God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 20:18
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.
Leviticus 20:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and uncovers her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from their people.
Context of Leviticus 20:18
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. 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. If 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. 19Never have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. Whoever has sexual intercourse with a close relative must be punished. 20Whoever has sexual intercourse with his uncle’s wife violates his uncle’s marriage. That man and woman are guilty of sin. They will die without children.
Read all of Leviticus 20Leviticus 20:18 word by word
וְ֠אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁכַּ֨ב אֶת־אִשָּׁ֜ה דָּוָ֗ה וְגִלָּ֤ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתָהּ֙ אֶת־מְקֹרָ֣הּ הֶֽעֱרָ֔ה וְהִ֕יא גִּלְּתָ֖ה אֶת־מְק֣וֹר דָּמֶ֑יהָ וְנִכְרְת֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And if a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- shall lieשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: have sexH7901
- with a womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- having her sicknessדָּוֶהdâveh · sickH1739
- and shall uncoverגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: uncoverH1540
- her nakednessעֶרְוָה‛ervâh · nakednessH6172
- he hath discoveredעָרָה‛ârâh · to uncoverH6168
- her fountainמָקוֹרmâqôr mâqôr · fountainH4726
- of her bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- and bothשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- of them shall be cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
- from amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
- their peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
Cross-references for Leviticus 20:18
- Leviticus 15:24If a man has sexual intercourse with her while she has her period, he will be unclean for seven days. Any bed he lies on will become unclean.
- Leviticus 18:19“Never have sexual intercourse with a woman while she is unclean during her monthly period.
- Ezekiel 18:6He doesn’t eat at the illegal mountain worship sites or look for help from the idols of the nation of Israel. He doesn’t dishonor his neighbor’s wife or have sexual intercourse with a woman while she is having her period.
- Ezekiel 22:10Men have sex with their father’s wives. They have sex with women when the women are having their periods and are unclean.
Commentaries on Leviticus 20:18
- 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 20:18
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
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