Leviticus 20:18
in Leviticus 20If a man lies with a menstruating woman and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered the source of her blood. Both of them must be cut off from among their people.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath made naked her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
KJV
And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
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This verse in Leviticus 20
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
if a man shall take his sister
on Leviticus 20:17-19
The penalty changes register at verse 17. The sentences here are being cut off in the sight of their people, bearing his iniquity, and bearing their iniquity, and no human hand is told to do anything about any of them. Matthew Henry reads the wording as guilt left standing against a man who was never brought to trial, carried forward to be reckoned for rather than purged with sacrifice.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For this is the will of God, that every man should possess his vessel (and the wife is called the weaker vessel) in sanctification and honour, as becomes saints. 22 Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:28w-of-57
And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness,....
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֠אִישׁ | veish | and a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִשְׁכַּ֨ב | yishkav | he will lie with | H7901 → | 212 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִשָּׁ֜ה | ʾishah | a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| דָּוָ֗ה | davah | menstruating | H1739 → | |
| וְגִלָּ֤ה | vegilah | and he will uncover | H1540 → | 186 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֶרְוָתָהּ֙ | ʾervatah | nakedness her | H6172 → | 54 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מְקֹרָ֣הּ | mekorah | spring her | H4726 → | 18 times |
| הֶֽעֱרָ֔ה | heerah | he has made naked | H6168 → | |
| וְהִ֕יא | vehi' | and she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| גִּלְּתָ֖ה | giletah | she has uncovered | H1540 → | 186 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מְק֣וֹר | mekor | [the] spring of | H4726 → | 18 times |
| דָּמֶ֑יהָ | dameiha | blood<s> her | H1818 → | 360 times |
| וְנִכְרְת֥וּ | venikhretu | and they will be cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם | sheneihem | both of them | H8147 → | 768 times |
| מִקֶּ֥רֶב | mikerev | from among | H7130 → | 227 times |
| עַמָּֽם׃ | ʾamam | people their | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וְ֠אִישׁand a man
veishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִשְׁכַּ֨בhe will lie with
yishkavH7901 →212 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אִשָּׁ֜הa woman
ʾishahH802 →781 times
דָּוָ֗הmenstruating
davahH1739 →
וְגִלָּ֤הand he will uncover
vegilahH1540 →186 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֶרְוָתָהּ֙nakedness her
ʾervatahH6172 →54 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מְקֹרָ֣הּspring her
mekorahH4726 →18 times
הֶֽעֱרָ֔הhe has made naked
heerahH6168 →
וְהִ֕יאand she
vehi'H1931 →1879 times
גִּלְּתָ֖הshe has uncovered
giletahH1540 →186 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מְק֣וֹר[the] spring of
mekorH4726 →18 times
דָּמֶ֑יהָblood<s> her
dameihaH1818 →360 times
וְנִכְרְת֥וּand they will be cut off
venikhretuH3772 →288 times
שְׁנֵיהֶ֖םboth of them
sheneihemH8147 →768 times
מִקֶּ֥רֶבfrom among
mikerevH7130 →227 times
עַמָּֽם׃people their
ʾamamH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 18:19You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 18:6
He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her period.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 22:10
In you they have uncovered the nakedness of their fathers; in you they violate women during their menstrual impurity.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 15:24
If a man lies with her and her menstrual flow touches him, he will be unclean for seven days, and any bed on which he lies will become unclean.
- Ezekiel 18:6
Through
Ezekiel 18:6He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her period.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 18:15
He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
- Deuteronomy 4:19
When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to…
- Ezekiel 6:13
Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every green tree and leafy…
- Ezekiel 18:15
Through
Ezekiel 22:10In you they have uncovered the nakedness of their fathers; in you they violate women during their menstrual impurity.
it leads to
- Leviticus 18:19
You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 18:19
Through
Leviticus 15:24If a man lies with her and her menstrual flow touches him, he will be unclean for seven days, and any bed on which he lies will become unclean.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
- 1 Peter 2:11
About Leviticus

This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
