Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Leviticus 20
Leviticus 20:7-8Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
This is the heart of the matter. God commands the people to make themselves holy, and then immediately reminds them that He is the one who ultimately makes them holy. Our effort and God's power work together.Leviticus 20:24But I have said to you, 'You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.' I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
God connects obedience to the promise of the land. This verse shows the laws prepared them to receive and enjoy God's good gifts, beyond merely avoiding punishment.Leviticus 20:26You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
Here is the ultimate reason for all these rules. Israel's holiness reflected their owner. It was not solely for their own benefit. Because they belonged to a holy God, their lives had to look different.
Historical & Cultural Context
From Moral Law to Legal Consequence
This chapter is part of what is known as the 'Holiness Code' in Leviticus. After chapter 18 outlined forbidden sexual relationships and chapter 19 gave a wide range of ethical commands, chapter 20 shifts its focus. It doesn't introduce many new laws, but instead attaches specific, and often severe, penalties to the laws already given. This move from instruction to enforcement raises the stakes, making it clear that these commands are non-negotiable for the community that represents God.
A Nation Set Apart on the Edge of a New Land
The Israelites are on their journey toward Canaan, the promised land. God repeatedly warns them not to imitate the depraved customs of the nations they are about to displace. The laws in Leviticus 20 are a spiritual and cultural firewall, designed to protect Israel from the very practices that led to the judgment of the Canaanites. Their ability to remain in the land God is giving them is directly tied to their willingness to live as a people set apart.
A Code of Conduct for a Holy Nation
In Leviticus 20, God speaks through Moses to establish the legal framework for Israel's holiness. This is a structured declaration of consequences for actions that threaten the nation's spiritual and social fabric. It is not a random collection of rules. The chapter moves from offenses against God Himself to those that break down the family and society, culminating in a powerful reminder of why these laws matter: because Israel belongs to a holy God.
Offenses Against God: Idolatry and the Occult (Leviticus 20:1-8)
2 “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.
2 “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3 I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name.
4 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,
5 then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech.
6 “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
Commentary:
God demands absolute loyalty, forbidding child sacrifice and occult practices, and holds the entire community accountable for justice.
Capital Crimes Against Family and Society (Leviticus 20:9-16)
9 For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.
10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 If a man lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them.
13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
14 If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you.
15 If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal.
16 If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Commentary:
Actions that destroy the family structure, like cursing parents, adultery, and certain sexual sins, are capital offenses.
Punishments for Unlawful Relationships (Leviticus 20:17-21)
17 “If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness, and he shall bear his iniquity.
18 If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and uncovers her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood.
19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of your father's sister, for that is to make naked one's relative; they shall bear their iniquity.
20 If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
21 If a man takes his brother's wife, it is impurity. He has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.
Commentary:
Other forbidden sexual relationships result in being cut off from the community or being childless, signifying a break in blessing.
The Reason for It All: Be Holy as I Am Holy (Leviticus 20:22-27)
22 You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.
23 And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them.
24 But I have said to you, 'You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.' I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
25 You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean.
26 You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
27 “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.”
Commentary:
Israel must obey these laws to live in the promised land, because as a people belonging to a holy God, they must be distinct from all other nations.
The Core Principles of a People Set Apart
The Holiness of God
This chapter is built on the foundation of God's own character. He is perfectly pure and separate from all evil, and He calls His people to reflect that same character. The laws are not arbitrary. They are an expression of what it looks like to live in relationship with a holy God.
Community Responsibility
In Leviticus 20, sin is never a private issue. When an individual sinned, the entire community was affected and was responsible for administering justice. This shows that the spiritual health of the group depends on the faithfulness of its members.
Separation from the World
God repeatedly commands Israel not to live like the nations around them. This call to be different, or 'set apart,' was essential for their survival as God's people. It protected them from destructive and idolatrous practices that would ruin their witness and their relationship with God.
The Sanctity of Family
Many of the laws in this chapter deal with protecting the family unit. By forbidding incest, adultery, and disrespect to parents, God shows that the family is the sacred building block of a healthy society, and He fiercely protects it.
Living Set Apart in a Modern World
While we don't live under this specific ancient legal system, the principles are timeless. Leviticus 20 shows that God takes sin seriously because it damages people and communities. It challenges you to look at your own life and ask if you are compromising with cultural values that go against God's character, reminding you that holiness means being set apart for Him in every area.
In Leviticus 20, holiness meant removing corrupting influences. Today, a holy community, like a church, is one that lovingly upholds God's standards, cares for the vulnerable, and offers a clear, life-giving alternative to the world's brokenness. It means creating a culture of both grace and truth, where people are encouraged to live in a way that honors God.
For Christians, our 'promised land' is the full and abundant life found in Christ. While our salvation is a free gift of grace, Leviticus 20:22-24 reminds us that walking in obedience to God protects us from the destructive consequences of sin. Choosing God's ways is about wisely choosing the path that leads to life and flourishing. It is not about earning His love.
A Holy God Requires a Holy People
Leviticus 20 makes it unmistakably clear that following God involves living by His standards, not our own or the world's. The severe consequences listed were a protective measure, designed to guard Israel from the moral and spiritual decay that destroyed other nations. God's holiness is the foundation of our identity as His people, demanding a visible separation from all that is destructive and defiling. It is not a suggestion.
What This Means for Us Today
The call to holiness in Leviticus 20 is an invitation to live in the freedom and protection of God's good design. It challenges us to examine our lives and communities, choosing to align them with the character of the God to whom we belong. This is our call: to be a people set apart, reflecting His light in a dark world.
- In what area of your life is God calling you to be more 'separate' from the world's values?
- How can you contribute to making your community (church, family) a safer, holier place?
- What is one practical step you can take this week to actively choose God's way over a cultural norm?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter provides the positive moral vision, including 'love your neighbor as yourself,' for which chapter 20 lists the legal penalties.
The theme of holiness continues by focusing on the specific, higher standards required for the priests who led Israel in worship.
Connections Across Scripture
This passage strongly echoes the prohibitions against occult practices, showing how central this command was to Israel's identity.
Paul applies the principle of community responsibility, urging the church to remove an unrepentant sinner to preserve the holiness of the group.
Peter directly quotes from Leviticus, applying the call 'Be holy, because I am holy' to all Christians, showing its enduring relevance.
Discussion Questions
- Leviticus 20 emphasizes the community's role in dealing with sin. How should a modern church balance holding people accountable with showing grace and mercy?
- Many of the prohibited actions in this chapter were common practices in surrounding cultures. What are some common practices in our culture today that challenge our call to be 'set apart' for God?
- The chapter ends with the declaration, 'You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine' (v. 26). What does it mean to you, personally, to know that you 'belong' to God?