Leviticus 18:22
New International Version
“’Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.

New Living Translation
“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.

English Standard Version
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

Berean Standard Bible
You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.

King James Bible
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

New King James Version
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.

New American Standard Bible
You shall not sleep with a male as one sleeps with a female; it is an abomination.

NASB 1995
‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.

NASB 1977
‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.

Legacy Standard Bible
And you shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.

Amplified Bible
You shall not lie [intimately] with a male as one lies with a female; it is repulsive.

Christian Standard Bible
You are not to sleep with a man as with a woman; it is detestable.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You are not to sleep with a man as with a woman; it is detestable.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Contemporary English Version
It is disgusting for a man to have sex with another man.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never have sexual intercourse with a man as with a woman. It is disgusting.

Good News Translation
No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that.

International Standard Version
You are not to have sexual relations with a male as you would with a woman. It's detestable."

Majority Standard Bible
You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.

NET Bible
You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman; it is a detestable act.

New Heart English Bible
"'You shall not have sexual relations with a male, as with a woman. That is detestable.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

World English Bible
“‘You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. That is detestable.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And you do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it [is] an abomination.

Young's Literal Translation
And with a male thou dost not lie as one lieth with a woman; abomination it is.

Smith's Literal Translation
And with a male thou shalt not lie on a woman's bed: it is abomination.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, because it is an abomination.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall not commit sexual acts with a male, in place of sexual intercourse with a female, for this is an abomination.

New American Bible
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; because it is an abomination.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And do not lie down with a male in the lying down of a woman, because it is defiled.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman, for it is an abomination.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Unlawful Sexual Relations
21You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. 22You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination. 23You 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.…

Cross References
Romans 1:26-27
For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. / Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 1:9-10
We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, / for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching

Genesis 19:4-5
Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house. / They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!”

Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.

Judges 19:22
While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”

2 Peter 2:6-8
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; / and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless / (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

Deuteronomy 23:17-18
No daughter or son of Israel is to be a shrine prostitute. / You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.

Ezekiel 16:49-50
Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy. / Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.

1 Kings 14:24
There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

1 Kings 15:12
He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

2 Kings 23:7
He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of the LORD, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah.

Genesis 1:27-28
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. / God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”

Matthew 19:4-6
Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ / and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? / So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Mark 10:6-9
However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ / ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, / and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ...


Treasury of Scripture

You shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Leviticus 20:13
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Genesis 19:5
And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

Judges 19:22
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

Jump to Previous
Abomination Detestable Disgusting Female Lies Male Mankind Relations Sex Womankind Women
Jump to Next
Abomination Detestable Disgusting Female Lies Male Mankind Relations Sex Womankind Women
Leviticus 18
1. Unlawful marriages and unlawful lusts














You must not lie
The phrase "You must not lie" is a direct command, emphasizing the prohibition nature of the instruction. In Hebrew, the word used here is "תִּשְׁכַּב" (tishkav), which is derived from the root "שָׁכַב" (shakav), meaning to lie down or to rest. This term is often used in the context of sexual relations, indicating a physical act. The command is clear and unambiguous, reflecting the seriousness with which the Israelites were to regard this prohibition. The use of the imperative form underscores the non-negotiable nature of this command within the covenant community.

with a man
The Hebrew word for "man" here is "זָכָר" (zakar), which specifically refers to a male. This term is used throughout the Old Testament to denote gender, often in contexts that highlight roles and responsibilities within the community. The specificity of the term indicates that the prohibition is not about general human relationships but is focused on the sexual relations between males. This reflects the cultural and religious context of ancient Israel, where maintaining distinct roles and boundaries was crucial for societal order and religious purity.

as with a woman
The phrase "as with a woman" uses the Hebrew "מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה" (mishkevei ishah), which literally translates to "the lyings of a woman." This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse, commonly understood in the context of heterosexual relations. The comparison here is significant, as it highlights the natural order as understood in the biblical context, where sexual relations are intended to occur between a man and a woman within the bounds of marriage. This reflects the creation narrative in Genesis, where male and female are created to complement each other.

that is an abomination
The term "abomination" is translated from the Hebrew word "תּוֹעֵבָה" (to'evah), which denotes something detestable or loathsome. In the biblical context, this term is often used to describe practices that are ritually or morally repugnant to God. The use of this strong term indicates the severity with which this act is viewed within the covenant community. It is not merely a cultural taboo but a violation of divine order and holiness. The historical context of Leviticus, with its emphasis on holiness and separation from pagan practices, underscores the importance of adhering to God's standards as a reflection of Israel's unique identity as God's chosen people.

(22) As with womankind.--This was the sin of Sodom (Genesis 19:5), whence it derived its name, and in spite of the penalty of death enacted by the Law against those who were found guilty of it (see Leviticus 20:13), the Israelites did not quite relinquish this abominable vice (Judges 19:22; 1Kings 14:24), to which the surrounding nations were addicted and which was so prevalent in the time of the Apostles (Romans 1:27; 1Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19; 1Timothy 1:10). By the law of Christ those who are guilty of this sin are excluded from the kingdom of God (1Corinthians 6:9-10), whilst the laws of civilised Europe rightly inflict the severest penalties upon offenders of this kind. . . . Verse 22. - The fourth prohibition forbids the sin of Sodom (see Genesis 19:5; Judges 11:22; Romans 1:27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10). The penalty is death (Leviticus 20:13).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

lie
תִשְׁכַּ֖ב (ṯiš·kaḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7901: To lie down

with
וְאֶ֨ת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

a man
זָכָ֔ר (zā·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2145: Remembered, a male

as with
מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י (miš·kə·ḇê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4904: Place of lying, a couch, act of lying

a woman;
אִשָּׁ֑ה (’iš·šāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

that
הִֽוא׃ (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

[is] an abomination.
תּוֹעֵבָ֖ה (tō·w·‘ê·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8441: Something disgusting, an abhorrence, idolatry, an idol


Links
Leviticus 18:22 NIV
Leviticus 18:22 NLT
Leviticus 18:22 ESV
Leviticus 18:22 NASB
Leviticus 18:22 KJV

Leviticus 18:22 BibleApps.com
Leviticus 18:22 Biblia Paralela
Leviticus 18:22 Chinese Bible
Leviticus 18:22 French Bible
Leviticus 18:22 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a man (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 18:21
Top of Page
Top of Page