Leviticus 20
10 Aug 2026 - Theology
Repeated Laws
Chapter 20 of Leviticus repeats many of the laws found in chapters 16 to 18, adding punishments for breaking those laws. Why do the punishments for breaking the laws appear here, instead of in the previous chapters when their respective laws are introduced?
The chapter starts with a few verses regarding Molech, which we first heard about in Leviticus 18:
Leviticus 18:21 - “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.”
Leviticus 20:2-3 - “…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. 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 unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.”
Death was also the punishment for those who insulted their parents in public, and for those who disobeyed any of the laws regarding incest and forbidden sexual relationships (see Leviticus 18). For a few laws of forbidden sexual relationships, though, the punishment is less than death - instead the Lord promises that they will produce no children:
Leviticus 20:20-21 - “And 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. And 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.”
We also see a reminder that other nations are being driven out of the Holy Land “for they committed all these things” (24). If the Israelites behave like them, the land will also vomit them out (22). But if the Israelites keep the commands of the Lord, the Lord promises:
Leviticus 20:24,26 - “…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… And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.”
References
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)