his office, or of the man himself, whose family must be privy to so shocking an action, and were abettors of it, and aiders and assisters in... read more
The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits ,.... The man or woman that has respect unto them, seeks after them, and inquires of them, in order to get knowledge of things: and after wizards who pretend to tell fortunes, and discover lost and stolen goods; see Gill on Leviticus 19:31 , to go a whoring after them ; for to consult them is to forsake the Lord, and have recourse to Satan and his instruments; to relinquish their trust in God, and put confidence in them, and... read more
Sanctify yourselves therefore ,.... By abstaining from such impious and idolatrous practices, and separating themselves from all that gave into them, as well as by observing the holy commandments of the Lord; otherwise internal sanctification is not the work of man, but of the Lord himself, as in Leviticus 20:8 , and be ye holy ; or a separate people from all others in worship and conversation: for I am the Lord your God ; who is a holy God, and therefore it became them to be... read more
And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them ,.... Not only those respecting the above things, but all others, which would be a means of preserving them from sin, and of promoting holiness in their lives and conversations: I am the Lord which sanctify you : who had separated and distinguished them from all other people on earth, and who had given them holy laws, as the means of holiness; and who only could and did sanctify internally, by his Spirit and grace, such or them as were... read more
That giveth any of his seed unto Molech - To what has been said in the note on Leviticus 18:21 ; (note), we may add, that the rabbins describe this idol, who was probably a representative or emblematical personification of the solar influence, as made of brass, in the form of a man, with the head of an ox; that a fire was kindled in the inside, and the child to be sacrificed to him was put in his arms, and roasted to death. Others say that the idol, which was hollow, was divided into seven... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 20:1-9
Moses is here directed to say that again to the children of Israel which he had in effect said before, Lev. 20:2. We are sure it was no vain repetition, but very necessary, that they might give the more earnest heed to the things that were spoken, and might believe them to be of great consequence, being so often inculcated. God speaketh once, yea, twice, and what he orders to be said again we must be willing to hear again, because for us it is safe, Phil. 3:1. I. Three sins are in these verses... read more