John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 20:13

"And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." — Leviticus 20:13 (ASV)

If a man also⁶³ God had until now taught what was right, in order to restrain the people from sin, not only from fear of punishment, but for conscience’ sake.

But since not all voluntarily dispose themselves to obedience, He awards severe punishments to those wicked despisers who make no effort to be religious. It is astonishing that almost all the Gentiles have so sunk into stupid and brutal folly that they have tolerated, almost with impunity, unnatural crimes, detestable in their very name.

I admit that even the wickedest of them were ashamed to justify such a gross crime. However, although it was practiced with impunity, it was a common reproach, even against the public tribunals themselves, that this crime ought to be punished more severely than other offenses, which they readily punished.

Both offending parties were subjected to the same punishment, because it is a pollution that should by no means be tolerated.

Indeed, if a man or woman offends with an animal—so that all may more strongly abhor and beware of the unnatural crime—the penalty is extended even to the harmless animal, just as we have seen before that a goring ox is condemned to death if it had killed a man. From this, we infer how greatly this kind of crime displeases God, since its iniquity is confirmed by the death of guiltless animals.

⁶³ The Supplements of the Seventh Commandment are differently divided in the Fr. There is no such heading as “Judicial Supplements,” and this passage, as well as several others, is removed into a separate class, headed “Political Supplements.”. There is no such heading as “Judicial Supplements,” and this passage, as well as several others, is removed into a separate class, headed “Political Supplements.”