Leviticus 20:27
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The verse emphasizes the severity of this offense by concluding, "their blood shall be upon them." This phrase, in the context of ancient Israelite law, is a legal idiom indicating that the shedding of this blood is justified and the responsibility rests solely with the condemned, not with those carrying out the punishment. It underscores that this practice was considered so profoundly destructive to the community's relationship with God that it demanded the ultimate penalty.
“A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse concludes a series of pronouncements in Leviticus 20, detailing severe punishments for various sins committed by the Israelites, building upon earlier laws. Following commands against adultery, incest, and disrespect for parents, this passage specifically addresses those who practice sorcery or consult spirits. The gravity of these offenses is underscored by the direct command for capital punishment, emphasizing the need for the community to remain pure from such practices.
This verse speaks of 'familiar spirits' and 'wizards.' What does that mean in ancient Israel and why was it so dangerous?
What's a 'Familiar Spirit'?
The Hebrew terms here point to individuals who claimed to have a connection with the spirit world, often acting as intermediaries.
Both practices were seen as attempts to gain unauthorized knowledge or power by bypassing God's established ways. This was not about seeking God, but seeking forbidden counsel, which threatened the spiritual integrity of the community.
The penalty here is severe: death by stoning. Why such a harsh response to practices that might seem less threatening today?
Why Death by Stoning?
Leviticus 20:27 prescribes the death penalty, specifically by stoning, for mediums and necromancers. This wasn't arbitrary; it was deeply connected to the covenant relationship Israel had with God.
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Understand the original words
ʾôḇ · Hebrew Noun
One who claims to act as an intermediary to communicate with the spirits of the dead, an act strictly forbidden by God as it usurps His authority and involves demonic deception.
yiddəʿōnî · Hebrew Noun
One who attempts to summon or consult the spirits of the dead (literally "a knower of spirits"). This practice is condemned because it relies on sources other than God for knowledge and guidance.
mût · Hebrew Verb
A severe judicial penalty of capital punishment prescribed for specific, grave violations of the Law, serving as a means of purging evil from the community and upholding God's holiness.
sāqal · Hebrew Verb
A method of execution commanded in the Law where the community participates in the judgment, representing the collective responsibility of the people to remove the defilement caused by serious sin.
dām · Hebrew Noun
The life force of an individual. In this context, "their blood shall be upon them" signifies that the individuals themselves are responsible for their own death due to their chosen transgression, bearing the guilt of their sin.
This passage directly parallels Leviticus 20:27 by listing various forbidden practices, including consulting mediums and necromancers, explicitly stating that such actions are detestable to the Lord.
1 Samuel 28:3-20This narrative shows King Saul desperately seeking guidance from a medium at Endor, demonstrating the very practice condemned in Leviticus and illustrating the severe, deceptive, and ultimately destructive consequences of engaging with such powers.
Acts 16:16-18Here, Paul confronts a slave girl who had a spirit of divination; while not put to death as prescribed in the Old Testament, the narrative highlights the spiritual battle involved and the apostles' authority to cast out such spirits, showing a continuation of the struggle against these practices.
Galatians 5:19-21This New Testament passage lists 'sorcery' as a work of the flesh, aligning conceptually with the forbidden practices in Leviticus and underscoring that such spiritual dealings are contrary to a life lived in the Spirit.
pulpitLeviticus 20:27: "A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them."
Verse 27. - Those that deal in witchcraft are to be stoned.
gillLeviticus 20:27: "A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them."
A man also or a woman that hath a familiar spirit,.... Or the spirit of Python or divination, see Leviticus 19:31 ; such as the damsel had in Acts 16:16 ; a woman is here particularly mentioned, though before included in the above law; because, as Aben Ezra says, such sort of practices were more frequently commi…
The verse emphasizes the severity of this offense by concluding, "their blood shall be upon them." This phrase, in the context of ancient Israelite law, is a legal idiom indicating that the shedding of this blood is justified and the responsibility rests solely with the condemned, not with those carrying out the punishment. It underscores that this practice was considered so profoundly destructive to the community's relationship with God that it demanded the ultimate penalty.
This verse concludes a series of pronouncements in Leviticus 20, detailing severe punishments for various sins committed by the Israelites, building upon earlier laws. Following commands against adultery, incest, and disrespect for parents, this passage specifically addresses those who practice sorcery or consult spirits. The gravity of these offenses is underscored by the direct command for capital punishment, emphasizing the need for the community to remain pure from such practices.
This verse concludes a series of pronouncements in Leviticus 20, detailing severe punishments for various sins committed by the Israelites, building upon earlier laws. Following commands against adultery, incest, and disrespect for parents, this passage specifically addresses those who practice sorcery or consult spirits. The gravity of these offenses is underscored by the direct command for capital punishment, emphasizing the need for the community to remain pure from such practices.
"“A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”" — The verse emphasizes the severity of this offense by concluding, "their blood shall be upon them." This phrase, in the context of ancient Israelite law, is a legal idiom indicating that the shedding…
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Last reviewed October 2026
