Leviticus 18:20
18 You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is still alive.
19 You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period.
You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.
21 You 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.
22 You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.
- KJV
- Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.
- WEB
- “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.
- ASV
- And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor`s wife, to defile thyself with her.
- DARBY
- And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to become unclean with her.
- BLB
- And to the wife of your neighbor you shall not give your lying to seed to defile yourself with her.
- ÅB
- Din nestes hustru skal du ikke ha samleie med, sa du blir uren ved henne.
- OTB
- Du skal ikke ha seksuelle relasjoner med din nabos kone, for å bli besmittet med henne.
- B1930
- Din næstes hustru skal du ikke ha samleie med, sa du blir uren ved henne.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.
Read in contextHebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Read in context1 Corinthians 6:9
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,
Read in contextMatthew 5:27–28
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’
Read in contextLeviticus 20:10
If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 5:18
You shall not commit adultery.
Read in contextProverbs 6:25
Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
Read in context2 Samuel 11:3–4
So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
Read in context