THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The Lord instructed the fathers to protect their children's dignity in terms of the body and also indicated severe punishment for those who lead their own children into rebellion against God. In Leviticus, it is written: ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak these things unto the children of Israel: whosoever of the children of Israel, and of the strangers among the Israelites, shall give of his children unto Moloch, let him be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him: and I will turn my face upon that man, and will destroy him out of his people, because he hath given of his children unto Moloch, to profane my sanctuary, and to dishonour my holy name’ (Lev. 20:1-3). Palladius. This law is obscure; its meaning is not entirely clear.
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Please clarify it, and that would be beneficial. Cyril. The Moabites, Midianites, Gergesites, Hagarites, and other barbarous nations residing in Judah followed their own practices, worshiping various deities as they wished. However, the Israelites, whose faith was yet unsteady and not fully rooted in God’s love, were easily swayed, often thinking nothing of adopting the worship of neighboring gods, joining in the old errors of Egypt. Thus, they became enamored with the women of Midian and, led by their beauty, began to worship alongside them, calling upon Beelphegor. Anticipating their stubbornness and tendency to yield, the Lawgiver expressly prohibited mingling with foreigners, declaring: ‘Thou shalt not give thy daughter for his son, neither shalt thou take his daughter for thy son; for they shall turn thy sons away from me, to serve other gods’ (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). It is evident that some Israelites may have chosen to marry their daughters to prominent Gentiles, lured by their wealth and dismissing apostasy as trivial. Therefore, the prescribed punishment is death for such reckless actions, and he deemed such behavior deserving of the harshest consequences: for it was plain that a daughter given to a foreigner would likely adopt foreign ways and serve idols; thus He mandated fitting punishment for those who destroy their own heritage. Consequently, the Holy Scriptures urge parents to raise their children ‘in the... the doctrine of the Lord’ (Eph. 6:4), and the scripture reinforces this concept. The law clearly states that fathers should prevent their children from engaging in shameful and lustful behavior, affirming that they must nurture them in the understanding of God, guarding them from secular idolatry, regardless of any wealth that a foreign husband might offer. This resonates with the teaching, ‘What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, but harms his own soul? Or what ransom shall a man give for his own soul?’ (Matthew 16:26).