Leviticus 18

Leviticus · Chapter 18

Leviticus 18:16

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.4Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.5Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.6None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.7The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.8The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.9The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.10The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.11The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.12Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman.13Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman.14Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.15Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.16Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.17Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.18Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.19Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.20Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.21And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.26Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:27(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)28That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.29For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.30Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
16Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
[the] nakedness ofעֶרְוַ֥ת'er-VATH6172
nakedness

עֶרְוָה (er.vah) 1) nakedness, nudity, shame, pudenda 1a) pudenda (implying shameful exposure) 1b) nakedness of a thing, indecency, improper behaviour 1c) exposed, undefended (fig.) Aramaic equivalent: ar.vah (עַרְוָה "dishonor" H6173)

[the] wife ofאֵֽשֶׁת־'e-shet-H0802H
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

brother yourאָחִ֖יךָ'a-CHI-khaH0251G
brother: male-sibling

אָח (ach) : male-sibling 1) brother 1a) brother of same parents 1b) half-brother (same father) 1c) relative, kinship, same tribe 1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship) 1e) (fig.) of resemblance

notלֹ֣אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

you will uncoverתְגַלֵּ֑הte-ga-LEHH1540I
Heglam

הֶגְלָם (ga.lah) A man of the tribe of Benjamin living before Israel's Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.7; son of: Ehud (H0164); brother of: Naaman (H5283J), Ahijah (H0281K), Uzza (H5798H) and Ahihud (H0284); also called Heglam (KJV: "removed"; NIV: "deported") at 1Ch.8.7; Another name of ge.ra (גֵּרָא "Gera" H1617J) to reveal oneself

[is] [the] nakedness ofעֶרְוַ֥ת'er-VATH6172
nakedness

עֶרְוָה (er.vah) 1) nakedness, nudity, shame, pudenda 1a) pudenda (implying shameful exposure) 1b) nakedness of a thing, indecency, improper behaviour 1c) exposed, undefended (fig.) Aramaic equivalent: ar.vah (עַרְוָה "dishonor" H6173)

brother yourאָחִ֖יךָ'a-CHI-khaH0251G
brother: male-sibling

אָח (ach) : male-sibling 1) brother 1a) brother of same parents 1b) half-brother (same father) 1c) relative, kinship, same tribe 1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship) 1e) (fig.) of resemblance

itהִֽוא׃ סhi'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.