Leviticus 20:17

Leviticus 20:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness, and he shall bear his iniquity.
• New King James Version (NKJV)‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his guilt.

Context of Leviticus 20:17

15A man is sinning if he has sex with an animal. You must kill the man and the animal. 16A woman is sinning if she has sex with an animal. You must kill the woman and the animal. Their sin causes their death. It is a sin if a man marries his sister. She may be the daughter of his father or of his mother. It is a sin if he has sex with her. The people must send them away. He has taken away his sister's honour. He must carry the punishment for his sin. 18A man must not have sex with a woman when she is bleeding. If he does, it is a sin. They have not obeyed the rules of the Lord. The people must send them away. 19A man must not have sex with his mother's sister or with his father's sister. They are both doing a wrong thing. They are taking away the family's honour. Their sin causes their punishment.

Leviticus 20:17 word by word

וְאִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִקַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲחֹת֡וֹ בַּת־אָבִ֣יו א֣וֹ בַת־אִ֠מּוֹ וְרָאָ֨ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתָ֜הּ וְהִֽיא־תִרְאֶ֤ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתוֹ֙ חֶ֣סֶד ה֔וּא וְנִ֨כְרְת֔וּ לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י עַמָּ֑ם עֶרְוַ֧ת אֲחֹת֛וֹ גִּלָּ֖ה עֲוֹנ֥וֹ יִשָּֽׂא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• shall takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947
• his sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• his father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• orאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
• his mother’sאֵם'êm · motherH517
• and seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• her nakednessעֶרְוָה‛ervâh · nakednessH6172
• a wicked thingחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · shameH2617
• and they shall be cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• in the sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• of their peopleבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of their peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• he hath uncoveredגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: uncoverH1540
• he shall bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: guiltH5375
• his iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771

Cross-references for Leviticus 20:17

• Leviticus 18:9Do not have sex with your sister. Do not have sex with a sister who is your mother's daughter or your father's daughter. It does not matter if she was born in your house or in another house. Do not have sex with any sister.
• Genesis 20:12And also, she really is my sister. She is the daughter of my father. But she is not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife.
• Deuteronomy 27:22‘God will curse any man who has sex with his sister, whether she is his father's daughter or his mother's daughter.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Yes, we agree!’
• 2 Samuel 13:12Tamar answered him, ‘Do not do this, my brother! Do not make me ashamed. Nobody in Israel would do such a wicked thing. Do not be so foolish!
• Ezekiel 22:11One man has sex with another man's wife. Another man has sex with his son's wife. Another man among you has sex with the daughter of his own father. These are disgusting things to do.

Commentaries on Leviticus 20:17

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Cut off … - See Exodus 31:14 note. The more full expression here used probably refers to some special form of public excommunication, accompanied, it may be, by expulsion from the camp.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-27Verses 10-27 These verses repeat what had been said before, but it was needful there should be line upon line. What praises we owe to God that he has taught the evil of sin, and the sure way of deliverance from it! May we have grace to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; may we have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17a disgrace: Proper behavior brings honor to individuals and their families. Improper behavior brings shame. Both parties are cut off, but they will punish the man (see Leviticus 7:20–21; 5:1; 18:6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-197-19. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy--The minute specification of the incestuous and unnatural crimes here enumerated shows their sad prevalence amongst the idolatrous nations around, and the extreme proneness of the Israelites to follow the customs of their neighbors. It is to be understood, that, whenever mention is made that the offender was "to be put to death" without describing the mode, stoning is meant. The only instance of another…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 20:17

• Incest
• Marriage
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• Accomplish
• Crucifixion
• Wizard
• Bastard
• Clean
• Criticism
• Ezekiel
• Genesis
• Holiness
• Iniquity

Commentaries on Leviticus 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings