What is the meaning of Leviticus 20:12?

If a man lies with his daughter-in-law

• God singles out this relationship as incestuous and forbidden (Leviticus 18:15; Deuteronomy 27:23).

• The prohibition protects the sanctity of both marriage and family order—lines that must never be blurred.

• Earlier Scripture illustrates the chaos that follows such unions (Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38:12-26).

• The New Testament still condemns comparable incest (1 Corinthians 5:1-2), showing that the moral standard remains unchanged.

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both must surely be put to death

• Under Israel’s theocratic law, capital punishment underscored how grievous the sin was (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22).

• The penalty declared that marriage vows and family bonds are sacred trusts entrusted by God, not human conventions.

• Though the church today does not wield the sword, the underlying truth endures: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Christ’s atoning death fulfills the penalty for believers who repent and trust Him.

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They have acted perversely

• “Perverse” points to deliberate distortion of God’s design (Leviticus 18:26-28).

• Such sin is not merely private indiscretion; it defiles the covenant community (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).

• Scripture repeatedly pairs sexual immorality with idolatry because both exchange God’s order for self-centered desires (Romans 1:24-27).

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their blood is upon them

• The offenders bear full responsibility; the guilt is self-inflicted (Ezekiel 18:10-13).

• No one else is blamed, and no sacrifice is offered: justice is swift and complete (Leviticus 17:4; Proverbs 6:32-33).

• The phrase reminds us that sin always carries consequences, whether immediate or eternal (Galatians 6:7-8).

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summary

Leviticus 20:12 plainly condemns sexual relations between a man and his daughter-in-law, declaring it incestuous, perverse, and deserving of death under Israel’s civil law. The statute exposes the seriousness with which God guards marriage and family, places guilt squarely on the offenders, and warns that sin carries deadly consequences. While Christ’s sacrifice now satisfies the penalty for those who repent, the moral principle still stands: God’s holy design for family relationships must never be violated.