Leviticus 18:23
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.
You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.
24 Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
25 Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.
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 any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- “‘You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.
- ASV
- And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
- DARBY
- And thou shalt lie with no beast to become unclean therewith; and a woman shall not stand before a beast to lie down with it: it is confusion.
- BLB
- And with any animal you shall not give your lyings to defile yourself with it, and a woman shall not stand before the face of an animal to lie with it. It [is] perversion.
- ÅB
- Du skal ikke ha omgang med noe dyr, for da blir du uren; heller ikke skal en kvinne la noe dyr ha omgang med seg; det er skamløs ferd.
- OTB
- Du skal ikke ha seksuelle relasjoner med noe dyr for å bli besmittet med det, og ingen kvinne skal stille seg frem for et dyr for å parre seg med det; det er en perversjon.
- B1930
- Du skal ikke ha omgang med noget dyr, for da blir du uren; heller ikke skal en kvinne la noget dyr ha omgang med sig; det er skamløs ferd.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Leviticus 20:15–16
If a man lies carnally with an animal, he must be put to death. And you are also to kill the animal.
Read in contextExodus 22:19
Whoever lies with an animal must surely be put to death.
Read in contextLeviticus 20:12
If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both must surely be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is upon them.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 27:21
‘Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
Read in context