Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Leviticus 20 Study Notes

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General

True or False: Under 20:10, when a man committed adultery with his neighbor's wife, only the man was to be punished.

Answer: False

This is false. The law named both the man and the woman as guilty, and both were to die (20:10). Adultery broke the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14), and Deuteronomy restates that both partners faced the same penalty (Deuteronomy 22:22). The civil penalty was part of Israel's life as a nation under God, but the moral standard behind it continues in the New Testament: marriage must be held in honor, and God Himself will judge adulterers (Hebrews 13:4).

  • Leviticus 20:10 (BSB)
    “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.”
    The penalty for adultery with a neighbor's wife.
  • Exodus 20:14 (BSB)
    “You shall not commit adultery.”
    The seventh commandment forbids adultery.
  • Deuteronomy 22:22 (BSB)
    “If a man is found lying with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.”
    Repeats that both the man and the woman were to die.
  • Hebrews 13:4 (BSB)
    “Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”
    Shows the moral standard continues: marriage is to be honored and God will judge adulterers.

Theological

True or False: Leviticus 20:10 places the penalty for adultery on the man alone.

Answer: False

This is false. Leviticus 20:10 holds adulterer and adulteress equally liable to death. The statute enforces the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14), and Deuteronomy 22:22 repeats the joint penalty. Whatever the judicial sanction's place within Israel's theocracy, the moral law it guarded remains: the marriage bed is to be kept undefiled, and God will judge adulterers (Hebrews 13:4).

  • Leviticus 20:10 (BSB)
    “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.”
    The penalty for adultery with a neighbor's wife.
  • Exodus 20:14 (BSB)
    “You shall not commit adultery.”
    The seventh commandment forbids adultery.
  • Deuteronomy 22:22 (BSB)
    “If a man is found lying with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.”
    Repeats that both the man and the woman were to die.
  • Hebrews 13:4 (BSB)
    “Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”
    Shows the moral standard continues: marriage is to be honored and God will judge adulterers.

General

True or False: When a person, male or female, had sexual relations with an animal, the law required that the animal be killed as well.

Answer: True

This is true. Chapter 20 applies the same law to men and to women: the person was to die, and the animal was to be killed too (20:15-16). Chapter 18 had already forbidden this and called it a perversion, a twisting of God's created order (18:23), and Exodus had set the death penalty for it (Exodus 22:19). The command shows how completely God wanted this corruption removed from among His people.

  • Leviticus 20:15-16 (BSB)
    “If a man lies carnally with an animal, he must be put to death. And you are also to kill the animal. If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
    The penalty for a man or a woman who has relations with an animal.
  • Leviticus 18:23 (BSB)
    “You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.”
    The earlier prohibition, which calls the act a perversion.
  • Exodus 22:19 (BSB)
    “Whoever lies with an animal must surely be put to death.”
    The same penalty was already part of the Book of the Covenant.

Theological

True or False: Leviticus 20:15-16 requires that the animal involved in bestiality be killed along with the human offender.

Answer: True

This is true. Leviticus 20:15-16 applies the capital sanction equally to male and female offenders and requires the animal to be killed as well. The act was already prohibited as a perversion of the created order (18:23) and made capital in the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 22:19). The inclusion of the animal underscores the thoroughness with which the defilement was to be purged from the community.

  • Leviticus 20:15-16 (BSB)
    “If a man lies carnally with an animal, he must be put to death. And you are also to kill the animal. If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
    The penalty for a man or a woman who has relations with an animal.
  • Leviticus 18:23 (BSB)
    “You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.”
    The earlier prohibition, which calls the act a perversion.
  • Exodus 22:19 (BSB)
    “Whoever lies with an animal must surely be put to death.”
    The same penalty was already part of the Book of the Covenant.

General

What consequence do 20:20-21 attach to a man taking his uncle's wife or his brother's wife?

