Leviticus 20 · Verse 2

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.

Leviticus 20:2, King James Version

Leviticus 20:2 in other translations

BSB	“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.
WEB	“Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone that person with stones.
ASV	Moreover, 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 of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
YLT	‘And unto the sons of Israel thou dost say, Any man of the sons of Israel, and of the sojourners who is sojourning in Israel, who giveth of his seed to the Molech, is certainly put to death; the people of the land do stone him with stones;
DARBY	Thou shalt say also to the children of Israel, Every one of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech, shall certainly be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
BBE	Again, say to the children of Israel, If any man of the children of Israel, or any other man living in Israel, gives his offspring to Molech, he is certainly to be put to death: he is to be stoned by the people of the land;
Webster	Again thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed to Molech, he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

What does Leviticus 20:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

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).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 That giveth any of his seed unto Molech - To what has been said in the note on Lev 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 compartments within; in one of which they put flour, in the second turtle-doves, in the third a ewe, in the fourth a ram, in the fifth a calf, in the sixth an ox, and in the seventh a child, which, by heating the statue on the outside, were all burnt alive together. I question the whole truth of these statements, whether from Jewish or Christian rabbins. There is no evidence of all this in the sacred writings. And there is but presumptive proof, and that not very strong, that human sacrifices were at all offered to Molech by the Jews. The passing through the fire, so frequently spoken of, might mean no more than a simple rite of consecration to the service of this idol. Probably a kind of ordeal was meant, the persons passing suddenly through the flame of a large fire, by which, though they might be burnt or scorched, yet they were neither killed nor consumed. Or they might have passed between two large fires, as a sort of purification. See the notes on Lev 20:14; See the notes on Lev 18:21. Caesar, in his history of the Gallic war, lib. vi., c. 16, mentions a custom of the Druids similar to this. They made an image of wickerwork, enclosed those in it whom they had adjudged to death, and, setting the whole on fire, all were consumed together.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Leviticus 20:1-9

Are we shocked at the unnatural cruelty of the ancient idolaters in sacrificing their children? We may justly be so. But are there not very many parents, who, by bad teaching and wicked examples, and by the mysteries of iniquity which they show their children, devote them to the service of Satan, and forward their everlasting ruin, in a manner even more to be lamented? What an account must such parents render to…

Read the full comment on Leviticus 20:1-9 →

Leviticus 20:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413

בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵ֘לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

תֹּאמַר֒to.Maryou will sayH559

אִ֣ישׁ'isha personH376

אִישׁ֩'isha personH376

מִבְּנֵ֨יmi.be.Neifrom [the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

וּמִן\־u.min-and ofH4480

הַגֵּ֣ר\׀ha.Gerthe sojourner[s]H1616

הַגָּ֣רha.Garwho sojournsH1481

בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לbe.Yis.ra.'Elin IsraelH3478

אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhoH834

יִתֵּ֧ןyi.Tenhe will giveH5414

מִזַּרְע֛וֹmi.zar.'Oany of offspring hisH2233

לַמֹּ֖לֶךְla.Mo.lekhto <the> MolechH4432

מ֣וֹתMotcertainly <to die>H4191

יוּמָ֑תyu.Mathe will be put to deathH4191

עַ֥ם'am[the] people ofH5971

הָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776

יִרְגְּמֻ֥הוּyir.ge.Mu.huthey will stone himH7275

בָאָֽבֶן\׃va.'A.venwith <the> stone[s]H68

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Leviticus 20:2

Deuteronomy 21:21
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Leviticus 18:21
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 24:23
And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Leviticus 24:14
Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
Leviticus 20:27
A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Leviticus 17:15
And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
Acts 7:43
Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
2 Kings 17:17
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
Ezekiel 23:39
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.
Deuteronomy 18:10
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Deuteronomy 13:10-11
And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
Deuteronomy 12:31
Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Whosoever.
17:8,13,15
giveth.
18:21; De 12:31; 18:10; 2Ki 17:17; 23:10; 2Ch 28:3; 33:6; Ps 106:38
Isa 57:5,6; Jer 7:31; 32:35; Eze 16:20,21; 20:26,31; 23:37,39
Ac 7:43
Moloch. Molech.The Rabbins describe this idol as made of brass sitting upon a throne of the same metal, in the form of a man, with the head of a calf, adorned with a royal crown, and his arms extended as if to embrace any one. When they offered any children to him, they heated the statue by a great fire kindled within, and the victim was put into his arms, and thus consumed. Others relate, that the idol, which was hollow, was divided into seven compartments within; in one of which they put flour, in the second turtles, in the third a ewe, in the fourth a ram, in the fifth a calf, in the sixth an ox, and the seventh a child; which were all burnt together by heating the statue inside. The account which Diodorus (l. xx.) gives of the statue of Saturn, to which the Carthaginians, descendants of the Canaanites, sacrificed their children, is very similar. For they had a brazen stature of Saturn, stretching out his hands towards the ground, in such a manner that the children placed within them tumbled down into a pit full of fire. To this account Milton alludes, in Paradise Lost, B. 1. 392.
the people.
27; 24:14,23; Nu 15:35,36; De 13:10,11; 17:5-7; 21:21; Ac 7:58,59

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Leviticus 20:1
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
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.
Leviticus 20:3
And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.

Read all of Leviticus 20

Leviticus 20:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Dirás asimismo á los hijos de Israel: Cualquier varón de los hijos de Israel, ó de los extranjeros que peregrinan en Israel, que diere de su simiente á Moloch, de seguro morirá: el pueblo de la tierra lo apedreará con piedras.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Tu diras aussi aux fils d’Israël: Quiconque d’entre les fils d’Israël, ou d’entre les étrangers qui séjournent en Israël, donnera de ses enfants à Moloc, sera certainement mis à mort; le peuple du pays le lapidera avec des pierres.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und zu den Kindern Israel sollst du sprechen: Jedermann von den Kindern Israel und von den Fremdlingen, die in Israel weilen, der von seinen Kindern dem Molech gibt, soll gewißlich getötet werden; das Volk des Landes soll ihn steinigen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Hæc loqueris filiis Israël: Homo de filiis Israël, et de advenis qui habitant in Israël, si quis dederit de semine suo idolo Moloch, morte moriatur: populus terræ lapidabit eum.