Guided first edition · Leviticus 20:1–27
Central truth
Follow the commands and community responsibilities that shape mercy, justice, purity, work, and neighbor love in Leviticus.
Read the complete assigned passage before isolating a phrase or answering a question. Identify the speakers, setting, repeated words, problem, response, and the change that occurs by the end of the unit.
Immediate context
Read Leviticus 20:1–27 with the paragraphs before and after it. Identify the opening situation, turning point, and outcome.
Leviticus context
Justice and life together: Follow the commands and community responsibilities that shape mercy, justice, purity, work, and neighbor love in Leviticus.
Whole-Bible context
Identify the covenant audience, the reason for the command, and its place in rescue, worship, holiness, justice, and communal life.
King James Version · 27 verses
Scripture text
Read the complete assigned text. The KJV text is presented here so that every observation can be checked against the passage.
Leviticus 20
King James Version1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Again, 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.
3And 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.
4And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
5Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
6And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
7Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
8And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.
9For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
10And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11And 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.
12And 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.
13If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
14And 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.
15And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.
16And 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.
17And 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 wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
18And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
19And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
20And 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.
21And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.
22Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.
23And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
24But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.
25Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
26And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
27A 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.
Central truth
Follow the commands and community responsibilities that shape mercy, justice, purity, work, and neighbor love in Leviticus.
Guided close reading
Work through every reading block in order. The prompts identify what to examine without replacing the words of Scripture.
Chapter summary · 20
Leviticus 20
Leviticus 20 opens in verse 1 with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”, reaches its middle movement near verse 14 with “And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with...”, and closes in verse 27 with “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be...”. Repeated or prominent terms include death, people, surely, nakedness, blood. Read these details within the lesson focus: Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”.
Leviticus 20:1–7
1–7: The LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Section summary
Leviticus 20:1–7 opens with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” and reaches “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.” by its final verse. That textual movement develops the lesson focus: Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”, with special attention to the recurring or prominent terms people, molech, face.
Deep dive
Verse 1 establishes the section with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”. Near verse 4, the wording reads “And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of...”. The final verse closes this reading block with “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.”. The wording also contains 1 verse with a speech marker, 2 verses naming the LORD or God, giving the reader concrete features to test in context.
Identify the covenant audience, the stated reason for each command, and how worship, holiness, justice, mercy, and communal responsibility relate to one another. Trace the words people, molech, face, israel, seed, children across the complete block. Connect every claim to the lesson focus, Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”, and label conclusions honestly as explicit statement, Scripture-supported conclusion, strong inference, or interpretation.
Words to trace: people, molech, face, israel, seed, children
Verse-by-verse path
Use these notes to slow down and examine how each verse contributes to the section. Return to the exact wording before drawing a conclusion.
- Leviticus 20:1
Divine speech: identify the exact words, the audience, and whether they function as command, promise, question, warning, or judgment.
- Leviticus 20:2
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:3
Textual detail: identify the action, the people affected, and the change this verse introduces.
- Leviticus 20:4
Textual detail: identify the action, the people affected, and the change this verse introduces.
- Leviticus 20:5
Textual detail: identify the action, the people affected, and the change this verse introduces.
- Leviticus 20:6
Textual detail: identify the action, the people affected, and the change this verse introduces.
- Leviticus 20:7
Textual detail: identify the action, the people affected, and the change this verse introduces.
Leviticus 20:8–14
8–14: Ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify...
Section summary
Leviticus 20:8–14 opens with “And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.” and reaches “And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both...” by its final verse. That textual movement develops the lesson focus: Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”, with special attention to the recurring or prominent terms death, surely, blood.
Deep dive
Verse 8 establishes the section with “And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.”. Near verse 11, the wording reads “And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of...”. The final verse closes this reading block with “And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire,...”. The wording also contains 1 verse naming the LORD or God, giving the reader concrete features to test in context.
