Focused Passage

Leviticus 20:10-16

Holiness, Judgment, and the LORD Who Sanctifies His People

The chapter begins with penalties for Molek worship and warnings against tolerating child sacrifice, then forbids turning to mediums and spiritists. It calls Israel to consecrate themselves because the LORD sanctifies them. It then gives penalties for cursing parents and for multiple sexual sins, including adultery, incest, same-sex intercourse, and bestiality. The chapter closes by commanding Israel to distinguish clean and unclean, reject the nations' practices, and live as the LORD's separated possession.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

10 If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.

11 If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both must surely be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is upon them.

13 If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

14 If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is depraved. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that there will be no depravity among you.

15 If a man lies carnally with an animal, he must be put to death. And you are also to kill the animal.

16 If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 10

Original words

If a man וְאִ֗ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular commits adultery יִנְאַף֙ H5003 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with אֶת־ H853 Preposition [another] man’s אִ֔ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular wife אֵ֣שֶׁת H802 Noun - feminine singular construct - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative - אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative - יִנְאַ֖ף H5003 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with אֶת־ H853 Preposition the wife אֵ֣שֶׁת H802 Noun - feminine singular construct of his neighbor רֵעֵ֑הוּ H7453 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular both the adulterer הַנֹּאֵ֖ף H5003 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular and the adulteress וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת׃ H5003 Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular must surely be put to death מֽוֹת־ H4191 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . יוּמַ֥ת H4191 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 11

Original words

If a man וְאִ֗ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative lies יִשְׁכַּב֙ H7901 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with אֶת־ H853 Preposition his father’s אָבִ֔יו H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular wife אֵ֣שֶׁת H802 Noun - feminine singular construct he has uncovered גִּלָּ֑ה H1540 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular his father’s אָבִ֖יו H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular nakedness עֶרְוַ֥ת H6172 Noun - feminine singular construct Both שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם H8147 Number - masculine dual construct | third person masculine plural must surely be put to death מֽוֹת־ H4191 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . יוּמְת֥וּ H4191 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural their blood דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם H1818 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural [is] upon them בָּֽם׃ Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 12

Original words

If a man וְאִ֗ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative lies יִשְׁכַּב֙ H7901 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with אֶת־ H853 Preposition his daughter-in-law כַּלָּת֔וֹ H3618 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular both שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם H8147 Number - masculine dual construct | third person masculine plural must surely be put to death מ֥וֹת H4191 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . יוּמְת֖וּ H4191 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural They have acted עָשׂ֖וּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural perversely תֶּ֥בֶל H8397 Noun - masculine singular their blood דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם H1818 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural [is] upon them בָּֽם׃ Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 13

Original words

If a man וְאִ֗ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative lies יִשְׁכַּ֤ב H7901 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with אֶת־ H853 Preposition a man זָכָר֙ H2145 Noun - masculine singular . . . מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י H4904 Noun - masculine plural construct as with a woman אִשָּׁ֔ה H802 Noun - feminine singular they have both שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם H8147 Number - masculine dual construct | third person masculine plural committed עָשׂ֖וּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural an abomination תּוֹעֵבָ֥ה H8441 Noun - feminine singular They must surely be put to death מ֥וֹת H4191 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . יוּמָ֖תוּ H4191 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural their blood דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם H1818 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural [is] upon them בָּֽם׃ Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 14

Original words

If a man וְאִ֗ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative marries יִקַּ֧ח H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker both a woman אִשָּׁ֛ה H802 Noun - feminine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and her mother אִמָּ֖הּ H517 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular it הִ֑וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular is depraved זִמָּ֣ה H2154 Noun - feminine singular Both he וְאֶתְהֶ֔ן H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker | third person feminine plural and they אֹתוֹ֙ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine singular must be burned יִשְׂרְפ֤וּ H8313 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural in the fire בָּאֵ֞שׁ H784 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular so that there will be תִהְיֶ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular no וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle depravity זִמָּ֖ה H2154 Noun - feminine singular among you בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃ H8432 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 15

Original words

If a man וְאִ֗ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative lies יִתֵּ֧ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular carnally שְׁכָבְתּ֛וֹ H7903 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular with an animal בִּבְהֵמָ֖ה H929 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular he must be put to death מ֣וֹת H4191 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . יוּמָ֑ת H4191 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular And וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker you are also to kill תַּהֲרֹֽגוּ׃ H2026 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural the animal הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה H929 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 16

Original words

If a woman וְאִשָּׁ֗ה H802 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative approaches תִּקְרַ֤ב H7126 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition any כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct animal בְּהֵמָה֙ H929 Noun - feminine singular to mate לְרִבְעָ֣ה H7250 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular with it אֹתָ֔הּ H854 Preposition | third person feminine singular you must kill וְהָרַגְתָּ֥ H2026 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular both אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the woman הָאִשָּׁ֖ה H802 Article | Noun - feminine singular and וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker the animal הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה H929 Article | Noun - feminine singular They must surely be put to death מ֥וֹת H4191 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . יוּמָ֖תוּ H4191 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural their blood דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם H1818 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural [is] upon them בָּֽם׃ Preposition | third person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.