Leviticus 18:17 kjv
Thou 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.
Leviticus 18:17 nkjv
You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness.
Leviticus 18:17 niv
"?'Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
Leviticus 18:17 esv
You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity.
Leviticus 18:17 nlt
"Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not take her granddaughter, whether her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives, and this would be a wicked act.
Leviticus 18 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:6 | None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness. I am the LORD. | Overarching principle of forbidden kinship. |
| Lev 18:7 | The nakedness of your father...nor the nakedness of your mother... | Specific prohibition: mother's nakedness. |
| Lev 18:8 | The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness. | Specific prohibition: stepmother. |
| Lev 18:9 | The nakedness of your sister...either of your father's daughter, or your mother's daughter... | Specific prohibition: sister. |
| Lev 18:10 | The nakedness of your son's daughter, or of your daughter's daughter, even their nakedness... | Specific prohibition: granddaughter. |
| Lev 18:24 | Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these the nations whom I am driving out... | These acts defile land and people. |
| Lev 18:25 | For the land became defiled, so I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. | Consequences of breaking purity laws. |
| Lev 18:26 | But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations... | Call to obey these specific laws. |
| Lev 18:29 | For whoever does any of these abominations shall be cut off from among his people. | Penalty for violating these sexual laws. |
| Lev 20:11 | If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. | Penalty for a similar severe incest (death). |
| Lev 20:12 | If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. | Penalty for another close incest (death). |
| Lev 20:14 | If a man takes a woman and her mother, it is wickedness; both he and they shall be burned with fire... | Direct parallel: prohibition on mother/daughter and severe punishment. |
| Deu 27:20 | Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's nakedness. | Curse for various incestuous acts. |
| Deu 27:22 | Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether his father's daughter or his mother's daughter. | Curse for sister. |
| Deu 27:23 | Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law. | Curse for mother-in-law, another zimmah type act. |
| Ezek 22:11 | One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another has humbled his sister... | Prophetic indictment on Israel's moral failures, including zimmah. |
| 1 Cor 5:1 | It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans: that someone has his father’s wife. | NT application: condemnation of incest among Christians. |
| 1 Cor 6:9 | Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral... | Those who practice sexual immorality are excluded from God's kingdom. |
| Gal 5:19 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality... | Sexual immorality as a characteristic of fallen nature. |
| Eph 5:3 | But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper for saints. | Believers called to flee from all impurity. |
| Col 3:5 | Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness... | Call to renounce ungodly desires and practices. |
| Heb 13:4 | Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. | God's judgment on sexual sin. |
Leviticus 18 verses
Leviticus 18 17 Meaning
Leviticus 18:17 prohibits sexual relations with a woman and her daughter, and extends this prohibition to her son's daughter (granddaughter) and her daughter's daughter (granddaughter). The verse sternly declares such acts as "close relatives" (shameful kinship, beyond acceptable bounds for marriage) and labels them a "lewd act" (zimmah), indicating extreme moral depravity and wickedness in God's sight. This command safeguards the purity of the family unit and upholds distinct moral boundaries for the Israelite community, differentiating them from the corrupted practices of surrounding nations.
Leviticus 18 17 Context
Leviticus chapter 18, known as the "Holiness Code," outlines a series of sexual prohibitions for the Israelite community, intended to define and enforce their distinct moral and ethical identity. These laws were given shortly after the Exodus from Egypt, establishing God's standard for His people in contrast to the pervasive and morally corrupt practices of the Canaanites, whose "customs" are explicitly condemned (Lev 18:3, 24-30). The chapter focuses on delineating proper sexual boundaries, primarily forbidding incestuous relationships within the extended family, but also addressing bestiality and child sacrifice (Molech worship). Verse 17 is a specific prohibition within this broader context, emphasizing the sanctity of family relationships and the severe impurity associated with violating these boundaries, which had consequences not just for the individual but for the entire community and the land itself. The repeated phrase "uncover nakedness" serves as a euphemism for forbidden sexual relations, stressing the vulnerability and sacredness of the human body and kinship ties within God's ordered society.