Answer: They would be childless

Not every sexual sin in chapter 20 carried the same penalty. Some were punished by death, some by being cut off from the people (20:17-18), and for taking an uncle's wife or a brother's wife the couple would be childless, and in the case of an uncle's wife the text adds that they would bear their sin (20:20-21). The text names no sentence for a court to carry out here; interpreters differ over whether childless means that no children would be born or that none would be counted as the man's heirs. Chapter 18 had forbidden relations with a brother's wife (18:16), and John the Baptist appealed to this standard to rebuke Herod for taking his brother's wife (Mark 6:18). Deuteronomy later made one specific exception: when a man died without a son, his brother was to marry the widow (Deuteronomy 25:5).

  • Leviticus 20:20-21 (BSB)
    “If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless. If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they shall be childless.”
    The consequence for taking an uncle's wife or a brother's wife.
  • Leviticus 18:16 (BSB)
    “You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.”
    The earlier prohibition of relations with a brother's wife.
  • Mark 6:18 (BSB)
    “For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!””
    John the Baptist applies this law to rebuke Herod for taking his brother's wife.
  • Deuteronomy 25:5 (BSB)
    “When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her.”
    A separate, specific provision for a widow whose husband died without a son.

Theological

What penalty do Leviticus 20:20-21 assign to unions with an uncle's wife or a brother's wife?

Answer: Childlessness

Chapter 20 grades its sanctions: death for some offenses, being cut off for others (20:17-18), and for unions with an uncle's wife or a brother's wife, childlessness, the uncle's-wife union also bearing its sin (20:20-21). No judicial sentence is specified, and interpreters differ over whether the childlessness denotes the absence of offspring or of legally recognized heirs. The prohibition of 18:16 lies behind it, and John the Baptist appealed to it against Herod's marriage to Herodias (Mark 6:18). The levirate provision of Deuteronomy 25:5, which applied when a brother died without a son, is a distinct and specific exception.

  • Leviticus 20:20-21 (BSB)
    “If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless. If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they shall be childless.”
    The consequence for taking an uncle's wife or a brother's wife.
  • Leviticus 18:16 (BSB)
    “You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.”
    The earlier prohibition of relations with a brother's wife.
  • Mark 6:18 (BSB)
    “For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!””
    John the Baptist applies this law to rebuke Herod for taking his brother's wife.
  • Deuteronomy 25:5 (BSB)
    “When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her.”
    A separate, specific provision for a widow whose husband died without a son.

General

True or False: God said that if the community looked the other way and failed to carry out the sentence on a man who gave his child to Molech, He Himself would act against the offender and his household.

Answer: True

This is true. If the community chose not to see and left the man unpunished, God Himself would oppose him and his household and cut off both him and everyone who joined him in chasing after Molech (20:4-5). Scripture often calls idolatry prostitution, because turning to another god is disloyalty toward the LORD, like a spouse betraying a marriage (Exodus 34:15-16). Israel was not to protect anyone who drew others after false gods (Deuteronomy 13:8-9). Human neglect of justice would not cancel God's judgment, and falling under His judgment is a dreadful prospect (Hebrews 10:30-31).

  • Leviticus 20:4-5 (BSB)
    “And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech, then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.”
    God warns what He will do if the community ignores a man who gives a child to Molech.
  • Exodus 34:15-16 (BSB)
    “Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.”
    Uses the same language of prostitution for Israel being drawn into the worship of other gods.
  • Deuteronomy 13:8-9 (BSB)
    “you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.”
    Forbids Israel to shield someone who leads others after false gods.
  • Hebrews 10:30-31 (BSB)
    “For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
    Affirms that God Himself judges His people and that falling into His hands is fearful.

Theological

True or False: Leviticus 20:4-5 teaches that if Israel ignores Molech worship and leaves it unpunished, the LORD will personally set His face against the offender and his clan.

