Bible Strands
Leviticus 20:14
If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is depraved. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that there will be no depravity among you.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses relays Yahweh’s judicial statutes to the assembled Israelite community, placing this ruling directly between two other capital offenses for sexual violations.
The words — The Hebrew term זִמָּה (zimmah) signifies a calculated wickedness or depravity, while the verb יִקַּח (yiqqach) literally reads "he will take" in the marital sense.
The thread — The burning penalty recurs in Joshua 7:15 for those possessing devoted things, Deuteronomy 27:23 pronounces a curse on one who sleeps with his mother-in-law, and Leviticus 18:17 addresses the parallel prohibition of a woman and her daughter.
Why it lands — The passage mandates that both the man and the two women be burned to eradicate the specific act of marrying a woman and her mother, leaving no room for alternative punishment or mitigation.
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
King James Version
And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 18:17 You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. You are not to marry her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives; it is depraved.
- Deuteronomy 27:23 ‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Joshua 7:15 The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”
- Amos 2:7 They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the earth; they push the needy out of their way. A man and his father have relations with the same girl and so profane My holy name.
- Leviticus 21:9 If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.
- Joshua 7:25 “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.