Leviticus 20:13

Context

Leviticus 20 opens with words that God commanded Moses to speak to the children of Israel (Leviticus 20:1-2). Scholars call Leviticus 17–26, a collection of laws centered on the theme of holiness, the "Holiness Code." Whereas chapter 18 lists prohibited acts, chapter 20 sets out the penalties for Molech worship, consulting mediums, cursing one's parents, and violating various sexual prohibitions. Verse 13 restates the prohibition of Leviticus 18:22 as a penal statute.

• "Abomination": This renders the Hebrew to'evah, which denotes something God strongly detests.
• "Their blood shall be upon them": A legal idiom indicating that responsibility for the death rests on the offenders themselves, not on the community that carries out the sentence.
• Conclusion of the chapter (20:22-26): The chapter closes with a call not to follow the customs of the Canaanites but to be set apart and holy.

Interpretation

• Traditional reading: Most Korean denominations and the evangelical camp hold that this verse defines same-sex sexual activity as a sin forbidden by God. They regard the death penalty, however, as civil law given to the ancient nation of Israel, not as something the church or the state is to enforce today. The Reformed tradition divides the law into moral, ceremonial, and civil law, and chapter 19 of the Westminster Confession of Faith likewise states that Israel's civil laws expired together with that nation. This tradition holds that although the penal provision has ended, the moral principle behind the prohibition remains, citing Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 in the New Testament as support.
• Revisionist reading: Some biblical scholars and progressive theologians point to the following:
• To'evah refers primarily to ritual impurity.
• The same chapter contains provisions that the church does not observe today, such as the prohibition of intercourse during menstruation (20:18).
• The verse reflects the sexual concepts and patriarchal order of the ancient Near East.

On these grounds they argue that the verse does not directly address consensual same-sex relationships or sexual orientation as understood today. Proponents of the traditional position counter that the prohibitions of incest and adultery in the same chapter are not ritual regulations either, and that the New Testament carries the same judgment forward.

Debates and Issues

• Continuity of the law: The central question is which parts of the Old Testament law remain binding on Christians. Protestant denominations broadly agree that the death penalty cannot be enforced today; the differences arise over how to view the prohibition itself.
• Translation: The Korean Revised Version renders the act as gyohap ("intercourse"), while the New Korean Revised Version uses dongchim ("lying with"). Some scholars read the Hebrew expression "as he lieth with a woman" narrowly, restricting it to a specific act.
• Citation out of context: Isolating the death penalty and using it as a slogan has been criticized for ignoring the context. Conversely, readings that dismiss the entire verse as merely an ancient cultural regulation have also been criticized for treating the context lightly.

In the Korean Church

When denominations and interdenominational bodies state their positions on homosexuality and anti-discrimination legislation, they frequently cite this verse, together with Leviticus 18:22, in support. It is also commonly addressed in sermons and Bible studies on the same subject.

Related Passages

• Leviticus 18:22
• Romans 1:26-27
• 1 Timothy 1:9-10
• Acts 15:28-29
• John 8:11