Answer: True

This is true. Leviticus 20:4-5 anticipates communal complicity: should Israel shut its eyes to the crime, the LORD will act directly against the offender, his family, and all who join him in giving themselves to Molech in spiritual prostitution. The prostitution metaphor for idolatry recurs throughout the Torah (Exodus 34:15-16) and frames apostasy as covenant infidelity. Deuteronomy likewise forbids shielding one who entices others to false gods (Deuteronomy 13:8-9). The failure of human magistrates does not suspend divine justice (Hebrews 10:30-31).

  • Leviticus 20:4-5 (BSB)
    “And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech, then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.”
    God warns what He will do if the community ignores a man who gives a child to Molech.
  • Exodus 34:15-16 (BSB)
    “Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.”
    Uses the same language of prostitution for Israel being drawn into the worship of other gods.
  • Deuteronomy 13:8-9 (BSB)
    “you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.”
    Forbids Israel to shield someone who leads others after false gods.
  • Hebrews 10:30-31 (BSB)
    “For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
    Affirms that God Himself judges His people and that falling into His hands is fearful.

General

What penalty did 20:9 set for anyone who cursed a parent?

Answer: Death, with the guilt resting on himself

To curse one's parents means to call down harm on them or treat them with contempt, the very opposite of the command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12). In Israel this was a capital offense, and the offender's guilt was his own (20:9); the same penalty had already been given in Exodus 21:17. Jesus quoted this law as the word of God when He rebuked teachers whose traditions let people neglect their parents (Matthew 15:4). The civil penalty belonged to Israel's national life, but the lesson it teaches about honoring parents still stands.

  • Leviticus 20:9 (BSB)
    “If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.”
    The penalty for cursing one's father or mother.
  • Exodus 20:12 (BSB)
    “Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
    The fifth commandment, which cursing parents directly violates.
  • Exodus 21:17 (BSB)
    “Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.”
    The same penalty was already part of the Book of the Covenant.
  • Matthew 15:4 (BSB)
    “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’”
    Jesus cites this law as God's word to show how seriously God takes honoring parents.

Theological

What sanction does Leviticus 20:9 attach to cursing one's father or mother?

Answer: Death, with bloodguilt resting on the offender

Leviticus 20:9 makes cursing parents a capital offense, with the bloodguilt resting on the offender himself. It is the fifth commandment's negative counterpart (Exodus 20:12) and repeats the sanction of Exodus 21:17. Jesus cites the statute as the word of God against Pharisaic tradition that nullified filial duty (Matthew 15:4), confirming that the moral principle behind the judicial penalty endures even though the penalty itself was administered within Israel's theocratic order.

  • Leviticus 20:9 (BSB)
    “If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.”
    The penalty for cursing one's father or mother.
  • Exodus 20:12 (BSB)
    “Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
    The fifth commandment, which cursing parents directly violates.
  • Exodus 21:17 (BSB)
    “Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.”
    The same penalty was already part of the Book of the Covenant.
  • Matthew 15:4 (BSB)
    “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’”
    Jesus cites this law as God's word to show how seriously God takes honoring parents.

General

Why did God tell Israel in 20:22-23 to keep all His statutes and not follow the ways of the nations?

Answer: So the land would not expel them like the nations God abhorred

God warned that if Israel copied the practices of the nations He was driving out, the land itself would throw them out just as it was throwing out those nations, because God abhorred what they had done (20:22-23). Chapter 18 had given the same warning (18:24-28). Israel did not receive the land because they were better than others; the nations were removed for their wickedness, and Israel was brought in to fulfill the oath God swore to Israel's forefathers (Deuteronomy 9:4-5). Obedience was the way to remain in God's gift, not the way to earn it.

  • Leviticus 20:22-23 (BSB)
    “You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out. You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.”
    God warns Israel to keep His statutes so that the land will not expel them as it did the nations.
  • Leviticus 18:24-28 (BSB)
    “Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled. So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you.”
    Explains that the nations defiled the land and would be expelled by it, and Israel would be too if they did the same.
  • Deuteronomy 9:4-5 (BSB)
    “When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
    Makes clear Israel received the land not for its own righteousness but because of the nations' wickedness and God's promise.

