Leviticus 20:18

18 If a man lies with a menstruating woman and has sexual relations with her, ^[a] he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered the source of her blood. Both of them must be cut off from among their people.

Leviticus 20:18 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 20:18

And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness
Her monthly courses, which make her weak and languid, which is forbidden, ( Leviticus 18:19 ) ; this is not to be understood of a man's lying with his wife ignorantly, when in such a condition, for this being the case, he was only unclean seven days, ( Leviticus 15:24 ) ; whereas this made him and her liable to cutting off, as in an after clause; but of his lying with her, knowing this to be the case with her, and of which she could not be ignorant, and therefore both liable to the same punishment; or else of any other man lying with her, or of any man lying with any woman, married or unmarried, being in such circumstances: and shall uncover her nakedness;
that is, have carnal knowledge of her: he hath discovered her fountain;
from whence her issue of blood flows: and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood; freely and willingly, as Aben Ezra observes; for if she had been forced, he alone would have been cut off; but both these phrases put together show agreement in this matter, that they both had knowledge of her case, and both consented to commit the sin: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people;
by death, either by the hand of the civil magistrate, the case being known and proved, or else by the hand of God being known by mortality or the pestilence, as the Targum of Jonathan, or they should die childless; (See Gill on Leviticus 20:17).

Leviticus 20:18 In-Context

16 If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

17 If a man marries his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister; he shall bear his iniquity.

18 If a man lies with a menstruating woman and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered the source of her blood. Both of them must be cut off from among their people.

19 You must not have sexual relations with the sister of your mother or your father, for it is exposing one’s own kin; both shall bear their iniquity.

20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally uncovers her nakedness; similarly in verse 19