Berean Study Bible Unlawful Sexual RelationsIsrael remained encamped at Mount Sinai after the exodus from Egypt, where the Lord was establishing them as His covenant people. Through Moses, God gave laws that distinguished Israel from the idolatrous and immoral practices of Egypt and Canaan. The instructions that follow address sexual conduct, marriage, and family boundaries, calling Israel to live in holiness under God’s authority. Moses served as God’s appointed mediator in delivering the law, anticipating Christ, the perfect mediator of the new covenant who fulfills the law and brings His people into true holiness. Exo 6:1 But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do… “Speak to the Israelites God addressed the nation He had redeemed from Egypt and brought into covenant at Sinai. Israel was set apart to live under His rule, and Moses served as the appointed mediator who delivered God’s commands to the people. Lev 1:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any of you”… and tell them: Moses was to communicate God’s instruction plainly and faithfully, verbally conveying His laws and decrees to the people. The laws that follow governed Israel’s conduct among the nations and distinguished their worship, family life, and moral order from the practices of Egypt and Canaan. Jer 1:17 Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything… I am the LORD your God. The command rests on God’s covenant authority. The LORD who delivered Israel was not a distant deity but their God, and Israel’s obedience was to reflect their belonging to Him. Lev 19:4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods.… You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, Egypt had shaped Israel during generations of bondage, surrounding them with idolatry and customs opposed to the worship of the one true God. Their deliverance required more than leaving Egypt physically; they were to leave its religious and moral patterns behind. Ezk 20:7-8 And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away… and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. Canaan’s inhabitants practiced idolatry, sexual immorality, and other sins connected with the worship of false gods. Though Israel was entering their land, they were not to adopt the ways of its people or blend the worship of the Lord with Canaanite religion. Deu 12:30-31 be careful not to be ensnared by their ways… You must not walk in their customs. Israel was called to live under God’s commands rather than the standards of the nations around them. Their conduct was to reflect their covenant relationship with the Lord, who had redeemed them from Egypt and was bringing them into the land He promised. 2Ki 17:8 and walked in the customs of the nations… You are to practice My judgments Israel was bound by covenant to obey the commands God gave at Sinai. These laws governed moral conduct, worship, justice, family life, and the community’s separation from the practices of Egypt and Canaan. Ezk 20:11 And I gave them My statutes and made known to them… and keep My statutes God’s statutes established the holy order He required among His people, calling for careful and continuing observance rather than occasional compliance. Deu 4:40 Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you… by walking in them. Obedience was to mark the whole course of Israel’s daily life, demonstrating loyalty to the God who had chosen and redeemed them. Ezk 11:20 so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances,… I am the LORD your God. The Lord’s authority over Israel rested on His covenant relationship with them. As the one true God, He alone had the right to define holiness and direct the life of His people. Lev 20:7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy,… Keep My statutes and My judgments, God called Israel to obey the laws He gave at Sinai as the people of His covenant. These commands governed their worship, conduct, and life in the land, setting them apart from the nations around them and reflecting the holiness of their God. Ezk 18:9 He follows My statutes and faithfully keeps My ordinances.… for the man who does these things will live by them. Obedience brought the blessing of life under God’s covenant rather than the judgment that followed sin and rebellion. The law required complete righteousness, showing humanity’s need for Christ, who perfectly fulfilled God’s will. Ezk 20:11 And I gave them My statutes and made known to them… I am the LORD. Yahweh’s authority stands behind every command. He was the covenant-keeping God who redeemed Israel from Egypt, and His laws rested upon His holy character rather than human custom. Ezk 20:12 I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us,… None of you are to approach Every Israelite was personally accountable to obey this command. God required His covenant people to reject practices common among surrounding nations. 1Co 7:1 It is good to abstain from sexual relations.… any close relative The following laws define the family relationships protected from sexual union. These boundaries guarded the household, preserved proper family order, and prevented grave violations within the home. Deu 27:22 Cursed is he who sleeps with his sister,… to have sexual relations. Sexual relations with close relatives were forbidden as a serious moral offense. Such conduct corrupted relationships God established for marriage and brought defilement upon the people. 