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Leviticus 20:16

in Leviticus 20

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

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.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Leviticus 20

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

If a woman approach unto any beast - We have the authority of one of the most eminent historians in the world, Herodotus, to say that this was a crime not unknown in Egypt; yea, that a case of this nature actually took place while he was there. Εγενετο δ’ εν τῳ νο μῳ τουτῳ επ’ εμευ τουτο το τερας, Γυναικι Τραγος εμισγετο αναφανδον. Τουτο ες επιδειξιν ανθρωπων απικετο. - Herod. in Euterp., p. 108. Edit. Gale, Lond.

This site's exposition

If a man marries both a woman and her mother

on Leviticus 20:14-16

Verse 14 carries the chapter's one sentence by fire, and the text is silent on whether the burning follows a death. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read stoning first and burning afterward from Joshua 7:15.

This site's exposition

If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it

Leviticus 18:23 had named the woman as a separate case, and here she receives the same sentence as the man. Adam Clarke cites Herodotus, who reported such a case in Egypt while he was there. Leviticus 18:3 had warned Israel against the practices of Egypt.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto,....

The words behind it

17 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְאִשָּׁ֗הand a woman

    veishahH802 →781 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רwho

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • תִּקְרַ֤בshe will draw near

    tikravH7126 →280 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • כָּל־any

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • בְּהֵמָה֙animal

    behemahH929 →190 times

  • לְרִבְעָ֣הto stretch out with

    lerivahH7250 →3 times

  • אֹתָ֔הּwith <the> it

    ʾotahH854 →929 times

  • וְהָרַגְתָּ֥and you will kill

    veharagtaH2026 →

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הָאִשָּׁ֖הthe woman

    haishahH802 →781 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • הַבְּהֵמָ֑הthe animal

    habehemahH929 →190 times

  • מ֥וֹתcertainly <to die>

    motH4191 →839 times

  • יוּמָ֖תוּthey will be put to death

    yumatuH4191 →839 times

  • דְּמֵיהֶ֥םblood<s> their

    demeihemH1818 →360 times

  • בָּֽם׃[are] on <the> them

    bam

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

7 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Hebrews 12:20For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”2 worksExodus 19:13No 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.”2 worksExodus 21:32If 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.2 works2 Samuel 1:16For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”2 worksLeviticus 17:4instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD before His tabernacle—that man shall incur bloodguilt. He has shed blood and must be cut off from among his people.2 worksExodus 21:28If 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.1 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
Leviticus 20:9If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.-1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Hebrews 12:20

    For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”

    it leads to

    • Exodus 19:12–13

      And you are to set up a boundary for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain…

  • Through

    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…

    it leads to

    • Exodus 19:16

      On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 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.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Hebrews 12:20

      For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”

    • 1 Thessalonians 4:16

      For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to…

  • Through

    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.

    it leads to

    • Zechariah 11:12–13

      Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.

    • Matthew 26:15

      and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.

  • Through

    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.

    it leads to

    • 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.

Where this verse is studied

About Leviticus

The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854. Public domain.
The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854. Public domain.
Leviticus: the study guide →Read Leviticus 20 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.

Read on in Leviticus 20 →