^18:6“ ‘No man is to approach any close relative⁸ to have sexual intercourse with her.⁹ I am the Lord.¹⁰^18:7You must not¹¹ expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother.¹² She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her. ^18:8You must not have sexual intercourse with your father’s wife; she is your father’s nakedness.¹³^18:9You must not have sexual intercourse with your sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter,¹⁴ whether she is born in the same household or born outside it;¹⁵ you must not have sexual intercourse with either of them.¹⁶^18:10You must not expose the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter by having sexual intercourse with them, because they are your own nakedness.¹⁷^18:11You must not have sexual intercourse with the daughter of your father’s wife born of your father; she is your sister. You must not have intercourse with her.¹⁸^18:12You must not have sexual intercourse with your father’s sister; she is your father’s flesh.¹⁹

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Footnotes

8 Heb “Man, man shall not draw near to any flesh (שְׁאֵר, shé’er) of his body/flesh (בָּשָׂר, basar).” The repetition of the word “man” is distributive, meaning “any (or “every”) man” ( §123.c; cf. Lev 15:2). The two words for “flesh” are combined to refer to emphasize the physical familial relatedness (see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [], , and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [], ).
9 Heb “to uncover [her] nakedness” (cf. , , , ), which is clearly euphemistic for sexual intercourse (see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [], , and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [], ). This expression occurs a number of times in the following context and is generally translated “have sexual intercourse with [someone],” although in the case of the father mentioned in the following verse the expression may be connected to the shame or disgrace that would belong to the father whose wife’s sexuality is violated by his son. See the note on the word “mother” in v. .
10 The general statement prohibiting sexual intercourse between close relatives serves as an opening summary statement for the following section, which gives details concerning which degrees of relationship are specifically forbidden.
11 The verbal negative here is the same as that used in the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:4–5, 7, 13–17). It suggests permanent prohibition rather than a simple negative command and could, therefore, be rendered “must not” here and throughout the following section as it is in vv. 3–4 above.
12 Heb “The nakedness of your father and [i.e., even] the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover.” Commentators suggest that the point of referring to the father’s nakedness is that the mother’s sexuality belongs to the father and is forbidden to the son on that account (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [], , and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [], ). The expression may, however, derive from the shame of nakedness when exposed. If one exposes his mother’s nakedness to himself it is like openly exposing the father’s nakedness (cf. Gen 9:22–23 with the background of Gen 2:25 and 3:7, 21). The same essential construction is used in v. 10 where the latter explanation makes more sense than the former.
13 Heb “the nakedness of your father she is.” See the note on v. above. This law refers to another wife of the man’s father, who is not that man’s mother. The laws in the Pentateuch sometimes assume the possibility that a man may have more than one wife (cf., e.g., Deut 21:15–17).
14 Heb “the daughter of your father or the daughter of your mother.”
15 Heb “born of house or born of outside.” interprets as “whether you grew up together or not” (cf. also , ).
16 Several medieval Hebrew , , , and have “her nakedness” rather than “their nakedness,” thus agreeing with singular “sister” at the beginning of the verse. For a smooth English translation “either of” was added.
17 That is, to have sexual intercourse with one’s granddaughter would be like openly exposing one’s own shameful nakedness (see the note on v. above).
18 Heb “The nakedness of the daughter of your father’s wife born of your father, she is your sister; you must not uncover her nakedness.” That is, a half sister, the daughter of the man’s father by another wife, who is not the man’s mother, is to be considered a true sister. Therefore, the man must not have sexual intercourse with her.
19 A few medieval Hebrew , the , , and all read “because she is the flesh of your father,” like the of v. 13.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relative.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“ ‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.

“ ‘Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.

“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father.

“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.

“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.

“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“You are not to come near any close relative for sexual intercourse; I am the Lord. You are not to violate the intimacy that belongs to your father and mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual intercourse with her. You are not to have sex with your father’s wife; she is your father’s family. You are not to have sexual intercourse with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s, whether born at home or born elsewhere. You are not to have sex with her. You are not to have sexual intercourse with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for they are your family. You are not to have sexual intercourse with your father’s wife’s daughter, who is adopted by your father; she is your sister. You are not to have sexual intercourse with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.

NLTNew Living Translation

“You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the Lord.

“Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

“Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.

“Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else’s.

“Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether she is your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for this would violate yourself.

“Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.

“Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister, for she is your father’s close relative.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“ ‘None of you shall approach anyone who is his close relative to expose nakedness; I am Yahweh. You must not expose your father’s nakedness or your mother’s nakedness—she is your mother; you must not expose her nakedness. You must not expose the nakedness of your father’s wife—it is your father’s nakedness. As for your sister’s nakedness, whether your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born at home or born abroad, you must not expose their nakedness. As for the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, you must not expose their nakedness, because they are your nakedness. As for the nakedness of the daughter of your father’s wife, she is your sister, a relative of your father; you must not expose her nakedness. You must not expose the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.

KJV 1900King James Version

None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord. The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover. The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness. The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman.

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