Identify the covenant audience, the stated reason for each command, and how worship, holiness, justice, mercy, and communal responsibility relate to one another. Trace the words death, surely, blood, both, wife, mother across the complete block. Connect every claim to the lesson focus, Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”, and label conclusions honestly as explicit statement, Scripture-supported conclusion, strong inference, or interpretation.
Words to trace: death, surely, blood, both, wife, mother
Verse-by-verse path
Use these notes to slow down and examine how each verse contributes to the section. Return to the exact wording before drawing a conclusion.
- Leviticus 20:8
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:9
Reason or consequence: connect this verse to the claim or action immediately before it.
- Leviticus 20:10
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:11
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:12
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:13
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:14
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
Leviticus 20:15–21
15–21: If a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall...
Section summary
Leviticus 20:15–21 opens with “And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.” and reaches “And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his...” by its final verse. That textual movement develops the lesson focus: Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”, with special attention to the recurring or prominent terms nakedness, beast, uncovered.
Deep dive
Verse 15 establishes the section with “And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.”. Near verse 18, the wording reads “And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he...”. The final verse closes this reading block with “And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his...”. The wording should be traced through its subjects, actions, connecting terms, and stated consequences before an interpretation is proposed.
Identify the covenant audience, the stated reason for each command, and how worship, holiness, justice, mercy, and communal responsibility relate to one another. Trace the words nakedness, beast, uncovered, bear, sister, woman across the complete block. Connect every claim to the lesson focus, Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”, and label conclusions honestly as explicit statement, Scripture-supported conclusion, strong inference, or interpretation.
Words to trace: nakedness, beast, uncovered, bear, sister, woman
Verse-by-verse path
Use these notes to slow down and examine how each verse contributes to the section. Return to the exact wording before drawing a conclusion.
- Leviticus 20:15
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:16
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:17
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:18
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:19
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:20
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:21
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
Leviticus 20:22–27
22–27: Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do...
Section summary
Leviticus 20:22–27 opens with “Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land,...” and reaches “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to...” by its final verse. That textual movement develops the lesson focus: Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”, with special attention to the recurring or prominent terms land, unclean, clean.
Deep dive
Verse 22 establishes the section with “Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land,...”. Near verse 24, the wording reads “But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to...”. The final verse closes this reading block with “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to...”. The wording also contains 1 verse with a speech marker, 1 stated contrast, 2 verses naming the LORD or God, giving the reader concrete features to test in context.
Identify the covenant audience, the stated reason for each command, and how worship, holiness, justice, mercy, and communal responsibility relate to one another. Trace the words land, unclean, clean, holy, lord, people across the complete block. Connect every claim to the lesson focus, Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”, and label conclusions honestly as explicit statement, Scripture-supported conclusion, strong inference, or interpretation.
Words to trace: land, unclean, clean, holy, lord, people
Verse-by-verse path
Use these notes to slow down and examine how each verse contributes to the section. Return to the exact wording before drawing a conclusion.
- Leviticus 20:22
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:23
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:24
Turn or contrast: name what stands on each side of the contrast and how it changes the passage’s direction.
- Leviticus 20:25
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:26
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
- Leviticus 20:27
Command and responsibility: identify who receives the instruction, what it requires, and the purpose supplied by the context.
Observation and teaching prompt
- Identify the people addressed and the covenant setting.
- Distinguish rescue, worship, holiness, justice, and community responsibility.
- Read commands in their literary and covenant context before making a modern application.
Learning objectives
- Place Leviticus 20:1–27 within Justice and life together and explain its role in Leviticus.
- Describe from the text how the passage develops this focus: Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”.
- Distinguish an explicit statement, a Scripture-supported conclusion, and an interpretation.
- Explain how law and covenant shapes a responsible reading of this unit.
- Compare a related song or video with the passage, then return to the text to test it.
- Form a personal and communal response that does not exceed the evidence of Scripture.
Teacher preparation
- Read Leviticus 20:1–27 twice, then read the material immediately before and after it.
