1. Punishments for sacrifice to Molech and sorcery (20:1-6)

The law against offering children to Molech carries the death penalty (cf. 18:21). The severity of the punishment derives from the nature of the sin: it defiles the sanctuary (cf. 16:33) and profanes God’s holy name. Likewise, the person who communicates with departed spirits and ghosts prostitutes himself and is to be put to death (cf. 20:27).