Theological

What motive for obedience does Leviticus 20:22-23 give?

Answer: Disobedience would make the land expel Israel like the nations

Leviticus 20:22-23 personifies the land as expelling a defiled people: the Canaanites are being cast out for the practices God abhors, and Israel will suffer the same if it adopts them (cf. 18:24-28). Possession of the land was a gift grounded in God's oath to the patriarchs, not in Israel's righteousness (Deuteronomy 9:4-5). Covenant obedience is thus the fruit and condition of continued enjoyment of the inheritance, not the ground of Israel's election.

  • Leviticus 20:22-23 (BSB)
    “You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out. You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.”
    God warns Israel to keep His statutes so that the land will not expel them as it did the nations.
  • Leviticus 18:24-28 (BSB)
    “Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled. So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you.”
    Explains that the nations defiled the land and would be expelled by it, and Israel would be too if they did the same.
  • Deuteronomy 9:4-5 (BSB)
    “When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
    Makes clear Israel received the land not for its own righteousness but because of the nations' wickedness and God's promise.

General

How does 20:13 describe sexual relations between two men?

Answer: As a detestable act for which both men were to be executed

The law called sexual relations between two men an abomination, meaning something God finds detestable, and required the death penalty for both men (20:13), repeating the earlier prohibition in 18:22. The New Testament reaffirms this standard of sexual holiness: Paul describes such relations as a departure from God's design (Romans 1:26-27). He also lists them, along with adultery, theft, greed, and drunkenness, among the sins of those who will not inherit God's kingdom, and then immediately adds good news: some of the Corinthians had lived this way, but God had cleansed them, set them apart as His own, and declared them righteous through Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The same forgiveness and new life are offered to every sinner who turns to Christ.

  • Leviticus 20:13 (BSB)
    “If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
    The penalty for a man lying with a man as with a woman.
  • Leviticus 18:22 (BSB)
    “You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.”
    The earlier prohibition that chapter 20 now backs with a penalty.
  • Romans 1:26-27 (BSB)
    “For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
    Paul reaffirms that same-sex relations depart from God's design.
  • 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (BSB)
    “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
    Lists such acts with other sins, then announces that those who were such have been washed and justified in Christ.

Theological

How does Leviticus 20:13 characterize and sanction homosexual intercourse between men?

Answer: As an abomination bearing a capital sanction for both parties

Leviticus 20:13 designates homosexual intercourse between men an abomination and assigns the death penalty to both parties, supplying the sanction for 18:22. The New Testament reaffirms the moral prohibition: Paul treats such relations as contrary to the created order (Romans 1:26-27) and lists them among the sins of those who are excluded from the kingdom. He then declares that some believers had once lived this way, but had been cleansed, consecrated to God, and declared righteous in Christ by the Spirit's work (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The law exposes sin, and the gospel offers full pardon and new life to every sinner united to Christ.

  • Leviticus 20:13 (BSB)
    “If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
    The penalty for a man lying with a man as with a woman.
  • Leviticus 18:22 (BSB)
    “You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.”
    The earlier prohibition that chapter 20 now backs with a penalty.
  • Romans 1:26-27 (BSB)
    “For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
    Paul reaffirms that same-sex relations depart from God's design.
  • 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (BSB)
    “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
    Lists such acts with other sins, then announces that those who were such have been washed and justified in Christ.

General

What does chapter 20 say about mediums and spiritists (20:6, 27)?

Answer: Seeking them was forbidden, and anyone who practiced as one was to be stoned

Mediums and spiritists claimed to contact the dead or other spirits for guidance. God said He would oppose anyone who turned to them, calling it spiritual prostitution because it meant looking to other powers instead of to Him (20:6). A man or woman who practiced these arts was to be stoned (20:27). Moses later listed these practices among the things the LORD detests (Deuteronomy 18:10-12), and Isaiah asked why anyone would seek help from the dead instead of from the living God (Isaiah 8:19). King Saul's death is tied in part to his consulting a medium (1 Chronicles 10:13).

