Leviticus 18:1-9

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I [am] the LORD your God.

3 After the doings of the land of Egypt in which 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.

4 Ye shall perform my judgments, and keep my ordinances, to walk in them; I [am] the LORD your God.

5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments: which if a man doeth, he shall live in them: I [am] the LORD.

6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover [their] nakedness: I am the LORD.

7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she [is] thy mother, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

8 The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it [is] thy father's nakedness.

9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, [whether] born at home, or born abroad, [even] their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

Leviticus 18:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 18

In this chapter the Israelites are directed in general not to imitate the customs and practices of the Egyptians and Canaanites, but to keep the ordinances, statutes, and judgments of the Lord, Le 18:1-5; and they are instructed particularly to avoid incestuous marriages, Le 18:6-18; carnal copulation with a menstruous woman, Le 18:19; adultery, Le 18:20; letting any of their seed pass through the fire to Molech, Le 18:21; sodomy, Le 18:22; and bestiality, Le 18:23; and they are deterred from these things by observing to them the pollution and destruction which they brought on the inhabitants of Canaan, and would bring the same on them should they commit them, Le 18:24-30.