Exodus 22:18-20

Exodus 22:18-20

[18] Thou shalt not suffer a witch  to live.  [19] Whosoever lieth  with a beast  shall surely  [20] He that sacrificeth  unto any god,  save  unto the LORD  only, he shall be utterly destroyed. 

What does Exodus 22:18-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God prohibited three more practices each of which brought the death penalty. All involve idolatry.
In the ancient world, people made a distinction between black magic and white magic. The former sought to harm someone, and the latter did not. The Hammurabi Code prohibited the former only, [1] but the Torah outlawed both without distinction. Magic constituted an attempt to override God"s will. Probably Moses mentioned only the sorceress ( Exodus 22:18) because women were particularly active in the practice of magic. Probably the law would have dealt with a sorcerer the same way. [2]
Having intercourse with animals (bestiality, Exodus 22:19) was something the Canaanites and Mesopotamians attributed to their gods and which they practiced in worshipping those gods. Whereas some law codes imposed the death penalty for having intercourse with certain animals, the Torah prohibited this practice completely.
The third ordinance ( Exodus 22:20) prohibited offering any sacrifice to idols.