  • Leviticus 20:6 (BSB)
    “Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.”
    God declares He will oppose anyone who turns to mediums or spiritists.
  • Leviticus 20:27 (BSB)
    “A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’””
    The chapter closes with the penalty for a man or woman who acts as a medium or spiritist.
  • Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (BSB)
    “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.”
    Lists consulting mediums and spiritists among practices detestable to the LORD.
  • Isaiah 8:19 (BSB)
    “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”
    Rebukes those who seek the dead instead of seeking their God.
  • 1 Chronicles 10:13 (BSB)
    “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,”
    Names Saul's consulting a medium as part of the unfaithfulness for which he died.

Theological

How does Leviticus 20 treat necromancy and spiritism (20:6, 27)?

Answer: It condemns consulting them and makes practicing as one a capital offense by stoning

Leviticus 20 treats recourse to mediums and spiritists as spiritual harlotry that provokes God's personal opposition (20:6), and it makes the practice itself a capital offense for man or woman, executed by stoning (20:27). Deuteronomy classes these arts with child sacrifice and divination as abominations (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Isaiah exposes the folly of seeking the dead rather than the living God (Isaiah 8:19), and the Chronicler names Saul's consulting a medium among the causes of his death (1 Chronicles 10:13). God's people are to seek guidance from God Himself.

  • Leviticus 20:6 (BSB)
    “Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.”
    God declares He will oppose anyone who turns to mediums or spiritists.
  • Leviticus 20:27 (BSB)
    “A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’””
    The chapter closes with the penalty for a man or woman who acts as a medium or spiritist.
  • Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (BSB)
    “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.”
    Lists consulting mediums and spiritists among practices detestable to the LORD.
  • Isaiah 8:19 (BSB)
    “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”
    Rebukes those who seek the dead instead of seeking their God.
  • 1 Chronicles 10:13 (BSB)
    “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,”
    Names Saul's consulting a medium as part of the unfaithfulness for which he died.

General

According to 20:2, what was to happen to anyone in Israel who handed a child over to Molech?

Answer: He was to be stoned to death by the community

Molech was a false god to whom some ancient peoples offered their children as burnt sacrifices. God declared that any Israelite, or any foreigner living among them, who handed over a child to Molech must die, and the community itself was to carry out the sentence by stoning (20:2). Chapter 18 had already forbidden this practice (18:21), and Moses later warned that the nations even burned their own sons and daughters for their gods, practices the LORD detests (Deuteronomy 12:31). Through Jeremiah, God said such sacrifice was never His command and never even came into His mind (Jeremiah 7:31). The penalty belonged to Israel's life as a nation under God's covenant, and it shows how gravely God regards the killing of children as an act of worship.

  • Leviticus 20:2 (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.”
    God sets the penalty for anyone in Israel, native or foreign, who offers a child to Molech.
  • Leviticus 18:21 (BSB)
    “You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”
    The earlier prohibition of giving children to Molech, which chapter 20 now backs with a penalty.
  • Deuteronomy 12:31 (BSB)
    “You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.”
    Shows that the nations burned their own children for their gods, a practice the LORD hates.
  • Jeremiah 7:31 (BSB)
    “They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.”
    God declares that child sacrifice was something He never commanded and that never entered His mind.

Theological

What sanction does Leviticus 20:2 prescribe for the Israelite or resident alien who surrenders a child to Molech?

Answer: Execution by stoning carried out by the community

Leviticus 20:2 makes the offering of a child to Molech a capital crime for native Israelite and resident alien alike, with the community executing the sentence by stoning. The chapter supplies the sanction for the prohibition already given in 18:21. Deuteronomy identifies the burning of sons and daughters as characteristic of the Canaanite cults the LORD hates (Deuteronomy 12:31), and Jeremiah records God's verdict that such rites were wholly foreign to His will (Jeremiah 7:31). The sanction operated within Israel's covenant polity, and its severity reflects the gravity of shedding innocent blood under the guise of worship.

