Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 18

Verse 3

18:3 After the {a} doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

(a) You shall preserve yourselves from these abominations following, which the Egyptians and Canaanites use.

Verse 5

18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: {b} I [am] the LORD.

(b) And therefore you ought to serve me alone, as my people.

Verse 6

18:6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to {c} uncover [their] nakedness: I [am] the LORD.

(c) That is, to lie with her, though it be under title of marriage.

Verse 8

18:8 The nakedness of thy father’s {d} wife shalt thou not uncover: it [is] thy father’s nakedness.

(d) Which is your stepmother.

Verse 9

18:9 The nakedness of thy {e} 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.

(e) Either by father or mother, born in marriage or otherwise.

Verse 10

18:10 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 {f} nakedness.

(f) They are her children whose shame you have uncovered.

Verse 14

18:14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy {g} father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she [is] thine aunt.

(g) Which your uncle discovers.

Verse 16

18:16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy {h} brother’s wife: it [is] thy brother’s nakedness.

(h) Because the idolaters, among whom God’s people had dwelt and would dwell, were given to these horrible incests, God charges his own to beware of them.

Verse 18

18:18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to {i} vex [her], to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life [time].

(i) By seeing your affection more bent to her sister than to her.

Verse 19

18:19 Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put {k} apart for her uncleanness.

(k) Or while she has her period.

Verse 21

18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through [the fire] to {l} Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I [am] the LORD.

(l) Which was an idol of the Ammonites, to whom they burned and sacrificed their children, 2 Kings 23:10. This seemed to be the chief and principal of all idols: and as the Jews write, was of a great stature, and hollow within, having seven places or chambers within him: one was to receive meal that was offered: another turtle doves: the third, a sheep: the fourth, a ram: the fifth a calf: the sixth an ox: the seventh a child. This idols face was like a calf: his hands were ever stretched out to receive gifts: his priests were called Chemarims, 2 Kings 23:5, Hosea 10:5, Zephaniah 1:4.

Verse 25

18:25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do {m} visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself {n} vomiteth out her inhabitants.

(m) I will punish the land where such incestuous marriages and pollutions are tolerated.

(n) He compares the wicked to evil humours and overeating, which corrupt the stomach, and oppress nature, and therefore must be cast out by vomit.

Verse 28

18:28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it {o} spued out the nations that [were] before you.

(o) Both for their wicked marriages, unnatural copulations, idolatry or spiritual whoredom with Molech and such like abominations.

Verse 29

18:29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit [them] shall {p} be cut off from among their people.

(p) Either by the civil sword or by some plague that God will send upon such.