Leviticus 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.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Yahweh issues this statute to Moses for the Israelite assembly, situated between laws addressing sexual relations with a father’s wife and with a man.

The words — The Hebrew verb יִשׁכּב (yish.Kav) literally means "he will lie with," denoting sexual intercourse, while the noun כַּלָּתוֹ (ka.la.T/o) specifies the prohibited partner as "his daughter-in-law."

The thread — The prohibition repeats the boundary established in Leviticus 18:15 and intersects with the narrative framework of Genesis 38:18, where Tamar’s status as a daughter-in-law triggers the same legal standard.

Why it lands — The text mandates capital punishment for both participants, explicitly declaring their bloodguilt to enforce absolute separation from prohibited familial unions.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאִ֗ישׁve./'Ishand/ a man אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwho יִשְׁכַּב֙yish.Kavhe will lie with אֶת־'et-<obj.>כַּלָּת֔וֹka.la.T/odaughter-in-law/ his מ֥וֹתMotcertainly <to die>יוּמְת֖וּyu.me.Tuthey will be put to death שְׁנֵיהֶ֑םshe.nei./Hemboth of/ them תֶּ֥בֶלTe.velconfusion עָשׂ֖וּ'a.Suthey have done דְּמֵיהֶ֥םde.mei./Hemblood<s>/ theirבָּֽם׃Ba/m[are] on <the>/ them

King James Version

And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

Cross-references

Leviticus 18:15 You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you are not to have sexual relations with her.
Genesis 38:18 “What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
Leviticus 18:23 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.
Genesis 38:16 Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.
Deuteronomy 27:23 ‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’