Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 20:6
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
6. familiar spirits wizards ] See on Lev 19:31.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 6. Familiar spirits] See Clarke on Le 19:31; and “Ex 22:18“.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To go a whoring after them; to seek knowledge, or counsel, or help from them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits,…. The man or woman that has respect unto them, seeks after them, and inquires of them, in order to get knowledge of things:
and after wizards who pretend to tell fortunes, and discover lost and stolen goods, [See comments on Le 19:31];
to go a whoring after them; for to consult them is to forsake the Lord, and have recourse to Satan and his instruments; to relinquish their trust in God, and put confidence in them, and attribute such things to them as only belong to God, even the knowledge of things future; and this is to commit idolatry, which is spiritual adultery:
I will even set my face against that soul; show like resentment and indignation as at him that gives his seed to Molech:
and will cut him off from among his people; in case his people do not bear witness against him, but hide their eyes, and wink at his crimes, or the civil magistrate does not condemn and punish him; the Targum of Jonathan is,
“I will destroy him by the pestilence.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He would also do the same to every soul that turned to familiar spirits and necromantists (Lev 19:31, cf. Exo 22:17), “to go a whoring after them,” i.e., to make himself guilty of idolatry by so doing, such practices being always closely connected with idolatry.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verse 6:
This verse expands the statute in Le 19:31 (see comments), and prescribes the penalty for violation: the guilty party was to be “cut off” from among his people, either by Jehovah personally, or by some unspecified agency. Jehovah is pictured as married to Israel, Jer 2:2; 31:32. To engage in occult or idolatrous practices is spiritual fornication, Jer 3:1-11. Israel’s repeated excursions into idolatry and occult practices eventually caused Jehovah to cut her off or put her away by giving her a “bill of divorcement,” Ho 2:6-13; Jer 3:8.
Nowhere in Scripture does God imply that He has changed His views of the occult or idolatry. These still constitute spiritual fornication.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CONSORTING WITH WIZARDS AND NECROMANCERS 20:68
TEXT 20:68
6
And the soul that turneth unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to play the harlot after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
7
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am Jehovah your God.
8
And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 20:68
455.
What is it in man that turns him to familiar spirits and wizards?
456.
Are we to understand sex or immoral conduct was a part of the practice of these persons?
457.
Just what is involved in the act of sanctifying ourselves?
458.
We should be holy for God is holy. What is the motivation?
459.
God has a part in sanctifying us. What is it?
PARAPHRASE 20:68
I will set my face against anyone who consults mediums and wizards instead of Me and I will cut that person off from his people. So sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. You must obey all of My commandments, for I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
COMMENT 20:68
Lev. 20:6-8 Man is an incurably curious creature and will inquire concerning the future or the unknown in one way or another. Those with supposed contact with the spirit world offer one avenue of inquiry. When a son of Israel sought out a soothsayer he was in effect denying his confidence in Gods ability and interest in him. Such action was a direct reflection on the character of God and therefore became a most serious sin. Ventriloquism and sleight of hand, coupled with singing and incantations all served to impress the devotee with the thought he was talking with the spirits of the dead. Necromancy was the act of speaking to the dead. The actual practice was aligned with Satan and demons all liberally supported by the tricks of the trade of magic. Sexual immorality was a large part of the attraction of such worship. I will set my face against anyone who consults mediums and wizards instead of Me and I will cut that person off from his peoplethus says God.
The injunction of Lev. 20:7-8 can be understood only in light of the fact that men are sanctified or set apart when they heed and obey the commandments of God. Obedience to Gods law is the sanctifying act.
FACT QUESTIONS 20:68
468.
What is it in man that leads him to a wizard? What is wrong with it?
469.
Besides talking with spirits there were other attractions. What were they?
470.
How are we sanctified?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(6) And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits.The same punishment will be visited upon the man who consults necromancers. For the nature of this sin, see Lev. 19:31, and for the execution of this sentence see 1Ch. 10:13-14. The soothsayers themselves were stoned to death by the community. (See Lev. 20:27.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Familiar spirits See Lev 19:31, note. The tendency to resort to necromancy among the Hebrews demonstrates their belief in the existence and activity of disembodied spirits, so that Sadducism is refuted in the Pentateuch. There is nothing in either of these chapters which can be quoted in proof of the reality of the sorcerer’s communications with the spirits of the dead. On the statute books of England there are now laws against an imaginary crime, the pretence of power to bewitch, claimed by designing negroes in Jamaica for the purpose of controlling, terrifying, and blackmailing their superstitious countrymen.
Wizards See Lev 19:31, note.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Is not that sinful and foolish custom, which some have, of consulting fortune-tellers and the like, akin to the practice here so severely reprobated by GOD? And did anyone but seriously consider, as he ought, the weakness and folly of going to a liar for truth, in any who pretend to tell what shall come to pass, contrary to the will of heaven, would he presumptuously be guilty of such a sin? It were devoutly to be wished, that both the persons that pretend to foretell events, in people’s fortunes, as it is called, and those who consult them, would recollect what GOD saith in this verse of scripture.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 20:6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Ver. 6. And will cut him off. ] Nemo cum serpente securus ludit, nemo cum diabolo iocatur impune. a
a Chrysolog., Serm. 155.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
familiar spirits. See note on Lev 19:31.
wizards. See note on Lev 19:31.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
familiar: Lev 20:27, Lev 19:26, Lev 19:31, Deu 18:10-14, Isa 8:19
go: Exo 34:15, Exo 34:16, Num 15:39, Psa 73:27, Eze 6:9, Hos 4:12
cut him: 1Ch 10:13, 1Ch 10:14, In the days of Moses, superstition was almost the sensus communis of the human race, which then made severe punishment necessary: by means of the Christian dispensation such errors are now exploded, the cultivation of philosophy and natural history having harmonised and contributed their feebler share of light, so that we no longer have to deplore mischiefs occasioned by the silly curiosity attempting to unfold future events.
Reciprocal: Gen 41:8 – the magicians of Egypt Exo 22:18 – General Lev 18:29 – General Lev 23:30 – General Lev 26:17 – set Num 15:30 – doeth ought 1Sa 15:23 – witchcraft 1Sa 28:3 – put away 2Ch 33:6 – he observed Psa 106:39 – went Isa 2:6 – and are Jer 44:11 – I will Mal 3:5 – the sorcerers Act 8:9 – used Act 13:6 – certain 1Pe 3:12 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 20:6. To go a whoring To seek counsel or help from them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
20:6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a {d} whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
(d) To esteem sorcerers or conjurers is spiritual whoredom, or idolatry.