Leviticus Chapter 18
From The Open Bible Project
18:1 Yahweh said to Moses,
18:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'I am Yahweh your God.
18:3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes.
- (a) You shall preserve yourselves from these abominations following, which the Egyptians and Canaanites use.
18:4 You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am Yahweh your God.
18:5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am Yahweh.
- (b) And therefore you ought to serve me alone, as my people.
18:6 "'None of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh.
- (c) That is, to lie with her, though it be under title of marriage.
18:7 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
18:8 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife: it is your father's nakedness.
- (d) Which is your stepmother.
18:9 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home, or born abroad.
- (e) Either by father or mother, born in marriage or otherwise.
18:10 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter, or of your daughter's daughter, even their nakedness: for theirs is your own nakedness.
- (f) They are her children whose shame you have uncovered.
18:11 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.
18:12 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister: she is your father's near kinswoman.
18:13 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister: for she is your mother's near kinswoman.
18:14 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, you shall not approach his wife: she is your aunt.
- (g) Which your uncle discovers.
18:15 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son's wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
18:16 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife: it is your brother's nakedness.
- (h) Because the idolaters, among whom God’s people had dwelt and would dwell, were given to these horrible incests, God charges his own to beware of them.
18:17 "'You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18:18 "'You shall not take a wife to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is yet alive.
- (i) By seeing your affection more bent to her sister than to her.
18:19 "'You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.
- (k) Or while she has her period.
18:20 "'You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her.
18:21 "'You shall not give any of your children to sacrifice to Molech; neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am Yahweh.
- (l) Which was an idol of the Ammonites, to whom they burned and sacrificed their children, (2 Kings 23:10). This seemed to be the chief and principal of all idols: and as the Jews write, was of a great stature, and hollow within, having seven places or chambers within him: one was to receive meal that was offered: another turtle doves: the third, a sheep: the fourth, a ram: the fifth a calf: the sixth an ox: the seventh a child. This idols face was like a calf: his hands were ever stretched out to receive gifts: his priests were called Chemarims, (2 Kings 23:5; Hosea 10:5; Zephaniah 1:4).
18:22 "'You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestable.
18:23 "'You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.
18:24 "'Don't defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.
18:25 The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.
- (m) I will punish the land where such incestuous marriages and pollutions are tolerated.
- (n) He compares the wicked to evil humours and overeating, which corrupt the stomach, and oppress nature, and therefore must be cast out by vomit.
18:26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you;
18:27 (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land became defiled);
18:28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
- (o) Both for their wicked marriages, unnatural copulations, idolatry or spiritual whoredom with Molech and such like abominations.
18:29 "'For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.
- (p) Either by the civil sword or by some plague that God will send upon such.
18:30 Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them: I am Yahweh your God.'"
