Leviticus 18:1-11

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the sons of Israel and say unto them, I AM your God.

3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, in which ye dwelt; nor shall you do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I bring you; neither shall ye walk in their statutes.

4 Ye shall comply with my rights and keep my statutes, walking in them. I AM your God.

5 Therefore you shall keep my rights and my statutes, of which the man doing them, shall live in them. I am the LORD.

6 No man shall approach any woman that is near of kin to him, to uncover her nakedness. I am the LORD.

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

8 The nakedness of thy father’s wife thou shalt 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 she is born at home or born abroad, their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

10 The nakedness of thy son’s daughter or of thy daughter’s daughter, their nakedness thou shalt not uncover; for theirs is thine own nakedness.

11 The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

Leviticus 18:1-11 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.