New International Version “’Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her. New Living Translation “Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife. English Standard Version And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her. Berean Standard Bible You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her. Berean Literal Bible And to the wife of your neighbor you shall not give your lying to seed to defile yourself with her. King James Bible Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. New King James Version Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her. New American Standard Bible And you shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her. NASB 1995 ‘You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her. NASB 1977 ‘And you shall not have intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her. Legacy Standard Bible And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her. Amplified Bible You shall not have intimate relations with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her. Berean Annotated Bible You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her. Christian Standard Bible You are not to have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her. Holman Christian Standard Bible You are not to have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her.” American Standard Version And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her. Contemporary English Version Don't have sex with another man's wife--that would make you unclean. English Revised Version And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. GOD'S WORD® Translation Never have sexual intercourse with your neighbor's wife and become unclean with her. Good News Translation Do not have intercourse with another man's wife; that would make you ritually unclean. International Standard Version "You are not to have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and thereby become ceremonially unclean with her." NET Bible You must not have sexual intercourse with the wife of your fellow citizen to become unclean with her. New Heart English Bible "'You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her. Webster's Bible Translation Moreover, thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleYou must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her. World English Bible “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd you do not give your seed [from] intercourse to the wife of your fellow, to become unclean with her. Berean Literal Bible And to the wife of your neighbor you shall not give your lying to seed to defile yourself with her. Young's Literal Translation 'And unto the wife of thy fellow thou dost not give thy seed of copulation, for uncleanness with her. Smith's Literal Translation To thy neighbor's wife thou shalt not give thy effusion of seed to be defiled with her. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou shalt not lie with thy neighbour's wife, nor be defiled with mingling of seed. Catholic Public Domain Version You shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, nor shall you be defiled by the mingling of seed. New American Bible You shall not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her. New Revised Standard Version You shall not have sexual relations with your kinsman’s wife, and defile yourself with her. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleMoreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife to defile yourself with her. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And do not expel the seed of your copulation into the wife of your neighbor and be defiled with her. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. Brenton Septuagint Translation And thou shalt not lie with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Unlawful Sexual Relations…19You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period. 20You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her. 21You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.… Cross References You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife Proverbs 6:29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery. Deuteronomy 5:18 You shall not commit adultery. and thus defile yourself with her. Ezekiel 22:11 One man commits an abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another wickedly defiles his daughter-in-law; and yet another violates his sister, his own father’s daughter. Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery. Deuteronomy 5:18 You shall not commit adultery. Matthew 5:27-28 You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ / But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. Proverbs 6:32 He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. Romans 13:9 The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God; 1 Corinthians 7:2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. Galatians 5:19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; Treasury of Scripture Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her. Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Deuteronomy 5:18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Jump to Previous Carnally Copulation Defile Defiled Fellow Intercourse Making Moreover Neighbor's Neighbour's Relations Seed Sex Sexual Thyself Unclean Uncleanness WifeJump to Next Carnally Copulation Defile Defiled Fellow Intercourse Making Moreover Neighbor's Neighbour's Relations Seed Sex Sexual Thyself Unclean Uncleanness WifeLeviticus 18 1. Unlawful marriages and unlawful lustsYou must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife Marriage was established by God as an exclusive covenant union between a man and a woman. Adultery violated that covenant, wronged the husband and wife, disrupted households, and threatened the moral order of Israel. Because Israel belonged to the holy God, sexual faithfulness was essential to both personal conduct and community life. Pro 6:29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;… and thus defile yourself with her. Sexual sin brought moral defilement upon those involved. It was not merely a private matter but an offense against God’s holiness and the covenant community. Israel was called to reject such corruption and remain set apart from the practices of the surrounding nations. Ezk 22:11 One man commits an abomination with his neighbor’s wife;… Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe author of Leviticus, who received the laws from God to instruct the Israelites on how to live a holy life. 2. Israelites The primary audience of Leviticus, who were called to be a holy nation set apart for God. 3. Neighbor's Wife Represents the sanctity of marriage and the importance of respecting the marital bond. 4. Canaan The land where the Israelites were headed, known for its immoral practices, which the Israelites were to avoid. 5. God's Covenant The overarching theme of Leviticus, emphasizing the Israelites' relationship with God and their call to holiness. Teaching Points Sanctity of MarriageMarriage is a sacred covenant that must be honored and protected. Adultery violates this covenant and dishonors God. Holiness and Purity As believers, we are called to live lives of holiness, which includes sexual purity. This reflects our commitment to God and His standards. Respect for Others Adultery not only harms the individuals involved but also damages relationships and communities. Respecting others' marriages is crucial for societal harmony. Guarding the Heart Jesus teaches that sin begins in the heart. We must guard our thoughts and desires to prevent them from leading to sinful actions. Accountability and Support Engaging in community and accountability can help believers resist temptation and remain faithful to God's commands. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Leviticus 18:20?2. How does Leviticus 18:20 guide us in maintaining marital faithfulness today? 3. What are the consequences of violating the command in Leviticus 18:20? 4. How does Leviticus 18:20 connect with the Ten Commandments on adultery? 5. How can we apply Leviticus 18:20 to modern relationships and society? 6. What steps can we take to uphold the principle in Leviticus 18:20? 7. What does Leviticus 18:20 reveal about God's view on adultery? 8. How does Leviticus 18:20 align with the Ten Commandments? 9. Why is adultery specifically prohibited in Leviticus 18:20? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Leviticus 18? (20) Thy neighbour's wife.--For committing adultery, which is here branded as a defilement, whether with a betrothed or married woman, both guilty parties incurred the penalty of death by stoning. (See Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22; Ezekiel 16:38; Ezekiel 16:40; John 8:5.) In Egypt the adulterer received a thousand strokes with a stick, and the guilty woman had her nose cut off, and to this day the criminal wife among the Bedouins is executed by her husband, father, or brother, without any mercy. Both criminals were also punished with death among other Eastern nations.Verse 20. - The second prohibition is, Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife - a prohibition already made in other words in the ten commandments. The punishment for adultery is death by stoning (chapter 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22; John 9:5) - a more severe penalty than was usually inflicted in other nations. Leviticus 18:20 speaks plainly: God forbids sexual intimacy outside marriage, specifically adultery, because it violates the marriage covenant, harms our neighbor, and defiles us before Him. The verse calls believers to cherish marriage, honor others, and keep themselves pure for the One who designed sexuality for blessing within His holy boundaries. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew You must notלֹא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no have sexual relations תִתֵּ֥ן (ṯit·tên) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 5414: To give, put, set with וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-) Conjunctive waw | Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to your neighbor’s עֲמִֽיתְךָ֔ (‘ă·mî·ṯə·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 5997: Companionship, a comrade, kindred man wife אֵ֙שֶׁת֙ (’ê·šeṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female and thus defile yourself לְטָמְאָה־ (lə·ṭā·mə·’āh-) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 2930: To be or become unclean with her. בָֽהּ׃ (ḇāh) Preposition | third person feminine singular Strong's Hebrew Additonal Resources Leviticus 18:20 Blue Letter BibleLeviticus 18:20 Bible Gateway Leviticus 18:20 Bible.com Leviticus 18:20 NIV |
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