Leviticus 20:4 (YLT)

Passage

`And if the people of the land really hide their eyes from that man, in his giving of his seed to the Molech, so as not to put him to death,

Nearby Context

Leviticus 20:2 `And unto the sons of Israel thou dost say, Any man of the sons of Israel, and of the sojourners who is sojourning in Israel, who giveth of his seed to the Molech, is certainly put to death; the people of the land do stone him with stones;

Leviticus 20:3 and I--I set My face against that man, and have cut him off from the midst of his people, for of his seed he hath given to the Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary, and to pollute My holy name.

Leviticus 20:4 `And if the people of the land really hide their eyes from that man, in his giving of his seed to the Molech, so as not to put him to death,

Leviticus 20:5 then I have set My face against that man, and against his family, and have cut him off, and all who are going a-whoring after him, even going a-whoring after the Molech, from the midst of their people.

Leviticus 20:6 `And the person who turneth unto those having familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to go a-whoring after them, I have even set My face against that person, and cut him off from the midst of his people.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "land", "really", "hide", "eyes", "giving", "seed", 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 "and I--I set My face against that..." into verse 5's "then I have 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.