God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 20:20
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.
Leviticus 20:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
Context of Leviticus 20:20
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. 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. Whoever 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. 21Whoever marries his brother’s wife violates his brother’s marriage and does an unclean thing. That man and woman will have no children. 22“If you carefully obey all my laws and my rules, the land I am bringing you to live in will not vomit you out.
Read all of Leviticus 20Leviticus 20:20 word by word
וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־דֹּ֣דָת֔וֹ עֶרְוַ֥ת דֹּד֖וֹ גִּלָּ֑ה חֶטְאָ֥ם יִשָּׂ֖אוּ עֲרִירִ֥ים יָמֻֽתוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And if a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- shall lieשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: have sexH7901
- with his uncle’s wifeדֹּדָהdôdâh · auntH1733
- he hath uncoveredגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: uncoverH1540
- his uncle’sדּוֹדdôd dôd · beloved: male relativeH1730
- nakednessעֶרְוָה‛ervâh · nakednessH6172
- they shall bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: guiltH5375
- their sinחֵטְאchêţ' · sinH2399
- they shall dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- childlessעֲרִירִי‛ărîyrîy · childlessH6185
Cross-references for Leviticus 20:20
- Leviticus 18:14Never have sexual intercourse with the wife of your father’s brother. She, too, is your aunt.
- Job 18:19He will not have any children or descendants among his people or any survivor where he used to live.
- Psalms 109:13Let his descendants be cut off and their family name be wiped out by the next generation.
- Jeremiah 22:30This is what the Lord says: Write this about Jehoiakin: He will be childless. He won’t prosper in his lifetime. None of his descendants will succeed him as king. They won’t sit on David’s throne and rule Judah again.
- Luke 1:7Yet, they never had any children because Elizabeth couldn’t become pregnant. Both of them were too old to have children.
- Luke 23:29The time is coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the women who couldn’t get pregnant, who couldn’t give birth, and who couldn’t nurse a child.’
Commentaries on Leviticus 20:20
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20They shall die childless - Either the offspring should not be regarded as lawfully theirs, nor be entitled to any hereditary privileges, or they should have no blessing in their children.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. 20-21Being childless brought public shame in society. People considered it a judgment from God (see Genesis 30:1–2; Deuteronomy 7:14). What situation do these verses describe? Leviticus 18:14,16 already discuss sexual relations with an uncle’s wife or sister-in-law. Deuteronomy 22:22 addresses adultery that results in death for both involved. If the woman was a widow without a male heir, the law of levirate marriage could apply (Deuteronomy 25:5–6; see study…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. they shall die childless--Either by the judgment of God they shall have no children, or their spurious offspring shall be denied by human authority the ordinary privileges of children in Israel.Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 20:20
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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