Called to Be Holy and Separate

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Leviticus is a book of laws given to Israel after their deliverance from Egypt, focusing on how they are to live as God's holy people. The previous chapters introduced offerings and priestly duties, setting the stage for deeper laws about holiness and community purity. Chapter 20 continues this theme by addressing serious sins that threaten Israel's relationship with God and their identity as His chosen nation. Understanding Israel's covenant relationship with God and their need to be distinct from pagan nations helps us grasp why these commands were vital for their survival and worship.

What You'll Learn

• The chapter reveals God's intolerance for idolatry and child sacrifice, emphasizing His protection of life and holiness.
• It outlines severe penalties for sexual sins, showing God's concern for family purity and social order.
• The laws distinguish Israel from pagan nations, reinforcing their unique covenant identity and calling to holiness.
• God's holiness demands separation from practices that defile His sanctuary and profane His name.
• The chapter connects obedience to God's statutes with the blessing of possessing the promised land.
• Warnings against occult practices highlight God's desire for exclusive worship and trust in Him alone.

God calls His people to holiness by obeying His covenant laws and separating from sinful practices that defile His name.

Bible Translation Note: All Scripture on this page is quoted from the King James Version (KJV) and presented in full without alteration.

Leviticus 20:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Leviticus 20:2 Again, 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.

Leviticus 20:3 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.

Leviticus 20:4 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:

Leviticus 20:5 Then 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.

Leviticus 20:6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 20:8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

Leviticus 20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Leviticus 20:11 And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:14 And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

Leviticus 20:15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

Leviticus 20:16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

Leviticus 20:18 And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

Leviticus 20:19 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

Leviticus 20:20 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.

Leviticus 20:21 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.

Leviticus 20:22 Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.

Leviticus 20:23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Leviticus 20:24 But I have said unto you, 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.

Leviticus 20:25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

Leviticus 20:26 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.

Leviticus 20:27 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.

Leviticus 20:1

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Study: God’s direct communication to Moses underscores the authority and seriousness of the commands that follow, emphasizing that these laws come from the LORD Himself, not human invention.

Leviticus 20:2

Again, 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.

Study: The prohibition against giving children to Molech highlights the abhorrent pagan practice of child sacrifice, which God strictly forbids to protect the sanctity of life and maintain covenant purity among Israel.

Leviticus 20:3

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.

Study: God’s promise to 'cut off' anyone who sacrifices to Molech reveals His protective zeal for His sanctuary and holy name, showing that idolatry is a direct affront to His holiness and covenant.

Leviticus 20:4

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:

Study: This verse warns the community against tolerating sin, teaching that passive complicity in evil invites God’s judgment not only on the sinner but also on those who fail to act righteously.

Leviticus 20:5

Then 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.

Study: God extends judgment to the family and followers of idolaters, illustrating how sin’s consequences ripple through relationships and communities, emphasizing the need for collective holiness.

Leviticus 20:6

And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Study: Seeking familiar spirits and wizards is condemned because it represents turning away from God’s guidance to forbidden spiritual powers, breaking covenant trust and inviting divine judgment.

Leviticus 20:7

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

Study: This call to sanctify and be holy reflects God’s character and covenant purpose, reminding Israel that their identity depends on reflecting His holiness in daily life.

Leviticus 20:8

And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

Study: God identifies Himself as the one who sanctifies His people, showing that holiness is both a divine gift and a covenant responsibility requiring obedience to His statutes.

Leviticus 20:9

For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Study: The death penalty for cursing parents underscores the importance of honoring family relationships as foundational to social and covenant order in Israel.

Leviticus 20:10

And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Study: Adultery is treated as a capital offense because it violates the sacredness of marriage and disrupts community trust, reflecting God’s design for faithful relationships.

Leviticus 20:11

And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Study: Sexual relations with a father’s wife are condemned as uncovering nakedness, a phrase denoting shameful exposure and breach of family boundaries, threatening covenant purity.

Leviticus 20:12

And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

Study: Prohibiting relations with a daughter-in-law protects family structure and prevents confusion, emphasizing God’s concern for order and holiness in intimate relationships.

