God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 20:16
16When a woman offers herself sexually to any animal, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They deserve to die.
Leviticus 20:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them.
Context of Leviticus 20:16
14When a man marries a woman and her mother, they have done a perverted thing. The man and the two women must be burned. Never do this perverted thing. 15A man who has sexual intercourse with an animal must be put to death. You must kill the animal, too. When a woman offers herself sexually to any animal, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They deserve to die. 17Whoever takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and has sexual intercourse does a shameful thing. They both must be publicly excluded from the people. He has had sexual intercourse with his sister and must be punished. 18If a man has sexual intercourse with a woman while she has her monthly period, both of them have had sexual intercourse in blood. They must be excluded from the people.
Read all of Leviticus 20Leviticus 20:16 word by word
וְאִשָּׁ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּקְרַ֤ב אֶל־כָּל־בְּהֵמָה֙ לְרִבְעָ֣ה אֹתָ֔הּ וְהָרַגְתָּ֥ אֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה מ֥וֹת יוּמָ֖תוּ דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Leviticus 20:16
- Leviticus 18:24“Do not become unclean in any of these ways. By these practices all the nations which I am forcing out of your way have become unclean.
- Exodus 19:13No one should touch them. They must be stoned or shot with arrows. No matter whether it’s an animal or a person, it must not live. The people may go up the mountain ⌞only⌟ when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast.”
- Exodus 21:28“Whenever a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat may not be eaten. The bull’s owner is free from any liability.
- Hebrews 12:20They couldn’t obey the command that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”
Commentaries on Leviticus 20:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16If a woman approach unto any beast - We have the authority of one of the most eminent historians in the world, Herodotus, to say that this was a crime not unknown in Egypt; yea, that a case of this nature actually took place while he was there. ' ͅ ͅ ͅ ' , . . - Herod. in Euterp., p. 108. Edit. Gale, Lond. 1679. "In this district, within my own recollection, this portentous business took place: a goat coupled so publicly with a woman that every person…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. 9-27Pagan worship influenced ethics, so God has family rules follow those about pagan religious practices. Some laws in this section repeat parts from Leviticus 18:6–30, which come before the section on proper expressions of holiness (19:1–37). These issues connect. Proper worship of God leads to good behavior toward others, while improper worship leads to moral violations.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 20:16
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries