Leviticus 20 15

Leviticus 20:15 kjv

And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

Leviticus 20:15 nkjv

If a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal.

Leviticus 20:15 niv

"?'If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he is to be put to death, and you must kill the animal.

Leviticus 20:15 esv

If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal.

Leviticus 20:15 nlt

"If a man has sex with an animal, he must be put to death, and the animal must be killed.

Leviticus 20 verses

Leviticus 20 15 Meaning

Leviticus 20:15 pronounces a divine judgment against the abhorrent act of bestiality, commanding that "If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal." This law underscores the extreme severity of the sin, highlighting its violation of God's created order and its defilement of human sexuality and the land itself. Both the human perpetrator and the involved animal must be executed, signifying a total eradication of the defilement from the holy community and creation.

Leviticus 20 15 Context

Leviticus 20 stands as a re-emphasis and detailing of various laws previously mentioned, particularly sexual prohibitions outlined in chapter 18. This chapter focuses on the severe penalties, primarily the death penalty, for a range of behaviors deemed abominable (Hebrew: to'evah) in God's eyes, including idolatry, child sacrifice, and incest. Leviticus 20:15 addresses bestiality as part of this collection of forbidden sexual acts, highlighting its gravity. The entire Book of Leviticus, particularly the "Holiness Code" (chapters 17-27), stresses the importance of Israel's separation and holiness, distinguishing them from the pagan nations, especially the Egyptians and Canaanites, whose land they were to inhabit. These laws establish moral and cultic boundaries essential for Israel's unique covenant relationship with God and to prevent defilement of the land, which would otherwise "vomit them out."

Leviticus 20 15 Word analysis

• If a man (אִישׁ, 'ish): Refers to a male human, indicating the specific gender of the perpetrator, though Leviticus 20:16 addresses the woman in a similar scenario. This common phrasing specifies responsibility for individuals within the community.
• lies with (יִשְׁכַּב, yishkav): Derived from the Hebrew root שׁכב (shakab), this verb commonly denotes sexual intercourse, implying intimate physical contact. Its use here indicates the grave perversion of sexuality beyond human boundaries.
• an animal (בְּהֵמָה, behemah): This term typically refers to domesticated quadrupeds or beasts of burden, livestock. The specification suggests that this violation occurs within the Israelite's immediate environment, making the transgression all the more shocking as it defies order within their known, divinely created world.
• he shall surely be put to death (מוֹת יוּמָת, mot yumat): This is a Hebrew idiom, an infinitive absolute followed by a finite verb, creating an emphatic expression meaning "dying he shall die" or "he shall certainly die." It underscores the absolute and inescapable nature of the capital punishment. It is a non-negotiable, divine judgment for an unpardonable civil-cultic offense.
• and you shall kill (וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה תַּהֲרֹגוּ, ve'et-habehemah taharogu): This is a direct command to the community ("you" plural) to execute the animal. It emphasizes the communal responsibility in upholding divine justice and purity, purging evil from their midst.
• the animal: The animal's death is not due to its moral guilt (as animals cannot sin), but serves several purposes: to completely remove any trace or living memory of the defiling act; to prevent the potential spread of contamination or imitation; and to underscore the total abhorrence for the perversion, demonstrating that creation itself is polluted by such unnatural acts.

Words-group Analysis

• "If a man lies with an animal": This phrase fundamentally defines an act that transgresses the divinely established boundaries of creation. It blurs the distinction between humans (created in God's image, Gen 1:26-27) and animals (distinct "kinds," Gen 1:24-25), distorting the natural order and devaluing human sexuality as designed by God.
• "he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal": The double death penalty prescribed for both the human perpetrator and the animal signifies the extreme magnitude of the transgression. It communicates that the act is not merely a personal sin but a public defilement of God's holy creation and community, requiring total excision and purification. This underscores the radical seriousness of breaking foundational moral and natural laws.

Leviticus 20 15 Bonus section

• The law in Leviticus 20:15 (and 20:16 for a woman) highlights that purity extends beyond human interaction to human interaction with the natural world, particularly the animal kingdom. This concept emphasizes the deep interconnectedness of all creation and the repercussions of human sin upon it.
• The absence of specific legal precedents or mechanisms for forgiveness for bestiality, within the Law of Moses itself, suggests that certain public transgressions against foundational moral tenets were to be met with definitive, purifying excision from the community. Such acts, along with child sacrifice and spiritism, were non-negotiable capital offenses meant to prevent the entire nation from moral decay and divine judgment.
• This statute reinforces God's original creation account in Genesis, where humankind is distinct from and given dominion over animals (Gen 1:26-28), and where no animal was found to be a "suitable helper" for Adam (Gen 2:18-20). Bestiality shatters this divine hierarchical order and separation, reducing human sexuality to animalistic instincts and undermining the sanctity of life created in God's image.

Leviticus 20 15 Commentary

Leviticus 20:15 unequivocally condemns bestiality as an egregious transgression against God's established order. This prohibition is part of the extensive laws aimed at preserving the purity and holiness of the Israelite community, separating them distinctly from the sexually depraved practices of surrounding pagan nations where such acts, particularly involving animals sacred to fertility cults, were known. Bestiality defiled not only the individual but, more critically, the land itself (Lev 18:25), necessitating extreme measures for cleansing. The capital punishment for the human offender demonstrated the profound spiritual and social gravity of undermining human dignity and desecrating sexuality, designed for the sacred bond between male and female. The killing of the animal, while it possessed no moral culpability, further highlighted the abhorrence of the act, purifying the material world tainted by such unnatural perversion and eradicating any living monument to the sin. This verse thus stands as a foundational statement on sexual ethics, affirming distinct biological and moral boundaries for humanity, reflecting God’s own nature and order.