Левитска 20:2 Коментар

The laws which before were made are in this chapter repeated and penalties annexed to them, that those who would not be deterred from sin by the fear of God might be deterred from it by the fear of punishment. If we will not avoid such and such practices because the law has made them sin (and it is most acceptable when we go on that principle of religion), surely we shall avoid them when the law has made them death, from a principle of self-preservation. In this chapter we have, I. Many particular crimes that are made capital. I. Giving their children to Moloch (Lev 20:1-5). 2. Consulting witches (Lev 20:6, Lev 20:27). 3. Cursing parents (Lev 20:9). 4. Adultery (Lev 20:10). 5. Incest (Lev 20:11, Lev 20:12, Lev 20:14, Lev 20:17, Lev 20:19-21). 6. Unnatural lusts (Lev 20:13, Lev 20:15, Lev 20:16, Lev 20:18). II. General commands given to be holy (Lev 20:7, Lev 20:8, Lev 20:22-26).

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 20 In this chapter several laws are, repeated, enforced with a penalty annexed to them, and the breach them made capital, to deter from it, as giving seed to Molech, Lev 20:1; going after such that have familiar spirits, or are wizards, Lev 20:6; by shunning which, and other sins, a regard would be shown to holiness, Lev 20:7; such as cursing parents, Lev 20:9; committing adultery, Lev 20:10; incestuous copulations, and marriages, and beastly actions, Lev 20:11; all which it became the Israelites to avoid, lest, when come into the land of Canaan, they should be cast out of it, as the old inhabitants were for the same things, Lev 20:22; and therefore, that they might appear to be a distinct people from others, they were to put a difference between clean and unclean creatures, Lev 20:25; and the chapter is closed with a law, making it death for any person to have a familiar spirit, or to be a wizard, Lev 19:27.

Again thou shalt say to the children of Israel,.... The body of the people by their elders, and the heads of their tribes; for the following laws were binding on them all: whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel; everyone of the people of Israel, of whatsoever age, sex, or condition of life: and not they only, but the strangers and proselytes; and not the proselytes of righteousness only, but the proselytes of the gate, who, as well as the others, were to shun idolatry, and other impieties and immoralities after mentioned: that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; which Aben Ezra interprets of lying with an idolatrous woman, or a worshipper of Molech, the abomination or idol of the Ammonites, Kg1 11:7; of which see Lev 18:21; but more than that is here intended, or even than causing their seed or offspring to pass through the fire to Molech, as in the place referred to; more is meant by it than a lustration of them, or a dedicating them to Molech, by delivering them to his priests to lead them between two fires for that purpose, but even the sacrificing of them to him; and so the Targum of Jonathan seems to understand it, which is,"that makes (or sacrifices) of his seed Molech to be burnt in the fire:''for that the Phoenicians or Canaanites, whose customs the Israelites were in danger of imitating, and therefore cautioned against, did sacrifice human creatures, and these the dearest to them, even their beloved and only begotten children, to Saturn, is certain, as Porphyry (y) and Eusebius (z) affirm, or to Hercules, as Pliny (a), and both the same with Molech, or the sun: he shall surely be put to death; by the hand of the civil magistrate, which death was to be by stoning, as follows: the people of the land shall stone him with stones: that is, the people of the house of Israel, as both the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; such as lived in that part of the country where the idolater lived, and where he committed the sin, or was condemned for it; of the manner of stoning; see Gill on Act 7:58. (y) De Abstinent. l. 2. c. 56. (z) De laudibus Constantin. c. 13. p. 646. Vid. Suidam in voce (a) Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 5.

Of giving seed to Molech, and the punishment of this crime, Lev 20:1-5. Of consulting wizards, etc., Lev 20:6-8. Of disrespect to parents, Lev 20:9. Of adultery, Lev 20:10. Of incestuous mixtures, Lev 20:11, Lev 20:12. Bestiality, Lev 20:13-16. Different cases of incest and uncleanness, Lev 20:17-21. Exhortations and promises, Lev 20:22-24. The difference between clean and unclean animals to be carefully observed, Lev 20:25. The Israelites are separated from other nations, that they may be holy, Lev 20:26. A repetition of the law against wizards and them that have familiar spirits, Lev 20:27.

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.

GIVING ONE'S SEED TO MOLECH. (Lev. 20:1-27) Whosoever . . . giveth any of his seed unto Molech--(See on Lev 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 (Mat 21:44; Act 7:58).

Punishments for the Vices and crimes Prohibited in Ch. 18 and 19. - The list commences with idolatry and soothsaying, which were to be followed by extermination, as a practical apostasy from Jehovah, and a manifest breach of the covenant.

Whoever, whether an Israelite or a foreigner in Israel, dedicated of his seed (children) to Moloch (see Lev 18:21), was to be put to death. The people of the land were to stone him. בּאבן רגם, lapide obruere, is synonymous with סקל, lit., lapidem jacere: this was the usual punishment appointed in the law for cases in which death was inflicted, either as the result of a judicial sentence, or by the national community.