This verse underscores the gravity of sin and points to God’s desire for purity.
“If there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal” (v.15). This command is part of the laws God gave to Moses around 1400 BC, after the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt in approximately 1446 BC. In context, the LORD had delivered these laws to guide His covenant people in living a holy life, set apart from the corrupt practices found in surrounding nations. This verse confronts the sin of bestiality, illustrating God’s vehement rejection of any sexual activity that defiles human dignity and undermines His created order. According to Scripture, bestiality was so serious that it called for capital punishment (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:23, 20:15f), underscoring God’s call for moral purity and the preservation of human worth.
By stating, “If there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal” (v.15), the text emphasizes the severity of perverse sexual practices. It places responsibility on those who commit such acts and conveys that Israel was to be distinctly different from its pagan neighbors, where such behaviors were often woven into fertility rites or degraded forms of worship. Moses, who led Israel from Egypt and received the law at Mount Sinai, recorded these commands so that God’s people would neither imitate the detestable customs of neighboring cultures nor normalize any form of sexual immorality. This prohibition echoes a greater biblical principle that holiness is essential in all aspects of life, including personal conduct and sexuality, and that disobedience brings destructive consequences.
Like other Old Testament laws dealing with moral issues, Leviticus 20:15 has parallels in the New Testament, where believers are likewise called to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Though Christians are not under the same theocratic system as ancient Israel, the principle of honoring God with one’s body continues in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. God’s people are set apart to reflect His righteous character, treat life as sacred, and reject any practice that distorts God’s design.
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Leviticus 20:15 meaning
“If there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal” (v.15). This command is part of the laws God gave to Moses around 1400 BC, after the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt in approximately 1446 BC. In context, the LORD had delivered these laws to guide His covenant people in living a holy life, set apart from the corrupt practices found in surrounding nations. This verse confronts the sin of bestiality, illustrating God’s vehement rejection of any sexual activity that defiles human dignity and undermines His created order. According to Scripture, bestiality was so serious that it called for capital punishment (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:23, 20:15f), underscoring God’s call for moral purity and the preservation of human worth.
By stating, “If there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal” (v.15), the text emphasizes the severity of perverse sexual practices. It places responsibility on those who commit such acts and conveys that Israel was to be distinctly different from its pagan neighbors, where such behaviors were often woven into fertility rites or degraded forms of worship. Moses, who led Israel from Egypt and received the law at Mount Sinai, recorded these commands so that God’s people would neither imitate the detestable customs of neighboring cultures nor normalize any form of sexual immorality. This prohibition echoes a greater biblical principle that holiness is essential in all aspects of life, including personal conduct and sexuality, and that disobedience brings destructive consequences.
Like other Old Testament laws dealing with moral issues, Leviticus 20:15 has parallels in the New Testament, where believers are likewise called to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Though Christians are not under the same theocratic system as ancient Israel, the principle of honoring God with one’s body continues in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. God’s people are set apart to reflect His righteous character, treat life as sacred, and reject any practice that distorts God’s design.