Living Differently from Other Nations
Study note
God reminded Israel that they belonged to him and must not follow the practices of the Egyptians or the Canaanites. Both cultures had very different moral standards than what God required. The repeated phrase 'I am the Lord your God' appears throughout this chapter, reminding the people that their identity and their morality were rooted in their relationship with God. Obedience to God's laws would lead to life and blessing.
1 Then the Lord gave Moses these instructions: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Give this message to the people of Israel: I am the Lord your God." Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.
3 "Do not copy the behavior of the people in Egypt, where you used to live. And do not copy the behavior of the people in Canaan, where I am taking you. Do not adopt their customs." After the 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.
4 "Instead, follow my regulations and carefully obey my rules. I am the Lord your God." Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
5 "Obey my rules and my regulations. Whoever follows them will find true life through them. I am the Lord." Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
Laws About Family Relationships
Study note
God gave a detailed list of forbidden sexual relationships within families. These laws protected the family structure and prevented the abuse of power within households. The phrase 'uncover the nakedness' is a Hebrew way of referring to sexual relations. The list includes parents, stepparents, siblings, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and in-laws. These boundaries protected vulnerable family members and maintained the honor of family relationships.
6 "No one may have sexual relations with a close family member. I am the Lord." None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
7 "Do not shame your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother -- you must never do this." 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.
8 "Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife. That would bring shame on your father." The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.
9 "Do not sleep with your sister. It does not matter if she is your father's or mother's daughter. It does not matter if she grew up in your home or elsewhere." The nakedness of thy 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.
10 "Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether through your son or your daughter. That would bring shame on yourself." 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 nakedness.
11 "Do not have sexual relations with a daughter born to your father's wife. She is your half-sister." The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12 "Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister. She is your father's close family member." Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.
13 "Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister. She is your mother's close family member." Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
14 "Do not shame your father's brother by approaching his wife sexually. She is your aunt." Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
15 "Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is married to your son -- you must never do this." Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16 "Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife. That would bring shame on your brother." Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.
17 "Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with her granddaughter through either her son or her daughter. They are close relatives, and doing this is wicked." Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18 "While your wife is still alive, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her. That would create bitter rivalry between them." Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
Other Forbidden Practices
Study note
God also forbade relations during a woman's monthly period, adultery, child sacrifice to the false god Molech, homosexual acts, and relations with animals. The mention of Molech worship, which involved burning children alive, shows how degraded the surrounding cultures had become. God was setting his people apart from these horrific practices.
19 "Do not sleep with a woman during her monthly period of uncleanness." Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
20 "Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife, making yourself unclean through her." Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21 "Never sacrifice any of your children to the false god Molech. Doing so would dishonor the name of your God. I am the Lord." And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
22 "A man must not have sexual relations with another man as he would with a woman. This is a detestable act." Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
23 "Neither a man nor a woman may have sexual relations with an animal. This is a perverse and unnatural act that makes you unclean." Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
Warning Against Defilement
Study note
God warned that the nations who had lived in the land before Israel had practiced all these things, and the land had become so polluted that it 'vomited out' its inhabitants. If Israel followed the same practices, the land would do the same to them. This powerful image teaches that moral behavior is not just a personal matter but affects the health of an entire society. God expected the same standards from both Israelites and foreigners living among them.
24 "Do not make yourselves unclean through any of these acts. The nations I am driving out of the land ahead of you made themselves unclean by doing all of them." Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 "The land itself has become polluted. So I am punishing it for its sin, and the land is spitting out its inhabitants." And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
26 "You must keep my rules and my regulations. Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may commit any of these disgusting acts." Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27 "The people who lived in the land before you did all these disgusting things. Because of them, the land became unclean." (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
28 "If you pollute the land, it will spit you out just as it spit out the nations that came before you." That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
29 "Anyone who does any of these disgusting acts must be cut off from the community." For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
30 "So follow my instructions and do not participate in any of the disgusting practices that were carried out before you arrived. Do not pollute yourselves through them. I am the Lord your God." Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.