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New King James Version

Leviticus 18:6

"None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the LORD.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Affinity;   Marriage;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ethics;   Fornication;   Marriage;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Family Life and Relations;   Flesh;   Immorality, Sexual;   Incest;   Worship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Affinity;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bastard;   Body;   Ethics;   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;   Leviticus;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Marriage;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Incest;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bastard;   Flesh;   Genesis;   Kinsman;   Law in the Old Testament;   Leviticus;   Tobit, Book of;   Woman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ethics;   Incest;   Marriage Laws;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"'None of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
King James Version
None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord .
Lexham English Bible
"‘None of you shall approach anyone who is his close relative to expose nakedness; I am Yahweh.
New Century Version
"‘You must never have sexual relations with your close relatives. I am the Lord .
New English Translation
"‘No man is to approach any close relative to have sexual intercourse with her. I am the Lord .
Amplified Bible
'No one shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness (have intimate relations). I am the LORD.
New American Standard Bible
'None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; I am the LORD.
Geneva Bible (1587)
None shall come neere to any of ye kinred of his flesh to vncouer her shame: I am the Lord.
Legacy Standard Bible
‘None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; I am Yahweh.
Contemporary English Version
Don't have sex with any of your close relatives,
Complete Jewish Bible
(LY: vi) "‘None of you is to approach anyone who is a close relative in order to have sexual relations; I am Adonai .
Darby Translation
No one shall approach to any that is his near relation, to uncover his nakedness: I am Jehovah.
Easy-to-Read Version
"You must never have sexual relations with your close relatives. I am the Lord .
English Standard Version
"None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord .
George Lamsa Translation
None of you shall be intimate with any that is near of kin to him to uncover her nakedness; I am the LORD.
Good News Translation
The Lord gave the following regulations. Do not have sexual intercourse with any of your relatives.
Christian Standard Bible®
“You are not to come near any close relative for sexual intercourse; I am the Lord.
Literal Translation
None of you shall draw near to any relative of his flesh to uncover their nakedness; I am Jehovah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
No ma shal come at his nexte kinßwoma, to vncouer hir preuytie: for I am ye LORDE.
American Standard Version
None of you shall approach to any that are near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am Jehovah.
Bible in Basic English
You may not have sex connection with anyone who is a near relation: I am the Lord.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
None shall approche to any kinred of his fleshe, for to vncouer their nakednesse: I am the Lorde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness. I am the LORD.
King James Version (1611)
None of you shall approche to any that is neere of kinne to him, to vncouer their nakednesse: I am the Lord.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
No man shall draw nigh to any of his near kindred to uncover their nakedness; I am the Lord.
English Revised Version
None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ech man schal not neiy to the nyy womman of his blood, that he schewe `the filthe of hir; Y am the Lord.
Young's Literal Translation
`None of you unto any relation of his flesh doth draw near to uncover nakedness; I [am] Jehovah.
Update Bible Version
Any man shall not have sex with anyone that is near of kin to him: I am Yahweh.
Webster's Bible Translation
None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover [their] nakedness: I am the LORD.
World English Bible
None of you shall approach to any who are close relatives to him, to uncover [their] nakedness: I am Yahweh.
New Living Translation
"You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the Lord .
New Life Bible
‘You should not go near a person of your own family to have sex. I am the Lord.
New Revised Standard
None of you shall approach anyone near of kin to uncover nakedness: I am the Lord .
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
No person whatsoever, unto any of the near kin of his own flesh, shall approach to uncover the parts of shame, - I, am Yahweh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
No man shall approach to her that is near of kin to him, to uncover her nakedness. I am the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
"None of you shall approach any one near of kin to him to uncover nakedness. I am the LORD.
THE MESSAGE
"Don't have sex with a close relative. I am God .
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; I am the LORD.

Contextual Overview

6 "None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the LORD. 7 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. 8 The nakedness of your father's wife you shall not uncover; it is your father's nakedness. 9 The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover. 10 The nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness. 11 The nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, begotten by your father--she is your sister--you shall not uncover her nakedness. 12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is near of kin to your father. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is near of kin to your mother. 14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law--she is your son's wife--you shall not uncover her nakedness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

near to kin: Heb. remainder of his flesh. Notwithstanding the prohibitions here, it must be evident, that in the infancy of the world, persons very near of kin, and even brothers and sisters, must have joined in matrimonial alliances; and therefore we cannot pronounce them immoral in themselves. But, in these first instances, necessity required it; but when this necessity no longer existed, the thing became inexpedient and improper for:

1. As human nature now is, it is very expedient that those who are so much together in youth, should, by such a restriction be taught to look upon all such intercourse as prohibited and incestuous; for unless such restrictions are made, it would be impossible to prevent the prevalence of very early corruption among young persons. - See Michaelis on the laws of Moses, Art. 108.