  • Leviticus 20:2 (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.”
    God sets the penalty for anyone in Israel, native or foreign, who offers a child to Molech.
  • Leviticus 18:21 (BSB)
    “You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”
    The earlier prohibition of giving children to Molech, which chapter 20 now backs with a penalty.
  • Deuteronomy 12:31 (BSB)
    “You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.”
    Shows that the nations burned their own children for their gods, a practice the LORD hates.
  • Jeremiah 7:31 (BSB)
    “They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.”
    God declares that child sacrifice was something He never commanded and that never entered His mind.

General

What reason does 20:3 give for God setting Himself against the man who gave his child to Molech?

Answer: He had polluted God's sanctuary and dishonored His holy name

God said that giving a child to Molech was not merely a private crime; it polluted God's own sanctuary among His people and dragged His holy name into dishonor (20:3). The earlier law had made the same connection between this sin and profaning God's name (18:21). God's name, meaning His revealed character and reputation, is to be treated as holy, which is why Jesus taught His followers to pray first that God's name be honored (Matthew 6:9). Sadly, Israel later fell into this very practice until King Josiah defiled the place where it was done to put an end to it (2 Kings 23:10).

  • Leviticus 20:3 (BSB)
    “And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name.”
    God explains why He Himself will oppose the man who gives his child to Molech.
  • Leviticus 18:21 (BSB)
    “You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”
    Links child sacrifice directly to profaning the name of God.
  • Matthew 6:9 (BSB)
    “So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”
    Jesus teaches His people to pray first that God's name be treated as holy.
  • 2 Kings 23:10 (BSB)
    “He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.”
    Shows that Israel later fell into this very sin until King Josiah defiled the site used for it.

Theological

On what ground does Leviticus 20:3 say the LORD sets His face against the one who hands over a child to Molech?

Answer: He has defiled the sanctuary and profaned the divine name

Leviticus 20:3 grounds God's personal opposition in the fact that Molech worship defiles His sanctuary and profanes His holy name; the offense is theological before it is social. The same link appears in 18:21. The honor of God's name stands at the head of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9). Israel's later history bears out the danger, since the practice took root in Judah until Josiah's reform defiled Topheth to end it (2 Kings 23:10).

  • Leviticus 20:3 (BSB)
    “And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name.”
    God explains why He Himself will oppose the man who gives his child to Molech.
  • Leviticus 18:21 (BSB)
    “You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”
    Links child sacrifice directly to profaning the name of God.
  • Matthew 6:9 (BSB)
    “So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”
    Jesus teaches His people to pray first that God's name be treated as holy.
  • 2 Kings 23:10 (BSB)
    “He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.”
    Shows that Israel later fell into this very sin until King Josiah defiled the site used for it.

General

According to 20:24-26, why was Israel to separate the animals they could eat from those they could not?

Answer: God had set Israel apart from the other peoples to belong to Him

God reminded Israel that He had set them apart from the other peoples, promised them the land as an inheritance, and made them His own; therefore they were to separate clean from unclean creatures, both beasts and birds (20:24-26). Clean meant fit for God's people to eat and unclean meant forbidden. The food laws were a daily, visible sign that Israel belonged to a holy God. God had chosen them not because they were great but because He loved them (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). In Christ this separation reaches its goal: Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), and the church, drawn from every nation, is now God's chosen people and holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).

  • Leviticus 20:24-26 (BSB)
    “But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples. You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”
    God grounds the distinction between clean and unclean animals in His setting Israel apart from the nations.
  • Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (BSB)
    “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
    God chose Israel out of love and faithfulness to His oath, not because of their size or merit.
  • 1 Peter 2:9 (BSB)
    “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
    The church is now called God's chosen people and holy nation, His own possession.
  • Mark 7:19 (BSB)
    “because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)”
    Jesus declared all foods clean, fulfilling the food distinctions of the law.