Leviticus 18 17 Word analysis
- You shall not uncover the nakedness: (וְעֶרְוַת vĕ‘ervat) This phrase, comprising "and nakedness of," with the verb gālâ (to uncover/lay bare) understood from the preceding verses, signifies forbidden sexual exposure and intimate relations. "Nakedness" (‘ervah) often refers directly to the sexual organs, but here it metaphorically represents a person's vulnerability and sanctity in familial relations, making its "uncovering" a profound violation. It implies an intimate act that is legally and morally illicit due to the familial relationship. The repeated use throughout Leviticus 18 underscores the severity of breaking these deeply ingrained societal and divinely established norms.
- of a woman and her daughter: This directly prohibits the sexual union between a man and a woman, and that same man and the woman's biological daughter. This defines a clear lineal prohibition, preventing the formation of a morally corrupt and confusing multi-generational sexual relationship within a single household.
- nor shall you take: (לָקַח lāqaḥ) This verb means "to take," often in the sense of taking a wife. Here, its use highlights the deliberate act of establishing such a forbidden relationship, reinforcing the personal responsibility for abstaining from these acts.
- her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter: This extends the prohibition one more generation, specifically to the woman's granddaughters, whether through her son or her daughter. This indicates a strict lineal incest taboo that covers the woman's direct descendants, reinforcing the idea of a family unit as distinct and requiring strict sexual boundaries across generations.
- to uncover her nakedness: Repeats the euphemism for forbidden sexual acts, maintaining consistency in legal phrasing.
- They are close relatives: (שְׁאֵר shě’ēr) The Hebrew term shĕ'ēr literally means "flesh" and denotes blood-kin or immediate family. It signifies that the individuals involved are intimately connected by familial ties, rendering any sexual relationship between them as an unnatural and repugnant distortion of those sacred bonds. It emphasizes that this prohibition is fundamentally about respecting the sanctity of the family unit.
- it is a lewd act: (זִמָּה zimmah) This powerful term denotes gross misconduct, wickedness, depravity, or villainy, especially pertaining to sexual immorality. Its use elevates the violation from merely illegal to morally abhorrent and repugnant in the eyes of God. It signifies an act that defiles and corrupts not only the individuals but the community, marking it as a deliberate perversion against divine order and moral standards. The zimmah offenses carry severe penalties in the law.
Leviticus 18 17 Bonus section
The repeated emphasis on "uncovering nakedness" throughout Leviticus 18 speaks to a divine protective instinct for vulnerable relationships. God Himself is the ultimate Guardian of human relationships, and these laws are designed to shield families from corruption that often stems from disordered desire. The concept of "shame" (linked to nakedness) is profound here, as these acts would have brought not just legal consequences but deep social shame upon the families involved. The use of zimmah implies premeditated wickedness and suggests a calculated defiance of known moral and social boundaries, contrasting with acts committed in ignorance or passion without malice. This particular form of incest (sequential relations with a female line within a family) fundamentally blurs familial distinctions, collapsing clear roles (e.g., if a man sleeps with both mother and daughter, the daughter is simultaneously a lover and still the original lover's child, creating utter chaos in lineage and respect). The laws of Leviticus 18 provide a blueprint for a sanctified community, emphasizing that true worship extends to every sphere of life, including sexual morality.
Leviticus 18 17 Commentary
Leviticus 18:17, by explicitly forbidding sexual relations with a woman and her direct female descendants (daughter and granddaughters), underscores God's meticulous concern for the integrity and holiness of the family structure. This command serves several vital purposes: preventing societal chaos by establishing clear sexual boundaries, safeguarding genetic health by limiting consanguineous unions, and fundamentally distinguishing Israel's moral code from the promiscuous and often incestuous practices prevalent in the pagan cultures they were entering. The double prohibition within the verse—targeting both the mother-daughter dynamic and extending to granddaughters—demonstrates the comprehensive nature of the incest laws. The powerful condemnatory phrases, "close relatives" (shě’ēr) and "a lewd act" (zimmah), signify that such violations are not just statutory infractions but are deeply repugnant moral abominations that pollute both the individuals involved and the community. This law forms part of a broader call to holiness, teaching God's people that their moral conduct reflects His character and is integral to maintaining His covenant presence among them. The gravity of such a sin, which according to Lev 20:14 could result in being "burned with fire," reflects the severe consequences associated with deliberately defying God's ordained family order and embracing practices akin to the corrupt customs of those nations already condemned.