Leviticus 20:4

Leviticus 20:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (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,
• English Standard Version (ESV)And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And if the people of the land should in any way hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some of his descendants to Molech, and they do not kill him,

Context of Leviticus 20:4

2“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him. 3And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name. And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech, 5then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech. 6Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

Leviticus 20:4 word by word

וְאִ֡ם הַעְלֵ֣ם יַעְלִימֽוּ֩ עַ֨ם הָאָ֜רֶץ אֶת־עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ מִן־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא בְּתִתּ֥וֹ מִזַּרְע֖וֹ לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ לְבִלְתִּ֖י הָמִ֥ית אֹתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• And ifאִם'im · ifH518
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• ever hideעָלַם‛âlam · to concealH5956
• their eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• and failבִּלְתִּיbiltîy · lestH1115
• to put to deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• ·מִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• whoהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• givesנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• one of his childrenזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
• to Molechמֹ֫לֶךְmôlek · MolechH4432

Cross-references for Leviticus 20:4

• Acts 17:30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
• Deuteronomy 13:8you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him.
• Deuteronomy 17:2If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant
• Joshua 7:12This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.
• 1 Samuel 3:13I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.
• 1 Kings 20:42And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

Commentaries on Leviticus 20:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2-5Verses 2-5 Molech, literally, “the King”, called also Moloch, Milcom, and Malcham, was known in later times as “the abomination of the Ammonites” 1 Kings 11:5. He appears to have been the fire-god of the eastern nations; related to, and sometimes made identical with, Baal, the sun-god. The nature of the rite and of the impious custom called passing children through the fire to Molech is very doubtful. The practices appear to have been essentially…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. If the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, &c.--that is, connive at their countrymen practising the horrid rites of Molech. Awful was it that any Hebrew parents could so violate their national covenant, and no wonder that God denounced the severest penalties against them and their families.Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 20:4

• Collusion
• Idolatry
• Molech
• Offerings
• Punishment
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• Molech; Moloch
• Molech
• Accomplish
• Crucifixion
• Moloch
• Wizard
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Burial
• Clean
• Criticism

Commentaries on Leviticus 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings