Leviticus 20:4 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

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:

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

And if the people of the land deliberately look the other way and ignore it when someone sacrifices their child to Molech, and they don't put him to death:

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

God is warning that communities will be held accountable if they ignore or cover up the horrific sin of child sacrifice instead of stopping it.

📚 Historical Context

In ancient Israel, God was giving laws through Moses to the Israelites to set them apart from the pagan practices of surrounding nations like the Canaanites, who worshiped gods such as Molech through horrific rituals including child sacrifice. This verse is part of a broader set of commands in Leviticus that demanded the community actively punish such idolatry to maintain purity and obedience to God's covenant. It highlights the collective responsibility of the people to not overlook or tolerate these sins, as failure to act would defile the nation.

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Instead, you must certainly put him to death. You must be the first to throw stones at him to kill him, and then all the people must join in.

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