Leviticus 18:21-30

21 "'You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, because this would show that you do not respect your God. I am the Lord.

22 "'You must not have sexual relations with a man as you would a woman. That is a hateful sin.

23 "'You must not have sexual relations with an animal and make yourself unclean with it. Also a woman must not have sexual relations with an animal; it is not natural.

24 "'Don't make yourself unclean by any of these wrong things. I am forcing nations out of their countries because they did these sins, and I am giving their land to you.

25 The land has become unclean, and I punished it for its sins, so the land is throwing out those people who live there.

26 "'You must obey my laws and rules, and you must not do any of these hateful sins. These rules are for the citizens of Israel and for the people who live with you.

27 The people who lived in the land before you did all these hateful things and made the land unclean.

28 If you do these things, you will also make the land unclean, and it will throw you out as it threw out the nations before you.

29 Anyone who does these hateful sins must be cut off from the people.

30 Keep my command not to do these hateful sins that were done by the people who lived in the land before you. Don't make yourself unclean by doing them. I am the Lord your God.'"

Leviticus 18:21-30 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.