Leviticus 20:13

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Study: The condemnation of homosexual acts as an abomination reflects the covenant community’s call to sexual purity aligned with God’s created order.

Leviticus 20:14

And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

Study: Marrying a wife and her mother is labeled wickedness, highlighting God’s intention to prevent moral corruption and maintain clear family distinctions.

Leviticus 20:15

And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

Study: Bestiality is forbidden and punished by death, showing God’s demand for purity and respect for the created order, separating Israel from pagan practices.

Leviticus 20:16

And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Study: Both the woman and beast are to be put to death for bestiality, emphasizing the severity of violating God’s design for human sexuality and creation.

Leviticus 20:17

And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

Study: Incestuous relations with a sister are called wicked and result in being cut off, underscoring the covenant’s protection of family holiness and social boundaries.

Leviticus 20:18

And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

Study: Sexual relations during a woman’s menstrual period are prohibited, reflecting God’s concern for ritual purity and respect for the body’s sanctity within the covenant community.

Leviticus 20:19

And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

Study: Uncovering the nakedness of close relatives like aunts is forbidden to maintain family purity and prevent defilement within the covenant people.

Leviticus 20:20

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.

Study: Sexual relations with an uncle’s wife are condemned, with the consequence of dying childless, showing God’s judgment on breaking family and covenant boundaries.

Leviticus 20:21

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.

Study: Marrying a brother’s wife is unclean and results in childlessness, reinforcing the sanctity of family relationships and covenant faithfulness.

Leviticus 20:22

Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.

Study: God commands Israel to keep all His statutes and judgments to prevent the land from rejecting them, linking obedience to covenant blessing and possession of the promised land.

Leviticus 20:23

And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Study: Israel is warned not to imitate the sinful practices of the nations God is driving out, highlighting His abhorrence of their sins and Israel’s call to holiness.

Leviticus 20:24

But I have said unto you, 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.

Study: God promises the inheritance of a fertile land flowing with milk and honey as a reward for obedience, emphasizing His covenant faithfulness and separation of Israel from other peoples.

Leviticus 20:25

Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

Study: Differentiating clean and unclean animals serves to keep Israel’s souls from becoming defiled, reinforcing their distinct identity and holiness through dietary laws.

Leviticus 20:26

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.

Study: God’s holiness is the basis for Israel’s call to be holy and set apart, showing that their identity as His people depends on reflecting His character and separation from sin.

Leviticus 20:27

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.

Study: The death penalty for those practicing witchcraft or consulting familiar spirits underscores God’s demand for exclusive worship and rejection of occult practices that threaten covenant loyalty.

Leviticus 20 presents a series of solemn laws emphasizing holiness, covenant obedience, and separation from pagan practices. It addresses idolatry, sexual sins, and occultism with severe penalties to protect the community’s purity and God’s holy name. The chapter underscores that Israel’s identity and blessing depend on obeying God’s statutes and maintaining distinctiveness from surrounding nations. God’s call to sanctify themselves reflects His own holiness and desire for a faithful people.

Lord, help us to understand Your holiness and the seriousness of living in obedience to Your covenant. Teach us to separate ourselves from sin and to honor You in all our relationships and actions. Strengthen us to walk in Your ways and reflect Your holy character daily.

• Memorize Leviticus 20:7 and meditate on what it means to be holy as God is holy.
• Pray daily for God’s help to live a life set apart from sin and worldly influences.
• Review your relationships and commitments to ensure they honor God’s standards for purity and respect.
• Avoid any involvement with occult or spiritual practices that conflict with God’s commands.
• Read related passages about holiness and covenant obedience in Leviticus and the New Testament.
• Journal your reflections on how God’s holiness impacts your daily decisions and actions.
• Worship God for His holiness and faithfulness to His covenant promises.

Leviticus 20 calls God’s people to a high standard of holiness, warning against idolatry, sexual immorality, and occult practices that defile the community and profane God’s name. The chapter ties obedience to God’s statutes with the blessing of inheriting the promised land, emphasizing Israel’s unique covenant identity and their need to live separated from sinful nations.

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