Leviticus 20:4 (WEB)

Passage

If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person, when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death;

Nearby Context

Leviticus 20:2 “Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech; he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.

Leviticus 20:3 I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.

Leviticus 20:4 If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person, when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death;

Leviticus 20:5 then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him, to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people.

Leviticus 20:6 “‘The person that turns to those who are mediums, and to the wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "land", "hide", "eyes", "person", "gives", "offspring", and "molech". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "land", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "I also will set my face against..." into verse 5's "then I will set my face against...", so "people" and "land" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "people" and "land" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.