Leviticus 18:17-27

17 The nakedness of a woman and her daughter shalt thou not uncover; her son's daughter, and her daughter's daughter, shalt thou not take, to uncover their nakedness, for they are thy kinswomen: it is impiety.

18 Thou shalt not take a wife in addition to her sister, as a rival, to uncover her nakedness in opposition to her, while she is yet living.

19 And thou shalt not go in to a woman under separation for her uncleanness, to uncover her nakedness.

20 And thou shalt not lie with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.

21 And thou shalt not give of thy seed to serve a ruler; and thou shalt not profane my holy name; I the Lord.

22 And thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman, for it is an abomination.

23 Neither shalt thou lie with any quadruped for copulation, to be polluted with it: neither shall a woman present herself before any quadruped to have connexion with it; for it is an abomination.

24 Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for in all these things the nations are defiled, which I drive out before you,

25 and the land is polluted; and I have recompensed their iniquity to them because of it, and the land is aggrieved with them that dwell upon it.

26 And ye shall keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and ye shall do none of these abominations; neither the native, nor the stranger that joins himself with you:

27 (for all these abominations the men of the land did who were before you, and the land was defiled,)

Leviticus 18:17-27 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.