Leviticus 18:23
in Leviticus 18You 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
KJV
Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
⋯
This verse in Leviticus 18
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You must not lie with a man as with a woman
on Leviticus 18:22-23
The word rendered confusion at verse 23 is tebel, and it occurs once more in Scripture, at Leviticus 20:12. It carries the sense of a mixture of things that belong apart, the objection Leviticus 19:19 makes to mingled seed.
This site's exposition
that is a perversion
The verse names a woman as the one who acts, the only clause in the chapter to do so. Adam Clarke ties the practice to Egypt and cites Herodotus as a witness to a case there. Matthew Henry says these sink people lowest.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Neither shall thou lie with any beast, to defile thyself therewith,....
Other sins level men with the beasts, but these sink them much lower. That ever there should have been occasion for the making of these laws, and that since they are published they should ever have been broken, is the perpetual reproach and scandal of human nature; and the giving of men up to these vile affections was frequently the punishment of their idolatries; so the apostle shows, Rom. i.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
With any beast - This abomination is also punishable with death by the laws of this country. Any woman stand before a beast - That this was often done in Egypt there can be no doubt; and we have already seen, from the testimony of Herodotus, that a fact of this kind actually took place while he was in Egypt. See Clarke’s note on Lev 17:7, and See Clarke on Lev 20:16 (note).
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and in any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּהֵמָ֛ה | behemah | animal | H929 → | 190 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִתֵּ֥ן | titen | you will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| שְׁכָבְתְּךָ֖ | shekhavetekha | copulation your | H7903 → | 4 times |
| לְטָמְאָה־ | letameah- | to be unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| בָ֑הּ | vah | by <the> it | ||
| וְאִשָּׁ֗ה | veishah | and a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַעֲמֹ֞ד | taamod | she will stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| לִפְנֵ֧י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בְהֵמָ֛ה | vehemah | an animal | H929 → | 190 times |
| לְרִבְעָ֖הּ | lerivah | to stretch out with it | H7250 → | 3 times |
| תֶּ֥בֶל | tevel | [is] confusion | H8397 → | |
| הֽוּא׃ | hu' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וּבְכָל־and in any
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
בְּהֵמָ֛הanimal
behemahH929 →190 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִתֵּ֥ןyou will give
titenH5414 →2011 times
שְׁכָבְתְּךָ֖copulation your
shekhavetekhaH7903 →4 times
לְטָמְאָה־to be unclean
letameah-H2930 →162 times
בָ֑הּby <the> it
vah
וְאִשָּׁ֗הand a woman
veishahH802 →781 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תַעֲמֹ֞דshe will stand
taamodH5975 →521 times
לִפְנֵ֧י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
בְהֵמָ֛הan animal
vehemahH929 →190 times
לְרִבְעָ֖הּto stretch out with it
lerivahH7250 →3 times
תֶּ֥בֶל[is] confusion
tevelH8397 →
הֽוּא׃it
hu'H1931 →1879 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
Exodus 22:19Whoever lies with an animal must surely be put to death.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 27:21
‘Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Leviticus 20:15–16
If a man lies carnally with an animal, he must be put to death. And you are also to kill the animal.
- Leviticus 18:25
Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.
- Deuteronomy 27:21
Through
Leviticus 20:12If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both must surely be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is upon them.
it leads to
- 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…
- 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.
- Leviticus 18:15
Through
Deuteronomy 27:21‘Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
it leads to
- Exodus 22:19
Whoever lies with an animal must surely be put to death.
- Leviticus 20:15
If a man lies carnally with an animal, he must be put to death. And you are also to kill the animal.
- Exodus 22:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.