Lev 20:2-5 | NETfull | STEP | “You are to say to the Israelites, ‘Any man from the Israelites or from the foreigners who reside in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death; the people of the land must pelt him with stones.

Leviticus 20:2-5

2 “You are to say to the Israelites, ‘Any man from the Israelites or from the foreigners who reside in Israel ^{▼▼ Heb “or from the sojourner who sojourns”; NAB “an alien residing in Israel.”} who gives any of his children ^{▼▼ Heb “his seed” (so KJV, ASV); likewise in vv. 3–4.} to Molech ^{▼▼ Regarding Molech and Molech worship see the note on Lev 18:21.} must be put to death; the people of the land must pelt him with stones. ^{▼▼ This is not the most frequently-used Hebrew verb for stoning (see instead סָקַל, saqal), but a word that refers to the action of throwing, slinging, or pelting someone with stones (רָגָם, ragam; see HALOT 1187 s.v. רגם qal.a, and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 136).} 3 I myself will set my face ^{▼▼ Heb “And I, I shall give my faces.”} against that man and cut him off from the midst of his people, ^{▼▼ On the “cut off” penalty see the notes on Lev 7:20 and 17:4.} because he has given some of his children to Molech and thereby defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. ^{▼▼ Heb “for the sake of defiling my sanctuary and to profane my holy name.”} 4 If, however, the people of the land shut their eyes ^{▼▼ Heb “And if shutting [infinitive absolute] they shut [finite verb].” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 #113.p.} to that man ^{▼▼ Heb “from that man” (so ASV); NASB “disregard that man.”} when he gives some of his children to Molech so that they do not put him to death, 5 I myself will set my face against that man and his clan. I will cut off from the midst of their people both him and all who follow after him in spiritual prostitution, ^{▼▼ The adjective “spiritual” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that this is not a reference to literal prostitution, but figuratively compares idolatry to prostitution.} to commit prostitution by worshiping Molech. ^{▼▼ Heb “to commit harlotry after Molech.” The translation employs “worshiping” here for clarity (cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT). On the “cut off” penalty see the note on Lev 7:20.}