18:2 I am Yahweh your God By proclaiming this at the onset, Leviticus again emphasizes that these laws are rooted in the character of God. The proclamation is repeated, with some variation, in Lev 18:4, 5, 6, and 21.

18:3 You must not carry out the practices of The sexual standards for Israel are presented as a direct contrast with those of Egypt and Canaan. In this way, the writer references Israel’s past and future and reinforces the idea that Israel is to stand apart from its geo-political context.

the land of Egypt Many pharaonic dynasties were known for near-kinship marriages.

the land of Canaan In the ot, the Canaanites are regularly associated with sexual immorality (Gen 19:5–6; Ezek 16:3; compare Deut 20:16–18). In Lev 18:24–30, the defilement of the land and the resulting judgment is linked to Canaanite sexuality.

you must not follow their statutes A warning against following the social and legal customs of the Canaanites.

18:6 his close relative The Hebrew idiom here essentially means one’s own flesh and blood. However, relatives by marriage are also included in the prohibitions by virtue of their connection with someone who is a flesh and blood relative (see Lev 18:14–16).

expose nakedness A common Hebrew idiom appears here and throughout the chapter; it consists of a form of the Hebrew verb galah, meaning “reveal” or “uncover,” and the noun erwah, meaning “nakedness.” The idiom of “uncovering nakedness” is a common euphemism for sexual intercourse (or relations). The general command here to not “uncover nakedness” of close relatives is elaborated in the following verses that spell out exactly who is part of the class of close relatives.

18:7 your mother’s nakedness Even though the text mentions both the father and the mother, the topic is the mother and the phrase erwath avikha (“nakedness of your father”) refers to the father’s wife. This idiomatic usage has implications for interpreting the similar language of Gen 9:22 (see note on Gen 9:22–24).

18:8 your father’s wife Refers to a wife other than the individual’s mother. In patriarchal, ancient Near Eastern cultures, a man often had more than one wife. Having sex with any of one’s father’s wives was forbidden.

18:9 your sister’s Relations with full or half sisters are forbidden.

born at home or born abroad Reinforces the prohibition against sexual intercourse with sisters, whether full, half, or step.

18:14 your father’s brother Forbids sexual relations with an uncle’s wife.

18:16 your brother’s wife Forbids sexual relations with a sister-in-law. An exception is made if the brother died without leaving a male heir. In this case, a surviving brother produces an heir for his brother with his brother’s widow. This is known as levirate marriage (Deut 25:5–10; compare Gen 38).

18:17 they are close relatives If a woman is taken as a wife, then sexual relations with her daughters and granddaughters are forbidden.

18:18 during her life Ostensibly to curb any sibling rivalry.

menstrual uncleanness Prohibits intercourse during times of menstrual impurity (see 15:24 and note).

18:20 your fellow citizen’s wife This prohibition echoes the seventh commandment prohibiting adultery (Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18).

with your fellow citizen’s wife, becoming unclean with her Here, immorality and uncleanness (ritual impurity) coincide.

18:21 Molech A Semitic deity worshiped by some Canaanite peoples. Mention of this deity in the ot is often connected with child sacrifice. Second Kings 23:10 indicates that children were sacrificed to Molech under King Manasseh. A religious site to Molech was located near Jerusalem in the time of Josiah.

18:22 you shall not lie with a male Most major ancient Near Eastern cultures contemporary with ot Israel considered homosexuality—along with other practices like incest or bestiality—to be deviant, but not a capital crime (compare 20:13, 15–16, 17).

a detestable thing The Hebrew word used here, to'evah, refers to something deeply offensive (see vv. 26, 27, 29; compare Gen 46:34; Exod 8:26). The word is often used with reference to idolatry (Deut 18:9; Ezek 5:11).

18:23 with any animal Describes bestiality—a death penalty offense in Israel (Exod 22:19; Lev 20:15; Deut 27:21).

a perversion Bestiality is labeled as tevel, which comes from the root balal, meaning “mix.” Another perversion is proclaimed in Lev 20:12, when a man lays with his daughter-in-law. Tevel is a synonym of to'evah.

18:24 were made unclean In addition to the implication of immorality, these infractions also have a cultic dynamic, rendering the perpetrator ceremonially unclean.

the nations whom I am driving out According to Exod 23:28–31, Israel’s incursion into the promised land was a means of judgment upon the previous inhabitants. Leviticus emphasizes Israel’s need to not fall victim to the same lifestyles.

18:25 the land became unclean Impurity and immorality have consequences that transcend humanity. People and land exist in a symbiotic relationship.

land has vomited out its inhabitants A stark image that reinforces the repulsiveness of their actions.

18:26 the native nor the alien who is dwelling in your midst) shall keep my statutes and my regulations, and you shall not practice These stipulations were not restricted by ethnic considerations. Anyone living among Israel were obliged to keep these holiness laws.

18:27 who were before you Refers to the Canaanites.

18:28 make it unclean By speaking both about the uncleanness of the people and that of the land (polluted by the actions of the people), Lev 18:27–28 emphasizes the relationship between the cleanness of the land and that of the people inhabiting it.

18:29 shall be cut off from the midst of their people As with the prohibitions on deviant sexual relations, the threat of excommunication underscores the egregiousness of the infraction.

18:30 I am Yahweh your God The passage closes emphatically by anchoring a call to obedience to the character of Yahweh.