Capital Punishment and Other Grave Crimes
20: 1-27
Chapter 20 supplements and reinforces Chapter 18, emphasizing the punishments for various offenses. Whereas the commandments in Chapters 18 and 19 are addressed to would-be offenders and prohibit specific actions. Those in Chapter 20 are addressed to the covenant community and explain the punishments for specific crimes. Except for verses 19-21, the crimes identified in this chapter receive the death penalty (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ea – A Life for a Life, an Eye for an Eye). Though seemingly harsh, this was essential to prevent sin from infecting the community life of God’s people.
The gravest public sins against life, religion, and the family were those which carried the maximum penalty of death, such a premeditated murder (Exodus 21:12; Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 19), kidnapping (Exodus 21:16 and Deuteronomy 24:7), adultery (Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), blasphemy (Leviticus 24:13-16 and 23), idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:6-10) and persistent disobedience against authority (Deuteronomy 17:12 and 21:18-21). The method of inflicting capital punishment is given twice as stoning (Leviticus 20:2 and 27), and once as burning (Leviticus 20:14), understood by Jewish tradition as hot lead being poured down the throat! The most severe expression of the death penalty, however, is found in verses 3, 5-6, and 17-18, the guilty person would be cut off from the covenant community.344
The basic principles of the Ten Commandments (see the commentary on the Deuteronomy Bk – The Ten Words) are incorporated into Chapters 18 through 20, though not in the same order and not always with the same emphasis.
The Ten Commandments Leviticus
1-2 No other gods 18:2 and 19:4
3 Misuse the Name 19:12
4 Observe Shabbat 19:3b
5 Honor father/mother 19:3a
6 Do not murder 19:16b
7 No adultery 18:20 and 20:20
8 Do not steal 19:11a
9 No false witness 19:16a
10 Do not covet 19:18
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