Seeking out hidden knowledge through the realm of the dead stands in complete opposition to divine holiness and a life guided by God. Engaging with dark forces is not merely a mistake; it is an active turn toward a spirit of impurity that denies His divine providence. To protect people from the false illusions of the dead and guide them toward truth and life, the Torah issues warnings against these practices three separate times [רש ר הירש, ספורנו, שפתי כהן].
The placement of this prohibition at the end of a chapter dedicated primarily to forbidden sexual relations is highly deliberate. The primary approach among commentators is that a profound connection exists between sexual immorality and sorcery or idolatry. These prohibitions create a structural frame for the chapter, which begins with the worship of false gods and concludes with mediums, illustrating that moral deterioration starts with idolatry and ends with a complete descent into impure spirits [רד צ הופמן]. Furthermore, sorcery was sometimes utilized as a practical tool to facilitate forbidden sexual encounters [שפתי כהן]. Conversely, a completely different danger exists: an intense withdrawal from physical desires can sometimes lead to an extreme, improper asceticism designed specifically to prepare a person to act as a medium [העמק דבר].
By explicitly addressing both men and women, the law highlights the historical reality that the arts of sorcery and consulting the dead were especially prevalent among women [הטור הארוך, אבן עזרא]. Legally, specifying a man serves to exclude minors from punishment, while the addition of a woman broadens the law to include individuals whose gender is not clearly defined [תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו, מלבי״ם]. This detailed inclusion of both genders is also necessary because earlier warnings were phrased exclusively in the masculine [ביאור יש״ר]. The severe consequences apply specifically to the sorcerers themselves rather than the clients who seek their advice. The punishment targets those who actively harbor an impure entity, as the terms for mediums do not describe the individuals, but rather the dark act and the impure spirit dwelling within them [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אדרת אליהו, ביאור יש״ר].
The penalty for these acts is death by stoning. While an earlier warning mentioned the spiritual punishment of being cut off from the people, commentators clarify the distinction based on the circumstances of the sin. The spiritual consequence is a heavenly decree reserved for someone who sins intentionally in secret, without witnesses or prior warning. In contrast, death by stoning is administered by a court when the act is performed publicly, complete with witnesses and a formal warning. Should the act be committed accidentally, the individual is required to bring a sin offering [רש״י, רלב״ג].
The declaration that the offenders' blood is upon them serves as a foundational rule for all punitive laws in the Torah. Because this concept is explicitly paired with stoning in this instance, it establishes a legal precedent: whenever this specific declaration appears elsewhere without detailing the method of execution, it always indicates stoning [תורה תמימה]. Conceptually, this phrase also connects back to the opening command of the portion to be holy, teaching that true holiness requires profound dedication and may sometimes demand the ultimate sacrifice of one's life [ברכת אשר].