A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 2. AGain thou shalt ſay to the children of Iſrael, Whoſoever he be of the children of Iſrael, &c.]
Here the puniſhments are appointed for the tranſgreſſion of tho…e Laws delivered …n the former chapter.
Verſ. 3. And I will ſet my face against that man, &c.]
That is, if any ma… ſhall ſacrifice his children to that idol Molech, and his ſinne be not known, or cannot be ſufficiently proved againſt him in a judiciall way, or that you neglect to puniſh him, and through con…ivence forbear to proceed againſt him according to the former Law, then will I ſet my ſelf againſt that man to deſtroy him and cut him off. And the reaſon is added, Becauſe he hath given of his ſeed unto Molech to defile my Sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. Now theſe that ſacrificed their children to Molech are ſaid to defile Gods Sanctuary. 1. Becauſe generally the Land was defiled, and ſo the Sanctuary being in the midſt of them was polluted by this, as by other their …innes, from which it was therefore purged upon the day of expiation, chap 16. 16. 2. Becauſe it was a horrible profanation of Gods Sanctuary, that men defiled with ſuch abominable …innes▪ as idolatry and bloud-ſhed, and that too of their own children, ſhould yet come into Gods Sanctuary: 3. Becauſe it was a vild debaſing and contempt of Gods Sanctuary, that they ſhould forſake that to go and ſacrifice in the valley of Tophet to that idol Molech. Why they are ſaid alſo to profane Gods holy name, is noted before, chap. 18. 21.
Verſ. 5. Then will I ſet my face againſt that man, and against his familie, &c.]
That is, his po…terity or kindred. The word in the originall is ſometime tranſlated kindred, Gen. 24. 38. But thou ſhalt go unto my fathers houſe, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my ſonne: Sometimes it is meant of the whole people of Iſrael, becauſe they came all from one ſtock, as Jer. 8. 3. And death ſhall be choſen rather then life by all the reſidue of them that remain of this evil familie; and Micah 2. 3. There…ore thus ſaith the Lord, Be…old againſt this familie do I deviſe an evil, from which ye ſhall not remove your necks. It is here uſed, becauſe they of his own family and kindr…d were moſt likely to be partiall and to follow his example; but all are here threatned, that either by ſolicitation, or defending and excuſing them, or by not accuſing them, that is winking at their ſinne, ſhall further their eſcaping deſerved puniſhment, as likewiſe all that ſhould tread in his ſteps, and go awhoring after Molech as he had done.
Verſ. 6. I will even ſet my face againſt that ſoul, and will cut him off from among his people.]
That is, if you do not puniſh him according to that Law before given, Exod. 22. 18. Tho… ſhalt not ſuffer a witch to live.
Ver…. 9. For every one that curſeth his father or his mother ſhall ſurely be put to death.]
This word, for, hath reference to the foregoing exhortation, ſancti…ie your ſelves and be ye holy, &c. and it muſt be extended alſo to all the par…icular penall ſtatutes, that follow in this chapter: as if it had been ſaid, For if you do not ſanctifie your ſelves, and keep my ſtatutes, behold thus and thus, as you ſhall now hear, have I in all thoſe following particulars appointed you to be puniſhed. The Law that is firſt here delivered is for the putting of him to death that curſeth his father or his mother, which is not meant of every wayward word, but of ſuch reviling ſpeeches as they might plainly perceive proceeded from a manifeſt contempt of their parents, of which ſee Exod. 21. 17. By what manner of death they were to die, it is not expreſſed: Some conceive that becauſe ſtoning is appointed both in the beginning and end of the chapter, as may be ſeen ver. 2. and ver. 27. therefore in all other places of this chapter where no other kind of death is expreſſed this of ſtoning is intended. But however in this particular of children that curſed their parents, we may the rather think it was ſo, becauſe elſewhere this kind of death is appointed for rebellious children, Deut. 21. 20, 21.
His bloud ſhall be upon him.]
That is, he is the cauſe of his own death: which is added to ſhew that however men may think this Law too ſevere, yet he hath deſerved this puniſhment, and muſt therefore undergo it.
Ver…. 10. He that committet… adultery with his neighbours wife, the adulterer and the adultereſſe ſhall ſurely be put to death.]
Namely by ſtoning, as it may probably be gathered from theſe places, Deut. 22. 22, 23, 24. If a damſell that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the citie, and lie with her: Then ye ſhall bring them both unto the gate of the citie, and ye ſhall ſtone them with ſtones that they die: and ſo alſo Deut. 16. 38, 40. and John 8. 4, 5. The words of this Law are onelyonly expreſſe for the adultery of the wife, and ſo they are alſo, Deut. 22. 23, 24. Nor do we any where reade, that the husband breaking the covenant of marriage, by lying with a ſingle woman, was puniſhed with death: and that becauſe the adultery of the wife in ſome degrees is more injurious to the huſ…and, by cauſing him to father a baſtard brood.
Verſ. 14. And if a man take a wife and her mother, …t is wickedneſſe; they ſhall be burnt with fire, both he and they.]
That is, the man, and both mother and daughter married to him, if both conſented to this wickedneſſe; or either of them indifferently, whether mother or daughter, that is taken to the other. And the ſeverity of the puniſhment was to ſhew the …ainouſneſſe of the ſinne.
Verſ. 15. And if a man lie with a beaſt▪ he ſhall ſurely be p…t to death: and ye ſhall ſ…ay the beaſt.]
Both to ſhew how horrible and deteſtable that fact was, as likewiſe that the …ight of ſuch a beaſt (being unfit for other imployments alſo, for no man would willingly keep ſuch an one) might not bring to remembrance ſo filthy a ſin.
Verſ. 16. They ſhall ſurely be put to death, their bloud ſhall be upon them.]
That is, both the woman and the man before ſpoken of that are found guilty of this unnaturall ſinne of beaſtiality.
Verſ. 17. And if a man ſhall take his ſiſter, &c.]
In this law concerning the puniſhment of inceſt between the brother & the ſiſter, there is mention made of their ſeeing one▪anothers nakedneſſe, whereby either nothing elſe is intended but what in other Laws is called uncovering their nakedneſſe; or elſe becauſe this might happen, this is added to ſhew the hainouſneſſe of the ſinne, and how juſtly it is appointed to be puniſhed with death. The manner of their death is not expreſſed (and therefore happely that was left to the Magiſtrate, or elſe it was ſtoning, as is noted before upon ver. 9.) onelyonly it is ſaid, they ſhall be cut off in the ſight of their people, whereby is intended that they were immediately to be put to death, and that openly, for a warning to others; and that if the Magiſtrate ſhould forbear to cut them off, then the Lord himſelf would do it.
Verſ. 18. And if a man ſhall lie with a woman having her ſickneſſe, &c.]
That is, if he doth it wittingly: for if he did it unwittingly he was onelyonly rendred unclean thereby, and was to be purified, and to make an atonement for himſelf according to the direction of other Laws.
Verſ. 19. They ſhall bear their iniquities.]
That is, they ſhall be cut off: for the puni…hment of inceſt being expreſſed in other places, here it ſuffices to expreſſe their guiltineſſe.
Verſ. 20. They ſhall bear their …inne, they ſhall die childleſſe.]
That is, they ſhall preſently be put to death. Here the phraſe is thus carried, to ſhew that one reaſon why the Lord appointed ſuch to be cut off was, that the Land might not be filled with the iſſue of ſuch unclean mixture.