- Review the book movement: Justice and life together (Leviticus · 03).
- Mark speakers, actions, repeated words, commands, contrasts, promises, and consequences.
- Preview each related song or video and note where it condenses, interprets, or dramatizes the text.
- Prepare a participation option that lets learners respond without forced personal disclosure.
Evidence and interpretation checks
Explicit
Record two claims that Leviticus 20:1–27 states directly and cite the verses.
Scripture-supported
Form one conclusion that joins several parts of Leviticus 20:1–27. Show each step.
Strong inference
Identify a conclusion that follows the text closely even though it is not stated in one sentence.
Possible or traditional reading
Where responsible readings differ, present the difference without turning it into certainty.
Limit
Do not use speculation as a teaching conclusion.
Discussion with answer guidance
1. What does Leviticus 20:1–27 state directly about God, people, or the situation?
Show teacher guidance
Begin with the passage’s words and actions. Require an exact verse before accepting a conclusion.
2. How does this focus develop across the passage: Leviticus 20:1–27 moves from “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” to “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely....”?
Show teacher guidance
Trace the opening, change, and outcome. Do not rely on one sentence when the unit presents a sequence.
3. Which word, action, contrast, or response repeats, and what work does it do?
Show teacher guidance
Repetition may signal structure or emphasis, but explain its meaning inside the immediate context.
4. How does this unit contribute to the Justice and life together movement?
Show teacher guidance
Compare the unit with what comes before and after it in the same book.
5. What interpretive caution does law and covenant require here?
Show teacher guidance
Identify the covenant audience, the reason for the command, and its place in rescue, worship, holiness, justice, and communal life.
6. What faithful response follows for an individual and for a community?
Show teacher guidance
Form a concrete, proportionate response. Do not turn a description into a command without evidence.
Responsible application
Heart and habits
Name one belief, desire, or practice that Leviticus 20:1–27 corrects, strengthens, or redirects.
Relationships and community
Form one action that protects dignity, truth, justice, mercy, or faithfulness in a real relationship.
Worship and prayer
Write a prayer using the vocabulary and concerns of the passage.
Service and witness
Choose one observable response for this week and one person who can support accountability.
Audience adaptations
Children
Use a short reading block, a people-and-actions map, and one concrete response. Explain difficult vocabulary before reading.
Youth
Ask learners to identify pressure, loyalty, power, and consequences. Permit written responses without public disclosure.
Adults
Add literary and historical context, compare responsible readings, and require evidence for each claim.
Intergenerational group
Pair different ages, assign observation before interpretation, and close with a shared prayer.
Online or at home
Send the reference in advance, use media as an observation pause, and gather responses in a shared document.
Complete 75-minute teaching path
A shorter group can omit the extended discussion while preserving the Scripture reading, evidence check, and closing response.
Orient the group
Name the book, Leviticus 20:1–27, genre, and central question. Explain that every conclusion will be checked against the text.
Read the complete unit
Read aloud or silently. Learners mark speakers, repetitions, commands, contrasts, and changes.
Work through the reading blocks
Summarize each block in one sentence and record the verse that supports the summary.
Use a song or video
Play one related resource. Compare its emphasis and omissions with the passage.
Discuss from evidence
Use the questions and require a Scripture reference for every major answer.
Form responsible application
Develop one personal and one communal response. Avoid promises or commands that the text does not establish.
Summarize and pray
Let each learner complete one sentence about the passage. Pray with its vocabulary and concerns.
Song and video learning lab
Use the media after the passage has been read. A song or video may interpret, compress, or dramatize the text, so learners should compare it with Scripture rather than treat it as Scripture.
- Before: read the exact passage and name its central movement.
- During: note which words, people, events, or emotions the artist emphasizes.
- After: identify what the media clarifies, what it leaves out, and what must be checked in the text.
Listen and watch alongside the passage
Related media appears only when its Scripture reference overlaps this study unit. Use music and video as companions, then return to the biblical text.