2. That the duties owing by nature to relatives might not be confounded with those of a social or political kind; for could a man be a brother and a husband, or a son and a husband at the same time, and fulfil the duties of both? Impossible.

3. That by intermarrying with other families, relationship and its endearments might be diffused. These prohibitions are, therefore, to be considered so eminently moral obligations as to be observed by all mankind.

to uncover: Leviticus 18:7-19, Leviticus 20:11, Leviticus 20:12, Leviticus 20:17-21

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:32 - seed Genesis 19:33 - drink Genesis 19:36 - General Leviticus 18:24 - Defile Leviticus 20:19 - uncovereth Leviticus 21:2 - General

Cross-References

Isaiah 32:8
But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand.
Matthew 13:33
Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures [fn] of meal till it was all leavened."
Acts 16:15
And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us.
Romans 12:13
distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Galatians 5:13
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
1 Peter 4:9
Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him,.... Or to all "the rest of his flesh" t, which together with his make one flesh, who are of the same flesh and blood with him, and are united together in the bonds of consanguinity; and such, with respect to a man, are his mother, sister, and daughter; his mother, of whom he was born, his sister, who lay in and sprung from the same "venter" he did, and his daughter, who is his own flesh; and with respect to a woman, her father brother, and son, who are in the same degree of relation, and both sexes are included in this prohibition; for though in the original text it is "a man, a man" u, yet as it takes in every man, so every woman: hence, as Jarchi observes, it is expressed in the plural number, "do not ye approach", to caution both male and female; and it is also understood by the Talmudists w of Gentiles as well as Israelites, for they ask, what is the meaning of the phrase "a man, a man?" the design of it is, they say, to comprehend the Gentiles, who are equally cautioned against incests as the Israelites; and indeed the inhabitants of the land of Canaan are said to defile the land with the incests and other abominations hereafter mentioned, and for which they were driven out of it: now when man and woman are forbidden to "approach" to those of the same flesh and blood with them, the sense is not that they may not come into each other's company, or make use of any civil or friendly salutations, or have a free and familiar conversation with each other, provided that modesty and chastity be preserved; but they are not so to draw near as to lie with, or have carnal knowledge of one another, in which sense the phrase is used,

Genesis 20:4; or to tempt to it or solicit it, and as it follows, which explains the meaning of it,

to uncover [their] nakedness; that is, those parts, which, by a contrary way of speaking, are so called, which should never be naked or exposed to view; but should be always covered, as nature teaches to do, and as our first parents did, when they perceived themselves naked, and were ashamed, Genesis 3:7: this phrase signifies the same as to lie with another, or have carnal knowledge of them, wherefore the following laws are generally understood of incestuous marriages; for if such an action is not to be done between persons standing in such a relation, as here in general, and afterwards more particularly described, then there ought to be no intermarriages between them; and if such marriages are forbidden, and such actions unlawful in a married state, then much more in an unmarried one; wherefore the several following instances are so many breaches of the seventh command, Exodus 20:14, and so many explications and illustrations of it, and consequently of a moral nature, and binding upon all men, Jews and Gentiles:

I [am] the Lord; that gave this caution, and enjoined this prohibition, and would greatly resent and severely revenge the neglect of it: the particulars follow.

t אל כל שאר בשרו "ad omnes reliquias carnis suae", Montanus; "ad quascunque reliquias carnis suae", Tigurine version. u איש איש "vir, vir", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius. w T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 57. 2. T. Hieros. Kiddushin, fol. 58. 2, 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Near of kin - See the margin. The term was evidently used to denote those only who came within certain limits of consanguinity, together with those who by affinity were regarded in the same relationship.

To uncover their nakedness - i. e. to have sexual intercourse. The immediate object of this law was to forbid incest.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 18:6. Any that is near of kin — כל שאר בשרו col shear besaro, any remnant of his flesh, i. e., to any particularly allied to his own family, the prohibited degrees in which are specified from Leviticus 18:7-17 inclusive. Notwithstanding the prohibitions here, it must be evident that in the infancy of the world, persons very near of kin must have been joined in matrimonial alliances; and that even brothers must have matched with their own sisters. This must have been the case in the family of Adam. In these first instances necessity required this; when this necessity no longer existed, the thing became inexpedient and improper for two reasons:

1. That the duties owing by nature to relatives might not be confounded with those of a social or political kind; for could a man be a brother and a husband, a son and a husband, at the same time, and fulfil the duties of both? Impossible.

2. That by intermarrying with other families, the bonds of social compact might be strengthened and extended, so that the love of our neighbour, c., might at once be felt to be not only a maxim of sound policy, but also a very practicable and easy duty and thus feuds, divisions, and wars be prevented.


 
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