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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Leviticus 18:7

You must not expose your father's nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abomination;   Copulation;   Incest;   Marriage;   Mother;   The Topic Concordance - Sexual Activities;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Affinity;   Marriage;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Fornication;   Marriage;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Family Life and Relations;   Homosexuality;   Immorality, Sexual;   Incest;   Worship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Affinity;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bastard;   Incest;   Leviticus;   Naked;   Pentateuch;   Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Marriage;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Affinity;   Incest;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bastard;   Genesis;   Law in the Old Testament;   Leviticus;   Relationships, Family;   Woman;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Affinity;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Capital Punishment;   Incest;   Marriage Laws;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
You must not expose your father's nakedness or your mother's nakedness—she is your mother; you must not expose her nakedness.
New Century Version
"‘You must not shame your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have sexual relations with her.
Amplified Bible
'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
New American Standard Bible
'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy father, nor the shame of thy mother: for she is thy mother, thou shalt not discouer her shame.
Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness.
Contemporary English Version
especially your own mother. This would disgrace your father.
Complete Jewish Bible
You are not to have sexual relations with your father, and you are not to have sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother — do not have sexual relations with her.
Darby Translation
The nakedness of thy father, and the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother: thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Easy-to-Read Version
"You must never have sexual relations with your father or mother. She is your mother, so you must not have sexual relations with her.
English Standard Version
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.
George Lamsa Translation
You shall not shame your father by approaching your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
Good News Translation
Do not disgrace your father by having intercourse with your mother. You must not disgrace your own mother.
Christian Standard Bible®
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.
Literal Translation
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou shalt not vncouer ye preuytie of yi father & of yi mother. It is thy mother, therfore shalt thou not vncouer hir preuytie.
American Standard Version
The nakedness of thy father, even the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Bible in Basic English
You may not have sex relations with your father or your mother: she is your mother, you may not take her.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The nakednesse of thy father, & the nakednesse of thy mother shalt thou not vncouer, for she is thy mother: therfore shalt thou not discouer her nakednesse.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The nakedness of thy father, and the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
King James Version (1611)
The nakednesse of thy father, or the nakednesse of thy mother, shalt thou not vncouer: she is thy mother, thou shalt not vncouer her nakednesse.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, for she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
English Revised Version
The nakedness of thy father, even the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Berean Standard Bible
You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou schalt not diskyuere the filthe of thi fadir and the filthe of thi modir; sche is thi modir, thou schalt not schewe hir filthe.
Young's Literal Translation
`The nakedness of thy father and the nakedness of thy mother thou dost not uncover, she [is] thy mother; thou dost not uncover her nakedness.
Update Bible Version
The nakedness of your father, even the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover. She is your mother, you shall not have sex with her.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
The nakedness of your father, even the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover: she is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.
New King James Version
The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.
New Living Translation
"Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.
New Life Bible
Do not put your father to shame by taking the clothes off your mother. She is your mother. Do not take her clothes off.
New Revised Standard
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.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The shame of thy father, even the shame of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover, - thy mother, she is, thou shalt not uncover her shame.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother: she is thy mother, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Revised Standard Version
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.
THE MESSAGE
"Don't violate your father by having sex with your mother. She is your mother. Don't have sex with her.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness.

Contextual Overview

6 "‘No man is to approach any close relative to have sexual intercourse with her. I am the Lord . 7 You must not expose your father's nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her. 8 You must not have sexual intercourse with your father's wife; she is your father's nakedness. 9 You must not have sexual intercourse with your sister, whether she is your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she is born in the same household or born outside it; you must not have sexual intercourse with either of them. 10 You 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. 11 You 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. 12 You must not have sexual intercourse with your father's sister; she is your father's flesh. 13 You must not have sexual intercourse with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's flesh. 14 You must not expose the nakedness of your father's brother; you must not approach his wife to have sexual intercourse with her. She is your aunt. 15 You must not have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife. You must not have intercourse with her.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Leviticus 20:11, Ezekiel 22:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:32 - seed Genesis 19:33 - drink Genesis 19:36 - General Leviticus 18:6 - to uncover

Cross-References

Genesis 18:15
Then Sarah lied, saying, "I did not laugh," because she was afraid. But the Lord said, "No! You did laugh."
Genesis 18:16
When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom. (Now Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.)
Genesis 19:3
But he urged them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate.
Amos 6:4
They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, and sprawl out on their couches. They eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the middle of the pen.
Malachi 1:14
"There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the Lord who rules over all, "and my name is awesome among the nations."
Matthew 22:4
Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, "Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet."'
Luke 15:23
Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate,
Luke 15:27
The slave replied, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.'
Luke 15:30
But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother,

shall thou not uncover,.... By uncovering a father's nakedness is not meant anything similar to what befell Noah, which Ham beheld with pleasure, and the other two sons of Noah studiously and with reverence to their father covered; nor any sodomitical practice of a son with his father; as Gersom interprets it; but the same is meant by both phrases, and the words are by many interpreters thus rendered, "the nakedness of thy father, that is x, the nakedness of thy mother thou shalt not uncover": for what is the mother's is the father's, and uncovering the one is uncovering the other; wherefore the mother only is made mention of in the next clause, where the reason of this prohibition is given:

she [is] thy mother, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness; that is, not lie with her, nor marry her, because she is his mother that bore him, of whom he was born, and therefore ought not to become his wife, or be taken into his bed; such a marriage must be incestuous and shocking; such were the marriages of Oedipus with his mother Jocasta, and of Nero with Agrippina; though the words will bear another sense, that a woman may not marry her father, which may be meant by the first clause, nor a man his mother, intended in the next; and where indeed it is not expressed, females in the same degree of relation are included with the males, and under the same prohibition; and so the Targum of Jonathan explains this, a woman shall not have to do with her father, nor a man with his mother; as Lot's two daughters had with him, and the Persians with their mothers; among whom such incestuous marriages and copulations were frequent, and especially among their Magi y who might not perform their office unless they had lain with their mothers, sisters, and daughters z, or were begotten in such incest a: a man guilty of such incestuous copulations was cursed by the law of Moses,

Deuteronomy 27:20; this is contrary to nature, what the brute creation abhors; a camel will not cover its dam: Aristotle b reports of one who was betrayed into it by his keeper, who, after he had discovered it, fixed his teeth in him and slew him; and he also relates of a horse after that he had ignorantly done the same, ran away in great haste and cast himself down from a precipice headlong.

x וערות "id est, nuditatem vel pudenda", Vatablus, Fagius, Piscator. y Sex. Empir. Pyrrh. l. 3. c. 24. z Patricides apud Selden. de jure natur. Gent. l. 5. c. 11. p. 624. a "Nam magus ex matre et gnato nascatur oportet." Catull. Epigr. 91. b Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 47.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Or - It might be rendered “and”, or rather, even; that is, which belongs to both parents as being “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24; compare Leviticus 18:8, Leviticus 18:14). These prohibitions are addressed to men.


 
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