Leviticus 20:2

Leviticus 20:2

Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

a. NLT: “Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel. “If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death.

b. NIV: “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him.

c. Amplified Bible:  Moreover, you shall say to the Israelites, Any one of the Israelites or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech [the fire god worshiped with human sacrifices] shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

d. Septuagint: Thou shalt also say to the children of Israel, If [there shall be] any of the children of Israel, or of those who have become proselytes in Israel, who shall give of his seed to Moloch, let him be surely put to death; the nation upon the land shall stone him with stones.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: Say to the Children of Israel: Any man from the Children of Israel and from the proselyte who lives with Israel, who shall give of his seed to Molech, shall be put to death; the people of the land shall pelt him with stones.

1. “Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel…”

a. Again [Strong: 413 'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).

b. [thou shalt] say [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

c. [to the] children [1121 * ben] [Strong: from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

d. [of] Israel [3478 * Yisra'el] [Strong: from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: --Israel.]

2. “…Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel…”

a. Whosoever [he be] [376 * ‘iysh] [Strong: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.]

b. [of the] children [1121 * ben] [Strong: from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

c. [of] Israel [3478 * Yisra'el] [Strong: from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: --Israel.]

d. or [Strong: 4480 min min or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural) {min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since, X then, through, X whether, with.]

e. [of the] strangers [1616 * ger] [Strong: from 1481; properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigner:--alien, sojourner, stranger.]

f. [that] sojourn [1481 * guwr] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid):--abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, X surely.]

1). This command covers everyone, the citizen and the non-citizen.

g. [in] Israel [3478 * Yisra'el] [Strong: from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: --Israel.]

3. “…that giveth any of his seed unto Molech…”

a. that [Strong: 834 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

b. giveth [5414 * Nathan] [Strong: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander, strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.]

b. [any of his] seed [2233 * zera’] [Strong: from 2232; seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity:--X carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing- time.]

c. [unto] Molech [4432][Gesenius * p. 478] [Strong: from 4427; Molek (i.e. king), the chief deity of the Ammonites:--Molech. Compare 4445.] [Brown, Driver, Briggs: the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians to whom some Israelites sacrificed their infants in the valley of Hinnom.]

1). Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Molech (mo’lek; Hebrew melek, king), a detestable Semite deity honored by the sacrifice of children, in which they were caused to pass through or into the fire. Palestinian excavations have uncovered evidences of infant skeletons in burial places around heathen shrines. Ammonites revered Molech as a protecting father. Worship of Molech was stringently prohibited by Hebrew law (Leviticus 18:21; 20:1-5). Solomon built an altar to Molech at Tophet in the Valley of Hinnom. Manassseh (c. B.C. 686-642) in his idolatrous orgy also honored this deity. Josiah desecrated the Hinnom Valley altar but Jehoiakim revived the cult. The prophets sternly denounced this form of heathen worship (Jeremiah 7:29-34; Ezekiel 16:20-22; 23:37-39; Amos 5:25). No form of ancient Semetic worship was more abhorrent than Molech worship.]

2). Concerning aspects of Molech worship, one school of thought believes that Molech worship or "pass through the fire to Molech," did not involve human sacrifice, and it is probable that some forms of it did not. For example, when Solomon introduced Molech during his reign I do not believe it involved child sacrifice. Israelite culture could not have degenerated so quickly after David’s death to have tolerated child sacrifice and it not be mentioned in Scripture.

a). 1 Kings 11:5-7 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

11:2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

11:5 or Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.

11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

3).  The first king mentioned either of Israel or Judah associated with child sacrifice, is Ahaz, who was in fact a king in Judah from 735-715 B.C., approximately 200 years after Solomon’s reign. But looking at the following passage we can see that Israel did practice child sacrifice because it reveals Ahaz, Judah’s king practiced child sacrifice because the kings of Israel did and he “walked in the way of the kings of Israel.”

a). 2 Kings 16:1-3 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

16:2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.

16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.

4). So even though, during the divided kingdom it is not mentioned that Israel,  the northern ten tribes practiced child sacrifice, we know from the above statement in 2 Kings 16:1-3 they did. When they began to practice it and in whose reign it began in, is unknown. All we know is that during the reign of Ahaz, the king of Judah, Judah began to practice it and that Israel had already been practicing it for some time, at least for a couple of reigns of kings. During Hoshea king of Israel’s and Ahaz, king of Judah’s reign, in 722 B.C. Israel was exiled to Assyria.

a). 2 Kings 17:1-18 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

17:2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

17:3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.

17:4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

17:5 hen the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

17:7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

17:8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

17:9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

17:10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

17:11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger:

17:12 For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

17:13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all  the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

17:14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God.

17:15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them.

17:16 And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

17:18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

5). During Ahaz’z reign from 735-715 B.C. Isaiah was the prophet to Judah. Isaiah prophesied against child sacrifice. According to Scofield’s notes the date is 712 B.C., which was after Israel was removed by Assyria, so this prophetic condemnation was to Judah, which means as early as 735-715 B.C. Judah was already practicing child sacrifice. What we must remember is that during the next 110 years, during the reigns of two godly kings, Hezekiah and Josiah, the practice was stopped before it was again practiced which led to their destruction. Nevertheless, this condemnation of child sacrifice was to the nation of Judah during Isaiah’s ministry.  

a). Isaiah 57:3-5 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

57:4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood.

57:5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

6). Decades later in the ministry of Jeremiah and about 100 years later in the ministry of Ezekiel, both prophets rebuked Judah for their child sacrifice.

a). Jeremiah 19:3-6 And say, Hear ye the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.

19:4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

19:5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

19:6 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

b). Jeremiah 32:33-35 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

32:34 But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.

32:34 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

c). Ezekiel 16:20, 21 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,

16:21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

d). Ezekiel 23:36-39 The Lord said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;

23:37 That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

23:38 Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.

23:38 For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.

7). The northern ten tribes were taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., during Ahaz’s reign, because among other sins, they practiced child sacrifice: 2 Kings 17:15-18.

8). Judah exiled and Jerusalem destroyed in 586 B.C. because of child sacrifice, the shedding of innocent blood: 2 Kings 24:1-4.

9). The Old Covenant warnings:

a). Leviticus 18:24-30 Do not do the same things the nations which were before you in this land did. If you do you will be vomited out of this land.

18:25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

18:26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

18:27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)

18:28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

18:29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

18:30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.

4. “…he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.”

a. he shall surely [4191 * muwth] [Strong: a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs, slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.]

b. be put to death [4191 * muwth] [Strong: a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs, slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.]

c. [the] people [5971 * ‘am] [Strong: from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

d. [of the] land [776 * ‘erets] [Strong: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

e. [shall] stone [him] [7275 * ragam] [Strong: a primitive root (Compare 7263, 7321, 7551); to cast together (stones), i.e. to lapidate:--X certainly, stone.]

f. [with] stones [68 * ‘eben] [Strong: from the root of 1129 through the meaning to build; a stone:--+ carbuncle, + mason, + plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-)stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).]