New English Translation
Leviticus 20:27
27“‘A man or woman who has in them a spirit of the dead or a familiar spirit must be put to death. They must pelt them with stones; their blood guilt is on themselves.’”
Leviticus 20:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them."
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.’ ”
Context of Leviticus 20:27
25Therefore you must distinguish between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean, and you must not make yourselves detestable by means of an animal or bird or anything that creeps on the ground – creatures I have distinguished for you as unclean. 26You must be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the other peoples to be mine. “‘A man or woman who has in them a spirit of the dead or a familiar spirit must be put to death. They must pelt them with stones; their blood guilt is on themselves.’”
Read all of Leviticus 20Leviticus 20:27 word by word
וְאִ֣ישׁ אֽוֹ־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֨ה בָהֶ֥ם א֛וֹב א֥וֹ יִדְּעֹנִ֖י מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑תוּ בָּאֶ֛בֶן יִרְגְּמ֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- A manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- also or womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- that hathכִּיkîy · forH3588
- a familiar spiritאוֹב'ôb · mediumH178
- or that is a wizardיִדְּעֹנִיyidde‛ônîy · spiritistH3049
- shall surelyמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- they shall stoneרָגַםrâgam · to stoneH7275
- them with stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- their bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
Cross-references for Leviticus 20:27
- Leviticus 20:6“‘The person who turns to the spirits of the dead and familiar spirits to commit prostitution by going after them, I will set my face against that person and cut him off from the midst of his people.
- Leviticus 19:31Do not turn to the spirits of the dead and do not seek familiar spirits to become unclean by them. I am the Lord your God.
- Exodus 22:18“You must not allow a sorceress to live.
- Deuteronomy 18:10There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, anyone who practices divination, an omen reader, a soothsayer, a sorcerer,
- 1 Samuel 28:7So Saul instructed his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” His servants replied to him, “There is a woman who is a medium in Endor.”
- Leviticus 20:9“‘If anyone curses his father and mother he must be put to death. He has cursed his father and mother; his blood guilt is on himself.
Commentaries on Leviticus 20:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27A familiar spirit - A spirit or demon, which, by magical rites, is supposed to be bound to appear at the call of his employer. See the notes on Genesis 41:8; Exodus 7:11; (note), Exodus 7:22; (note), Exodus 7:25; (note); and Leviticus 19:31; (note). From the accounts we have of the abominations both of Egypt and Canaan, we may blush for human nature; for wherever it is without cultivation, and without the revelation of God, it is every thing that is vile…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-27Verses 10-27 These verses repeat what had been said before, but it was needful there should be line upon line. What praises we owe to God that he has taught the evil of sin, and the sure way of deliverance from it! May we have grace to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; may we have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-27Pagan worship influenced ethics, so God has family rules follow those about pagan religious practices. Some laws in this section repeat parts from Leviticus 18:6–30, which come before the section on proper expressions of holiness (19:1–37). These issues connect. Proper worship of God leads to good behavior toward others, while improper worship leads to moral violations.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-272. Whosoever ... giveth any of his seed unto Molech--(See on Le 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 20:27
In the dictionaries
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries