What is the meaning of Leviticus 20:15? If a man lies carnally with an animal “ If a man lies carnally with an animal …” (Leviticus 20:15a) • God names the act plainly. Bestiality is not a vague moral lapse; it is a specific, deliberate crossing of the Creator’s boundaries (see Leviticus 18:23; Deuteronomy 27:21). • The wording shows that God holds people accountable for what they choose to do with their bodies, which are meant to bear His image (Genesis 1:27; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20). • By calling it “lying carnally,” Scripture links the act to a misuse of the sexual gift. Sexuality was designed for husband and wife within marriage (Genesis 2:24; Hebrews 13:4). Any distortion—whether adultery, homosexuality, or bestiality—is treated as rebellion against God’s created order (Romans 1:24-27). he must be put to death “… he must be put to death …” (Leviticus 20:15b) • Under Israel’s theocratic law, capital punishment underscored how seriously God views this sin (compare Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:13). • The penalty protected the covenant community from corruption. Just as Achan’s sin brought trouble on Israel (Joshua 7:1-26), tolerated impurity invites judgment on all (1 Corinthians 5:6-7). • The severity also teaches a timeless spiritual truth: sin brings death (Romans 6:23). While modern civil penalties differ, the moral weight has not changed; Christ bore that death penalty on our behalf (Isaiah 53:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). • By enforcing justice swiftly, the nation was reminded of God’s holiness (Leviticus 19:2) and His zeal to guard human dignity. And you are also to kill the animal “… And you are also to kill the animal.” (Leviticus 20:15c) • The animal is not morally culpable, yet it is destroyed to remove contamination from the camp—similar to burning idolatrous objects (Deuteronomy 13:12-17) and cleansing leprous houses (Leviticus 14:33-45). • Eliminating the animal prevents further temptation and erases the memory of the act, safeguarding community purity (Leviticus 20:16 mirrors this directive when a woman is involved). • The step reminds Israel that sin defiles everything it touches (Titus 1:15). God’s solution is radical removal, a principle echoed when Jesus urges believers to “cut off” whatever causes them to stumble (Matthew 5:29-30). summary Leviticus 20:15 condemns bestiality as a flagrant violation of God-given sexual boundaries, assigns capital punishment to emphasize the gravity of the offense, and commands the death of the animal to purge defilement from the covenant community. The verse highlights God’s holiness, the sanctity of human sexuality, and the lethal seriousness of sin—truths ultimately answered by Christ, who cleanses and restores all who turn to Him. |
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