Leviticus 20:16

If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Moses and the Israelite assembly while establishing covenant boundaries for sexual conduct and ritual purity within the camp.

The words — The text specifies תִּקְרַ֤ב (tik.Rav), meaning she will draw near, and בְּהֵמָה֙ (be.he.Mah), meaning animal, to define the prohibited contact.

The thread — Shared themes of capital consequences for boundary violations appear in Exodus 19:13, which commands death for any person or beast that touches the mountain, and Hebrews 12:20, which quotes that same command regarding sacred space. The legal precedent for animal liability in Exodus 21:32 further establishes how the text treats animal involvement in human transgressions.

Why it lands — The passage demands strict separation between human and animal conduct, explicitly assigning direct accountability to both parties when that boundary is crossed.

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

וְאִשָּׁ֗הve./'i.Shahand/ a woman אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwho תִּקְרַ֤בtik.Ravshe will draw near אֶל־'el-to כָּל־kol-any בְּהֵמָה֙be.he.Mahanimal לְרִבְעָ֣הle./riv.'Ahto/ stretch out with אֹתָ֔הּ'o.Ta/hwith <the>/ it וְהָרַגְתָּ֥ve./ha.rag.Taand/ you will kill אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאִשָּׁ֖הha./'i.Shahthe/ woman וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַבְּהֵמָ֑הha./be.he.Mahthe/ animal מ֥וֹתMotcertainly <to die>יוּמָ֖תוּyu.Ma.tuthey will be put to death דְּמֵיהֶ֥םde.mei./Hemblood<s>/ theirבָּֽם׃Ba/m[are] on <the>/ them

King James Version

And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Cross-references

Exodus 19:13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows—whether man or beast, he must not live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”
Exodus 21:32 If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.
Hebrews 12:20 For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”
Exodus 21:28 If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.