Bible Strands
Leviticus 20:19
You must not have sexual relations with the sister of your mother or your father, for it is exposing one’s own kin; both shall bear their iniquity.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses the Israelites through Moses, issuing holiness regulations that prohibit specific kinship marriages.
The words — The text employs עֶרְוַת ('er.vat) for "nakedness" and תְגַלֵּה (te.ga.leh) for "uncover," using sexual language to describe the violation of family boundaries.
The thread — The prohibition mirrors Leviticus 18:6 and 18:12, which bar relations with close relatives including a father’s sister, and stands alongside Exodus 6:20, which records Amram marrying his father’s sister Jochebed.
Why it lands — The verse commands strict avoidance of parent-side sibling unions, stating that crossing this line brings shared guilt and divine consequence.
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 thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 18:6 None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.
- Exodus 6:20 And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
- Leviticus 18:12 You must not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.