Leviticus 18:20
New International Version
“’Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.

New Living Translation
“Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife.

English Standard Version
And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her.

Berean Standard Bible
You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.

King James Bible
Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.

New King James Version
Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her.

New American Standard Bible
And you shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her.

NASB 1995
‘You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her.

NASB 1977
‘And you shall not have intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her.

Legacy Standard Bible
And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her.

Amplified Bible
You shall not have intimate relations with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her.

Christian Standard Bible
You are not to have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You are not to have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her.”

American Standard Version
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her.

Contemporary English Version
Don't have sex with another man's wife--that would make you unclean.

English Revised Version
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never have sexual intercourse with your neighbor's wife and become unclean with her.

Good News Translation
Do not have intercourse with another man's wife; that would make you ritually unclean.

International Standard Version
"You are not to have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and thereby become ceremonially unclean with her."

Majority Standard Bible
You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.

NET Bible
You must not have sexual intercourse with the wife of your fellow citizen to become unclean with her.

New Heart English Bible
"'You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her.

Webster's Bible Translation
Moreover, thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her.

World English Bible
“‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And you do not give your seed [from] intercourse to the wife of your fellow, to become unclean with her.

Young's Literal Translation
'And unto the wife of thy fellow thou dost not give thy seed of copulation, for uncleanness with her.

Smith's Literal Translation
To thy neighbor's wife thou shalt not give thy effusion of seed to be defiled with her.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not lie with thy neighbour's wife, nor be defiled with mingling of seed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, nor shall you be defiled by the mingling of seed.

New American Bible
You shall not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not have sexual relations with your kinsman’s wife, and defile yourself with her.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife to defile yourself with her.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And do not expel the seed of your copulation into the wife of your neighbor and be defiled with her.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou shalt not lie with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Unlawful Sexual Relations
19You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period. 20You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her. 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.…

Cross References
Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.

Deuteronomy 5:18
You shall not commit adultery.

Matthew 5:27-28
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ / But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

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.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Proverbs 6:32
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

Romans 13:9
The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

1 Corinthians 7:2
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

Galatians 5:19
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;

Ephesians 5:3
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

James 2:11
For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

1 Timothy 1:10
for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching

Mark 10:11-12
So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. / And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”


Treasury of Scripture

Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her.

Leviticus 20:10
And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 20:14
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Deuteronomy 5:18
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

Jump to Previous
Carnally Copulation Defile Defiled Fellow Intercourse Making Moreover Neighbor's Neighbour's Relations Seed Sex Sexual Thyself Unclean Uncleanness Wife
Jump to Next
Carnally Copulation Defile Defiled Fellow Intercourse Making Moreover Neighbor's Neighbour's Relations Seed Sex Sexual Thyself Unclean Uncleanness Wife
Leviticus 18
1. Unlawful marriages and unlawful lusts














You must not lie carnally
The phrase "lie carnally" is derived from the Hebrew word "שָׁכַב" (shakab), which means to lie down or to have sexual relations. In the context of Leviticus, this phrase is a direct prohibition against engaging in sexual intercourse outside the bounds of marriage. The use of "carnally" emphasizes the physical and fleshly nature of the act, highlighting the importance of sexual purity and the sanctity of the marital relationship. This commandment reflects the broader biblical principle that sexual relations are reserved for the covenant of marriage, a sacred institution established by God. The conservative Christian perspective upholds this view, seeing marriage as a reflection of Christ's relationship with the Church, and thus, any deviation from this design is seen as a defilement of God's holy order.

with your neighbor’s wife
The term "neighbor’s wife" underscores the social and communal implications of adultery. In ancient Israelite society, as in many cultures, the family unit was the cornerstone of community life. The Hebrew word for "neighbor" is "רֵעַ" (rea), which can mean friend, companion, or fellow citizen. This indicates that the commandment is not just about personal morality but also about maintaining the integrity and trust within the community. Adultery is seen as a betrayal not only of the spouse but also of the neighborly relationship, leading to social discord and the breakdown of communal harmony. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this commandment reinforces the idea that fidelity in marriage is essential for the health and stability of both the family and the wider community.

and thus defile yourself with her
The word "defile" comes from the Hebrew "טָמֵא" (tame), meaning to become unclean or impure. In the Levitical context, defilement is not merely a physical or ceremonial state but a spiritual condition that separates individuals from God. The act of adultery is seen as a sin that taints the soul, distancing the sinner from the holiness that God requires. This concept of defilement is central to the holiness code in Leviticus, which calls the Israelites to be holy as God is holy. In the conservative Christian tradition, this call to holiness is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are urged to live lives that are pure and set apart for God. The defilement through adultery is thus a serious offense, not only against one's spouse and community but ultimately against God Himself.

(20) Thy neighbour's wife.--For committing adultery, which is here branded as a defilement, whether with a betrothed or married woman, both guilty parties incurred the penalty of death by stoning. (See Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22; Ezekiel 16:38; Ezekiel 16:40; John 8:5.) In Egypt the adulterer received a thousand strokes with a stick, and the guilty woman had her nose cut off, and to this day the criminal wife among the Bedouins is executed by her husband, father, or brother, without any mercy. Both criminals were also punished with death among other Eastern nations.

Verse 20. - The second prohibition is, Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife - a prohibition already made in other words in the ten commandments. The punishment for adultery is death by stoning (chapter 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22; John 9:5) - a more severe penalty than was usually inflicted in other nations.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

have sexual relations
תִתֵּ֥ן (ṯit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

with
וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

your neighbor’s
עֲמִֽיתְךָ֔ (‘ă·mî·ṯə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5997: Companionship, a comrade, kindred man

wife
אֵ֙שֶׁת֙ (’ê·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

and thus defile yourself
לְטָמְאָה־ (lə·ṭā·mə·’āh-)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2930: To be or become unclean

with her.
בָֽהּ׃ (ḇāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew


Links
Leviticus 18:20 NIV
Leviticus 18:20 NLT
Leviticus 18:20 ESV
Leviticus 18:20 NASB
Leviticus 18:20 KJV

Leviticus 18:20 BibleApps.com
Leviticus 18:20 Biblia Paralela
Leviticus 18:20 Chinese Bible
Leviticus 18:20 French Bible
Leviticus 18:20 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Leviticus 18:20 You shall not lie carnally with your (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 18:19
Top of Page
Top of Page