Theological

What ground does Leviticus 20:24-26 give for the dietary separation of clean from unclean creatures?

Answer: God's separation of Israel from the peoples to be His own

Leviticus 20:24-26 grounds the dietary distinction in divine election: the LORD has separated Israel from the peoples to be His own, so Israel must separate clean from unclean. The food laws were an ongoing sign of that separation. Israel's election rested on God's free love and His oath, not on any merit in Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). With Christ's coming the ceremonial sign has been fulfilled (Mark 7:19), and the reality it signified now belongs to the church gathered from all nations, a chosen people and holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).

  • Leviticus 20:24-26 (BSB)
    “But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples. You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”
    God grounds the distinction between clean and unclean animals in His setting Israel apart from the nations.
  • Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (BSB)
    “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
    God chose Israel out of love and faithfulness to His oath, not because of their size or merit.
  • 1 Peter 2:9 (BSB)
    “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
    The church is now called God's chosen people and holy nation, His own possession.
  • Mark 7:19 (BSB)
    “because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)”
    Jesus declared all foods clean, fulfilling the food distinctions of the law.

General

In 20:7-8, right after commanding Israel to be holy and keep His statutes, how does God describe Himself?

Answer: As the LORD who makes them holy

God told Israel to consecrate themselves, meaning to set themselves apart for Him, to be holy, and to keep and practice His laws; then He added that He is the One who sanctifies them, that is, makes them holy (20:7-8). Holiness is both a command to obey and a work God does in His people. Peter applies the same call to Christians (1 Peter 1:15-16), and Paul explains that God is the one working in believers to want and to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13). So Paul prays that God Himself would make believers holy through and through (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

  • Leviticus 20:7-8 (BSB)
    “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep My statutes and practice them. I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”
    God calls Israel to consecrate themselves and keep His statutes, and names Himself as the One who sanctifies them.
  • 1 Peter 1:15-16 (BSB)
    “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.””
    Peter applies the Levitical call to holiness directly to Christians.
  • Philippians 2:13 (BSB)
    “For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.”
    Shows that God Himself works in His people both the desire and the doing of obedience.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (BSB)
    “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
    Prays for God Himself to sanctify believers completely.

Theological

What self-designation does the LORD attach to the command to consecrate oneself in Leviticus 20:7-8?

Answer: The One who sanctifies them

Leviticus 20:7-8 sets the imperative (consecrate yourselves, be holy, keep My statutes) beside the indicative (the LORD's declaration that He Himself sanctifies them). The call to holiness is real, yet God is the author of the holiness He requires. Peter carries the imperative into the new covenant (1 Peter 1:15-16), while Paul locates its source in God's effectual working in His people, producing both the willing and the doing (Philippians 2:13). Sanctification is therefore God's gracious work in which the believer is truly active, and Paul prays for God Himself to bring it to completion (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

  • Leviticus 20:7-8 (BSB)
    “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep My statutes and practice them. I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”
    God calls Israel to consecrate themselves and keep His statutes, and names Himself as the One who sanctifies them.
  • 1 Peter 1:15-16 (BSB)
    “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.””
    Peter applies the Levitical call to holiness directly to Christians.
  • Philippians 2:13 (BSB)
    “For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.”
    Shows that God Himself works in His people both the desire and the doing of obedience.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (BSB)
    “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
    Prays for God Himself to sanctify believers completely.

General

Chapter 20 repeatedly says that certain offenders' blood is on them (for example 20:11-12). What does this expression mean?

Answer: Responsibility for their death lay on themselves, not on their executioners

This expression recurs through the chapter (20:9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 27). It means the guilt for the offender's death belonged to the offender, not to the community that carried out the sentence. The same idiom appears when the spies told Rahab that anyone leaving her house would be responsible for his own death (Joshua 2:19) and when Ezekiel describes a man whose own sins bring about his death (Ezekiel 18:13). These penalties were not carried out lightly; no one could be sentenced to die on the word of only one witness (Deuteronomy 17:6). The Westminster Confession, a historic Reformed statement of faith, describes civil laws like these as given to Israel as a nation and as having expired along with that state, binding others only as far as their general equity may require, while the moral law behind them remains binding.

