Leviticus 18ESV
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Leviticus18

English Standard Version

1And the Lord to , ,

2 to the of and to them, I am the Lord your .

3You shall not as they in the of , where you , and you shall not as they in the of , to which I am you. You shall in their .

4You shall my and my and in them. I am the Lord your .

5You shall therefore my and my ; a them, he shall by them: I am the Lord.

6 of you shall any one of his to . I am the Lord.

7You shall not the of your , which is the of your ; she is your , you shall not her .

8You shall not the of your ; it is your .

9You shall not the of your , your or your , whether in the or in .

10You shall not the of your or of your , is your own .

11You shall not the of your , in your family, since she is your .

12You shall not the of your ; she is your .

13You shall not the of your , for she is your .

14You shall not the of your , that is, you shall not his ; she is your .

15You shall not the of your ; she is your , you shall not her .

16You shall not the of your ; it is your .

17You shall not the of a and of her , and you shall not her or her to her ; they are ; it is .

18And you shall not a woman as a to her , her while her sister is still .

19You shall not a to her while she is in her .

20And you shall with your and so make yourself with her.

21You shall not any of your to them to , and so the of your : I am the Lord.

22You shall not with a as a ; it is an .

23And you shall with any and so make yourself with it, neither shall any an to with it: it is .

24Do not make yourselves by of these , for by these the I am you have become ,

25and the became , so that I its , and the its .

26But you shall my and my and do of these , either the or the who you

27(for the of the , were you, of , so that the became ),

28lest the vomit you when you make it , as it the that was you.

29For who any of these , the who them shall be from their .

30So my never to of these that were you, and never to make yourselves by them: I am the Lord your .

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 18.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Unlawful marriages and fleshly lusts. (1-30).

vv1-30

Here is a law against all conformity to the corrupt usages of the heathen. Also laws against incest, against brutal lusts, and barbarous idolatries; and the enforcement of these laws from the ruin of the Canaanites. God here gives moral precepts. Close and constant adherence to God's ordinances is the most effectual preservative from gross sin. The grace of God only will secure us; that grace is to be expected only in the use of the means of grace. Nor does He ever leave any to their hearts' lusts, till they have left him and his services.

Cross References

Leviticus 18
v5Romans 10:5quotation

Paul explicitly quotes Leviticus 18:5 ('the man which doeth those things shall live in them') regarding legal righteousness.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v5Galatians 3:12quotation

Paul quotes the phrase 'the man that doeth them shall live in them' to contrast law and faith.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v26Leviticus 18:5thematic

Provides the foundational promise of life for keeping the statutes and judgments.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v5Luke 10:28allusion

Jesus echoes the life promise of Leviticus 18:5 to the lawyer: 'this do, and thou shalt live.'

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

Paul condemns a man having 'his father's wife' as incest not even named among the Gentiles.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v21Leviticus 20:2thematic

Specifies the capital penalty for giving seed to Molech, expanding on verse 21.

Supported by John Calvin

v22Leviticus 20:13thematic

Prescribes the capital punishment for the homosexual act forbidden as an abomination in verse 22.

Supported by John Calvin

v23Leviticus 20:15thematic

Establishes the penalty for bestiality, which is prohibited in verse 23.

Supported by John Calvin

v24Leviticus 20:23thematic

Repeats warning against walking in the manners of the nations cast out before them.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

v5Matthew 19:17allusion

Jesus' statement 'if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments' echoes the promise of verse 5.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v8Genesis 35:22thematic

Reuben's sin with Bilhah, his father's concubine, violates the prohibition against uncovering a father's wife's nakedness.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v8Genesis 49:4thematic

Jacob's dying words denounce Reuben for defiling his couch, referring back to the incest forbidden here.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Prohibits making sons or daughters pass through the fire, parallel to Molech worship.

Supported by John Calvin

Condemns the pagan practice of burning children in the fire to their gods.

Supported by John Calvin

v26Romans 10:5allusion

Apostolic theological application of the 'do and live' principle of Leviticus 18.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v28Leviticus 20:22thematic

Warning that the land will vomit Israel out if they commit these abominations.

Supported by John Calvin

v5Ezekiel 20:11allusion

Ezekiel explicitly cites God's giving of statutes which 'if a man do, he shall even live in them.'

Supported by Matthew Poole

The formal covenant curse pronounced upon anyone who lies with his father's wife, echoing verse 8.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v16Deuteronomy 25:5contrast

The levirate marriage law provides a specific, divinely mandated exception to the general prohibition in verse 16.

v16Matthew 14:4thematic

John the Baptist's rebuke to Herod: 'It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.'

v212 Kings 23:10thematic

Historical fulfillment where Josiah defiled Topheth to stop child sacrifices to Molech.

Supported by JFB

v21Jeremiah 32:35thematic

Prophetic condemnation of Israel building high places to cause children to pass through fire to Molech.

Supported by John Calvin

v22Romans 1:27thematic

New Testament parallel exposing the same unnatural practices as errors worthy of judgment.

Supported by JFB

Pronounces a formal curse upon anyone who lies with any manner of beast.

Supported by John Calvin

v7Ezekiel 22:10thematic

Ezekiel denounces Jerusalem for uncovering their fathers' nakedness and humbling women set apart for pollution.

v8Leviticus 20:11thematic

The penal counterpart to verse 8, prescribing the death penalty for lying with a father's wife.

v92 Samuel 13:12thematic

Tamar appeals to the prohibition of sibling incest, pleading with Amnon not to do such folly.

v16Leviticus 20:21thematic

Prescribes the specific penalty (childlessness) for taking a brother's wife, reinforcing the prohibition of verse 16.

v20Leviticus 20:10thematic

Declares the death penalty for both the adulterer and adulteress, backing the prohibition in verse 20.

v21Leviticus 19:12thematic

Parallels the prohibition against profaning the name of your God.

Supported by John Calvin

v30Leviticus 18:3thematic

Reinforces the command not to do after the customs of Egypt or Canaan.

Supported by Matthew Poole