Leviticus 20:1-5 Meaning: God's Direct Command About Child Sacrifice
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone that person with stones.
3I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
4If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death,
5then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people.
1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2Again, 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.
3And 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.
4And 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:
5Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2Moreover, 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 of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3I also 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.
4And if the people of the land do at all hide their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and put him not to death;
5then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that play the harlot after him, to play the harlot with Molech, from among their people.
1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
2`And unto the sons of Israel thou dost say, Any man of the sons of Israel, and of the sojourners who is sojourning in Israel, who giveth of his seed to the Molech, is certainly put to death; the people of the land do stone him with stones;
3and I--I set My face against that man, and have cut him off from the midst of his people, for of his seed he hath given to the Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary, and to pollute My holy name.
4`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,
5then I have set My face against that man, and against his family, and have cut him off, and all who are going a-whoring after him, even going a-whoring after the Molech, from the midst of their people.
1And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2Thou shalt say also to the children of Israel, Every one of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech, shall certainly be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3And 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, so as to make my sanctuary unclean, and to profane my holy name.
4And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, that they kill him not,
5then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
Meaning in one sentence
God's direct speech to Moses introduces the penalty for child sacrifice to Molech, revealing the seriousness of idolatry and the community's responsibility.
Context
Leviticus 20 sits within the holiness code, the part of the law where God gives Moses practical penalties for the sins already named in chapters 18 and 19. Child sacrifice to Molech had been forbidden in chapter 18. Now the stakes become public: this is a capital crime, and the whole community bears the duty to carry out the sentence. The passage arrives with a striking formula: “Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying.” This is not a footnote or an afterthought. It is a direct divine command, carrying the same weight as the Ten Commandments themselves. God addresses both native Israelites and foreigners living among them. And He adds a warning: if the people ignore the crime, He will step in Himself, setting His face against the offender and even against his family. The chapter that follows extends this same pattern to other violations, but it begins here, with the most grievous betrayal of the covenant: offering a child to a god who is not the Lord.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight of this passage.
The first is Molech (H4432), the name of the Ammonite god. It means “king.” Archaeologists describe a hollow bronze statue heated from within, where children were placed as offerings. The word itself signals the rival claim on Israel’s loyalty: another king demanding what belongs to the true King.
Second, God says, “I will set my face” (panim, H6440). In Hebrew, the face represents presence and intention. To “set the face” means to fix one’s attention and purpose. When God sets His face toward someone, it can be for blessing or, as here, for determined opposition. This is not a distant frown. It is the active, personal engagement of God against a sin that defiles His sanctuary and profanes His holy name.
Third, cut off (karath, H3772) means to sever, to eliminate, to remove from the community. It is the same verb used for making a covenant, cutting a covenant, but here it is the dreadful reverse: being cut off from the people of God. This is not merely exile; it is a removal from the place of God’s presence and protection. Together, these words show that child sacrifice is not just a bad habit. It is a rupture of the covenant relationship, and God will not let it stand.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have wrestled with the severity here. Calvin saw this as a detestable sacrilege: offering to an idol the offspring God had adopted through Abraham. He emphasized that God Himself would avenge if the judges failed. Keil and Delitzsch noted that the community was required to execute judgment, but if they connived, God would step in, not just against the man but against his whole family. The Cambridge Bible points to a possible literary seam: verse 2 commands stoning by the people, but verse 3 speaks of God “cutting off.” Later verses seem added to harmonize the two. Matthew Henry saw the communal responsibility: hiding one’s eyes is a form of complicity. All agree that the passage underscores the sanctity of children and the exclusivity of worship due to God alone. The differences lie in how the penalties relate to each other and how they apply beyond ancient Israel.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the only guilty person is the one who actually sacrifices a child. But the passage warns that the whole community shares the blame if they “hide their eyes” (v.4). In fact, God holds the family and those who secretly approve equally accountable. The sin is not just the act itself but the silence that lets it continue. Turning away is a form of participation.
Living This Out
You may never face a decision about child sacrifice. But the pattern of hiding your eyes is painfully familiar. We turn away from a friend’s destructive choices because confrontation is awkward. We stay silent about injustice because we do not want to get involved. We convince ourselves that someone else will act. This passage asks: what are you pretending not to see? Not to shame you, but to wake you. God sees the sin we ignore, and He cares about the vulnerable we overlook. This week, ask the Spirit to show you one place where you have looked away, and give you the courage to step toward it, not with harshness, but with the same holy seriousness that God shows here. You are not responsible for fixing everything, but you are responsible for not hiding your eyes.
Main takeaway: God's direct command against child sacrifice shows that He alone is worthy of worship, and He will judge those who harm the innocent and those who turn a blind eye.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told His people not to hurt children by giving them to a false god. God loves children and wants us to protect them. We should only worship God and take care of the people around us.
For ages 9, 12
In Moses’ time, some people worshipped a god named Molech by sacrificing their own children. God said this was very wrong and commanded the whole community to stop it. If they ignored it, God said He would act. This shows how serious God is about protecting life and having no other gods. You can learn to stand up for what is right and trust God to bring justice, even when others look away.
Questions People Ask
Who was Molech?
Molech (also called Moloch) was the god of the Ammonites, a fire god worshipped by child sacrifice. The name means 'king'. God strictly forbade the Israelites from taking part in this worship because it profaned His holy name and defiled the sanctuary.
What does 'set my face against' mean?
In Hebrew, 'setting the face' means fixing one’s attention with a determined purpose. When God sets His face against someone, it is an expression of active opposition and judgment. It is the opposite of turning His face in favor or blessing.
Why would God punish the family of the offender?
The family is held responsible if they knew about the sin and did nothing, or if they participated. This emphasizes corporate responsibility: sin affects not just the individual but the whole household. It also warns against covering for someone who is doing evil.
What does 'hide their eyes' mean?
To 'hide the eyes' means to deliberately ignore or overlook a wrongdoing, to pretend not to see it. The community was expected to act against evil, not to be passive. This phrase appears elsewhere in Scripture for willful neglect.
Does this passage apply to Christians today?
While the specific penalty of stoning is part of Israel’s civil law, the underlying principles remain. Christians affirm that worship belongs to God alone, that children are precious, and that God opposes those who harm them. The call to not hide our eyes from sin and to protect the vulnerable applies in every age.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study