The big picture
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. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Leviticus · King James Version · 27Leviticus 20:1-7
1–7: The LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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 movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by people, Molech, face.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“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…” Naming Molech keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Leviticus 20:1-7
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.
Leviticus 20:8-14
8–14: Ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify…
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 movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by death, surely, blood.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 20:8-14
King James Version8And 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.
Leviticus 20:15-21
15–21: If a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall…
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 movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by nakedness, beast, uncovered.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 20:15-21
King James Version15And 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.
Leviticus 20:22-27
22–27: Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do…
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 movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by land, unclean, clean.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
Leviticus 20:22-27
King James Version22Ye 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Leviticus 20:1 begins with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”
Where the chapter turns
Leviticus 20:5 forms a natural hinge: “Then 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…”
The final note
Leviticus 20:27 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words death, people, surely, nakedness, blood, wife help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What assumption drives Abraham's deception?
He assumes there is no fear of God in the place and that he will be killed.
How does the chapter expose that assumption?
Abimelech responds seriously to God's warning and confronts Abraham about wrongdoing.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
- spake
- spoke
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.