1.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
spake. See note on Leviticus 5:14 .
2.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.
children. Hebrew sons.
3.
After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
the doings: i.e. all the abominable practices of the Canaanitish nations (Leviticus 18:27 ), for which they were cut off, Romans 1:23-29 .
ordinances = statutes.
4.
Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
judgments = regulations.
5.
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
which, &c. = "which, if the man (Hebrew. 'adam, App-14 ) shall do them, he shall also live by them".
live = "live again" in resurrection life (Revelation 20:6 ). The Chaldee paraphrase = "shall live by them to life eternal". Compare the other passages where "live" is used in this sense: Ezekiel 13:21 ; Ezekiel 20:11 .Luke 10:28 . Romans 10:5 .Galatians 1:3 , Galatians 1:12 .Nehemiah 9:29 . Romans 1:17 . Hebrews 10:38 , &c. In this sense the verb is used more often than is generally thought. Compare Isaiah 26:19 ; Isaiah 38:16 ; Isaiah 55:3 .Ezekiel 18:19 ; Ezekiel 33:19 ; Ezekiel 37:3 , Ezekiel 37:5 , Ezekiel 37:6 , Ezekiel 37:14 .Hosea 6:2 .Amos 5:4 , &c. The spiritual authorities of the second temple so interpreted the phrase. Thus "eternal life", by faith, is set in contrast with eternal life by works.
None of you. Hebrew "Man, man, ye shall not approach"; should be "No man (Hebrew. 'ish). whatsoever shall approach". Emphasized by Figure of speech Epizeuxis. See App-6 . The absence of the words "of the house of Israel", as in Leviticus 17:3 , Leviticus 17:8 , Leviticus 17:13 , shows that the strangers are included in this law.
near of kin. Hebrew "the remainder of his flesh" (Genesis 2:23 ), i.e. by the Figure of speech Polyptoton, App-6 , "his own flesh (or relatives)". Compare verses: Leviticus 18:12 , Leviticus 18:13 , Leviticus 18:17 . For emphasis.
6.
None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
7.
The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
father. See Genesis 19:31-38 .
8.
The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.
father's wife. See Gen 35:22 . 2 Samuel 16:20-23 . 1 Kings 2:17 , and 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 . This verse clarifies Genesis 9:22-25 , and see also Leviticus 20:11 .
9.
The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
sister. See Genesis 20:12 . 2 Samuel 13:12 , 2 Samuel 16:20 .
10.
The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.
11.
The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
father's wife. In Hebrew always means one's "step mother" (see Leviticus 18:8 ; Leviticus 20:11 ).
12.
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.
father's sister. See Exodus 6:20 .
she. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "for she".
13.
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
14.
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
thou. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel Septuagint, and Syriac, read "and thou".
15.
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16.
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.
17.
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
wickedness = lewdness. Hebrew. zimm a h . App-44 .
18.
Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
19.
Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
20.
Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21.
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
seed = children.
pass through, &c. Hebrew "pass to Molech", i.e. into his arms, from which it passed through the fire to him.
Molech. Always has the article (except 1 Kings 11:7 , which is probably a copyist's omission) denoting the king, or the king-idol (see Leviticus 18:21 ; Leviticus 20:2 , Leviticus 20:3 , Leviticus 20:4 , Leviticus 20:5 . See seq. 2 Kings 23:10 . Jeremiah 32:35 ). The Massorites pointed it Molech, to assimilate it to "shameful thing", but omitted to do so in Isaiah 30:33 with Isaiah 57:9 , which they left melech = king. It should read Molech in these two passages also.
22.
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
as. Referring to the sin of Sodom (whence its name), Genesis 19:5 . Compare Leviticus 20:13 . Jdg 19:22 . 1 Kings 14:24 .
abomination = a thing to be abhorred.
23.
Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
any beast. This was part of the religious worship of the Egyptians.
24.
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25.
And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
iniquity. Hebrew. 'avah. App-44 .
vomiteth. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia, App-6 . Compare "spued", Leviticus 18:28 . From the beginning, the earth has shared the consequences of man's guilt (Genesis 3:17 . Romans 8:19-22 ). Since it yields no fruit when man yields no obedience; and defiled when man is defiled (Deuteronomy 11:17 ). Is blessed when man is blessed (Leviticus 25:19 ; Leviticus 26:4 .Deuteronomy 32:43; Deuteronomy 32:43 ). Mourns when man sins (Isaiah 24:4 , Isaiah 24:5 ). Glad when God avenges His People (Psalms 96:11-13 ).
26.
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
Ye. In some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syr, and Vulgate, this "Ye" has no emphasis.
27.
(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
For, &c. These "doings" are specially legislated against, because these were the corruptions pertaining to the origin and character of the Nephilim ( App-25 ). These formed the nations of Canaan, and this was why they had to be destroyed by the sword of Israel, as those in the days of Noah had to be destroyed by the Flood. Leviticus 18:24-25 are emphasized by the other way of putting the facts.
28.
That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
spue = vomit of Leviticus 18:25 .
as = according as. Compare Leviticus 18:25 .
29.
For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
souls. Hebrew, plural of nephesh. App-13 .
30.
Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.
keep Mine ordinance. This is the Figure of speech Polyptoton ( App-6 ) = "observe My observance", but, Eng. keep My charge.
customs = statutes: because they were legal enactments of the land, Compare Leviticus 18:3 . The word is rendered "statutes" in Deuteronomy 6:24 ; Deuteronomy 16:12 , and Deuteronomy 26:16 .
I am the LORD your God. This body of laws (Leviticus 18 ) is emphasized and solemnized by beginning and ending with the same expression. Figure of speech Epanadiplosis. See App-6 .