  • Leviticus 20:11-12 (BSB)
    “If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both must surely be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is upon them.”
    Two of the offenses in chapter 20 where the text says the offenders' blood is on them.
  • Joshua 2:19 (BSB)
    “If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.”
    Uses the same idiom to mean that a person is responsible for his own death.
  • Ezekiel 18:13 (BSB)
    “He engages in usury and takes excess interest. Will this son live? He will not! Since he has committed all these abominations, he will surely die; his blood will be on his own head.”
    Applies the idiom to one whose own sins bring death on him.
  • Deuteronomy 17:6 (BSB)
    “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.”
    Required at least two or three witnesses before anyone could be executed.

Theological

What is the force of the refrain about the offenders' blood resting on them in Leviticus 20 (e.g. 20:11-12)?

Answer: The bloodguilt for their death rests on themselves, not on the community

The formula (20:9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 27) assigns bloodguilt to the offender, declaring the community innocent in executing a just sentence. The idiom appears with the same force in Joshua 2:19 and Ezekiel 18:13. The sanctions were guarded by due process, since no one could be condemned on a single testimony (Deuteronomy 17:6). The Westminster Confession (19.4) treats these judicial laws as given to Israel as a body politic and expired with that state, except as far as their general equity may require, and it teaches that the moral law they guarded remains in force (19.5).

  • Leviticus 20:11-12 (BSB)
    “If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both must surely be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is upon them.”
    Two of the offenses in chapter 20 where the text says the offenders' blood is on them.
  • Joshua 2:19 (BSB)
    “If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.”
    Uses the same idiom to mean that a person is responsible for his own death.
  • Ezekiel 18:13 (BSB)
    “He engages in usury and takes excess interest. Will this son live? He will not! Since he has committed all these abominations, he will surely die; his blood will be on his own head.”
    Applies the idiom to one whose own sins bring death on him.
  • Deuteronomy 17:6 (BSB)
    “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.”
    Required at least two or three witnesses before anyone could be executed.

General

What penalty did 20:14 give when a man took a woman and also her mother as wives?

Answer: All three were to be burned with fire

Marrying a woman along with her mother was called depraved, and the man and both women were to be burned, so that such wickedness would not remain in Israel (20:14). Chapter 18 had already forbidden sexual relations with a mother and her daughter together (18:17). God's concern was to guard the family from sexual confusion and keep His people holy. The New Testament teaches the same concern: God's will is that His people be holy and keep themselves from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).

  • Leviticus 20:14 (BSB)
    “If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is depraved. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that there will be no depravity among you.”
    The penalty for a man who marries both a woman and her mother.
  • Leviticus 18:17 (BSB)
    “You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. You are not to marry her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives; it is depraved.”
    The earlier prohibition of relations with both a woman and her daughter, called depraved.
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (BSB)
    “For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;”
    Teaches that sexual holiness is God's will for His people.

Theological

What sanction does Leviticus 20:14 prescribe for a man who takes a wife and her mother together?

Answer: Burning of all three parties

Leviticus 20:14 labels the union depravity and prescribes burning for the man and both women, with the stated goal of purging such wickedness from Israel. It sanctions the prohibition of 18:17. The concern is the integrity of the family and the holiness of the covenant community, a concern the New Testament carries forward in calling believers to sanctification and abstinence from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).

  • Leviticus 20:14 (BSB)
    “If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is depraved. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that there will be no depravity among you.”
    The penalty for a man who marries both a woman and her mother.
  • Leviticus 18:17 (BSB)
    “You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. You are not to marry her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives; it is depraved.”
    The earlier prohibition of relations with both a woman and her daughter, called depraved.
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (BSB)
    “For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;”
    Teaches that sexual holiness is God's will for His people.