Leviticus 20:4

Leviticus 20:4

And 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:

a. NLT: And if the people of the community ignore those who offer their children to Molech and refuse to execute them,

b. NIV: If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death,

c. YLT: 'And if the people of the land really hide their eyes from that man, in his giving of his seed to the Molech, so as not to put him to death,

d. Amplified Bible: And if the people of the land do at all hide their eyes from the man when he gives one of his children [as a burnt offering] to Molech [the fire god] and they overlook it or neglect to take legal action to punish him, winking at his sin, and do not kill him [as My law requires],

e. Septuagint: And if the natives of the land should in anywise overlook that man in giving of his seed to Moloch, so as not to put him to death;

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: But if the people of the land avert their eyes from that man when he gives from his offspring to Molech, not to put him to death;

1. “And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man…”

a. [And] if  [Strong: 518 'im eem a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, + more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, + save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more, none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when, whereas, whether, while, + yet.]

b. [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.]

c. [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.]

d. [do] any ways [Strong: 5956 ʻâlam, aw-lam'; a primitive root; to veil from sight, i.e. conceal (literally or figuratively):—× any ways, blind, dissembler, hide (self), secret (thing).]

e. hide [5956 * ‘alam] [Strong: a primitive root; to veil from sight, i.e. conceal (literally or figuratively):--X any ways, blind, dissembler, hide (self), secret (thing).]

f. their eyes [5869 * ‘ayin] [Strong: probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, + think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, + displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, + think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).]

g. from [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.]

h. [the] man [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.]

2. “…when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:”

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

c. unto Molech [4432 * Molek] [Strong: from 4427; Molek (i.e. king), the chief deity of the Ammonites:--Molech.]

d. and kill [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.]

e. him [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

f. not [1115 * biltiy] [Strong: constructive feminine of 1086 (equivalent to 1097); properly, a failure of, i.e. (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until, etc.:--because un(satiable), beside, but, + continual, except, from, lest, neither, no more, none, not, nothing, save, that no, without.]

1). The people of the land were responsible to not allow child sacrifice in their area and were required to enforce the death penalty on those who participated in Molech worship.