Leviticus – Chapter 20

Old Testament27 Verses

Chapter Summary

Chapter 20 of Leviticus begins: "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:" Moses stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 27 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and holiness. The Church invites us to read this chapter within the whole sweep of salvation history, where every page points toward Christ.

1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: If any man of the children Israel, or of the strangers that dwell in Israel, give of his seed to the idol Moloch, dying let him die. The people of the land shall stone him.

3And I will set my face against him: and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath given of his seed to Moloch, and hath defiled my sanctuary, and profaned my holy name.

4And if the people of the land neglecting, and as it were little regarding my commandment, let alone the man that hath given of his seed to Moloch, and will not kill him:

5I will set my face against that man, and his kindred, and will cut off both him and all that consented with him, to commit fornication with Moloch, out of the midst of their people.

6The soul that shall go aside after magicians, and soothsayers, and shall commit fornication with them: I will set my face against that soul, and destroy it out of the midst of its people.

7Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy: because I am the Lord your God.

8Keep my precepts, and do them. I am the Lord that sanctify you.

9He that curseth his father, or mother, dying let him die. He hath cursed his father, and mother: let his blood be upon him.

10If any man commit adultery with the wife of another, and defile his neighbour's wife: let them be put to death, both the adulterer and the adulteress.

11If a man lie with his stepmother, and discover the nakedness of his father, let them both be put to death: their blood be upon them.

12If any man lie with his daughter in law: let both die, because they have done a heinous crime. Their blood be upon them.

13If any one lie with a man as with a woman, both have committed an abomination: let them be put to death. Their blood be upon them.

14If any man after marrying the daughter, marry her mother, he hath done a heinous crime. He shall be burnt alive with them: neither shall so great an abomination remain in the midst of you.

15He that shall copulate with any beast or cattle, dying let him die: the beast also ye shall kill.

16The woman that shall lie under any beast, shall be killed together with the same. Their blood be upon them.

17If any man take his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother, and see her nakedness, and she behold her brother's shame: they have committed a crime. They shall be slain, in the sight of their people, because they have discovered one another's nakedness. And they shall bear their iniquity.

18If any man lie with a woman in her flowers, and uncover her nakedness, and she open the fountain of her blood: both shall be destroyed out of the midst of their people.

19Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy aunt by thy mother, and of thy aunt by thy father. He that doth this, hath uncovered the shame of his own flesh: both shall bear their iniquity.

20If any man lie with the wife of his uncle by the father, or of his uncle by the mother, and uncover the shame of his near akin, both shall bear their sin. They shall die without children.

21He that marrieth his brother's wife, doth an unlawful thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness. They shall be without children.

22Keep my laws and my judgments, and do them: lest the land into which you are to enter to dwell therein, vomit you also out.

23Walk not after the laws of the nations, which I will cast out before you. For they have done all these things: and therefore I abhorred them.

24But to you I say: Possess their land which I will give you for an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who have separated you from other people.

25Therefore do you also separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the clean fowl from the unclean. Defile not your souls with beasts, or birds, or any things that move on the earth, and which I have shewn you to be unclean:

26You shall be holy unto me, because I the Lord am holy: and I have separated you from other people, that you should be mine.

27A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit, dying let them die. They shall stone them. Their blood be upon them.

Important Verses in Leviticus 20

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Leviticus 20:1

Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy: because I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 20:7

But to you I say: Possess their land which I will give you for an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who have separated you from other people.

Leviticus 20:24

A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit, dying let them die. They shall stone them. Their blood be upon them.

Leviticus 20:27

Historical Context

Leviticus belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for the priests (sons of Aaron) and the whole assembly of Israel. Chapter 20 of 27 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 27 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter focuses on Moses, whose actions and words drive the passage forward. It opens with the line: "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:" The final verse reads: "A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit, dying let them die. They shall stone them. Their…" The wider setting of Leviticus is this: Leviticus is the liturgical handbook of ancient Israel, given at Sinai to teach a newly freed people how to worship a holy God. The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: Core traditions from the wilderness period; final form by the 5th century BC.

Who Wrote It

Traditionally attributed to Moses; contains priestly legislation preserved by the Levitical priesthood

When It Was Written

Core traditions from the wilderness period; final form by the 5th century BC

Catholic Commentary

The literal sense of Leviticus 20 presents a concrete episode in the history of holiness, sacrifice, and priestly worship. A pivotal line is verse 1: "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:" The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

Catholic exegesis reads Leviticus 20 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. Catholic theology sees these sacrifices fulfilled in Christ's one perfect sacrifice (CIC 1539-1545). St. Athanasius and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 756).

The moral and spiritual import remains timely: The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.. St. Jerome insisted that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ; this chapter offers material for meditation, examination of conscience, and deeper love of God.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • 'Be holy, for I am holy': God calls His people to be set apart for Him in every area of life.
  • True conversion means turning away from sin and returning to God with our whole heart.

People in This Chapter

Moses1 mention

Reflection for Today

Catholic exegesis approaches Leviticus Chapter 20 with reverence, seeking both the literal sense and the spiritual meaning ordered to Christ.

Catholic theology recognizes that holiness, sacrifice, and priestly worship is not an abstract idea but a reality encountered in prayer, sacraments, and charity. This chapter contributes to that vision by stressing forgiveness and reconciliation.

May your reading of Leviticus Chapter 20 become true lectio divina: read the words, meditate on their meaning, respond in prayer, and rest in God's presence. Ask the Holy Spirit to show how Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy applies to your life today.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Leviticus Chapter 20 about?

Leviticus 20 contains 27 verses. It opens with "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:" and closes with "A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit, dying let them die. They shall stone them. Their…". The book as a whole is law and liturgical instruction.

What is a key verse in Leviticus 20?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Leviticus Chapter 20?

This chapter mentions Moses.

Who wrote Leviticus and when?

Traditionally attributed to Moses; contains priestly legislation preserved by the Levitical priesthood. Core traditions from the wilderness period; final form by the 5th century BC.

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