1Co 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin… I am the LORD. God’s authority stands behind the command. Israel was to live according to His holiness rather than the customs of the nations around them. Exo 20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out… You must not expose the nakedness of your father Sexual relations with a father’s wife dishonor the father and violate the order God established for the family. Lev 20:11 If a man lies with his father’s wife,… by having sexual relations with your mother. Incest defiles the household and rejects the boundaries God set between close relatives. Lev 20:14 If a man marries both a woman and her mother,… She is your mother; Her position as mother demands honor and preserves the distinct roles within the family. Exo 20:12 Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long… you must not have sexual relations with her. Israel was to reject the corrupt practices of surrounding nations and live according to God’s standards of holiness. Deu 27:20 Cursed is he who sleeps with his father’s wife…… You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; God forbids a man from taking his father’s wife, whether she is his mother or stepmother. Such conduct corrupts the household order established by marriage and violates the covenant loyalty owed within the family. Deu 22:30 A man is not to marry his father’s wife… it would dishonor your father. Taking a father’s wife openly disgraces him and attacks his authority within the household. In Israel, this offense brought shame upon the family and violated the command to honor one’s father and mother. Deu 27:20 Cursed is he who sleeps with his father’s wife…… You must not have sexual relations with your sister, God established clear boundaries to protect the sanctity of the family and prevent sexual sin within the household. Israel was to live differently from surrounding peoples whose customs often disregarded God’s moral order. Ezk 22:11 One man commits an abomination with his neighbor’s wife;… either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, The prohibition includes both full sisters and half-sisters. Family relationships, inheritance, and household responsibilities were closely connected in Israel, and such unions would corrupt the order God established for the family. Lev 20:17 If a man marries his sister, whether the daughter of his… whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere. A sister remained a sister regardless of where she was raised or whether she belonged to another household through a different marriage. God’s command left no exception based on distance, upbringing, or family arrangements. Gen 29:16-30 Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah… You must not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, God forbids sexual relations between grandparents and grandchildren, preserving the proper boundaries of the household. Such conduct corrupts the family order established in creation and exposes those under a parent’s or grandparent’s care to grave abuse. Israel was to reject the sexual practices of surrounding nations and live as a people set apart for God. Deu 27:22 Cursed is he who sleeps with his sister,… for that would shame your family. Incest brought guilt before God and disgrace upon the whole household. In Israel’s covenant community, private sin damaged family trust, dishonored relatives, and threatened the moral health of the nation. The command protects the dignity of children and grandchildren and upholds marriage as the proper setting for sexual union. 2Sa 13:12-13 “No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not violate me”… You must not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, Israel was forbidden to treat a half-sister as available for marriage or sexual union. Whether she shared the same mother or not, her connection through the father placed her within the protected boundaries of the household. Deu 27:20 Cursed is he who sleeps with his father’s wife…… born to your father; Paternal descent established a true family bond and carried legal significance for household identity, inheritance, and covenant responsibility. A daughter fathered by the same man belonged to the same family line. Deu 27:22 Cursed is he who sleeps with his sister,… she is your sister. Her status was not diminished because she had a different mother. The law guarded the integrity of the family and distinguished Israel from surrounding peoples whose practices often disregarded such boundaries. Gen 20:12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—… You must not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; Israel’s law forbade sexual unions within the close family circle, preserving the ordered relationships God established in the household. Such conduct violated family loyalty and blurred the boundaries between generations and kinship roles. Lev 20:19 You must not have sexual relations with the sister… she is your father’s close relative. A father’s sister belonged to the immediate family network and was to be treated with honor rather than sexual interest. The command protected the stability of the household and upheld the moral distinctiveness required of Israel. Exo 6:20 And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed,… You must not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, God forbids sexual union with a maternal aunt, preserving the order He established within the family. Israel was to reject the practices of surrounding peoples and live under God’s moral boundaries. Lev 20:19 You must not have sexual relations with the sister… for she is your mother’s close relative. A maternal aunt belonged to the same close family circle as one’s mother. Such relationships were to be honored with proper respect, protecting the household from sin, confusion, and dishonor. Exo 6:20 And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed,… You must not dishonor your father’s brother God’s law protects the honor of the family and the authority of its established relationships. A man’s conduct toward his uncle must not bring shame or violation upon his household. Lev 20:20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered… by approaching his wife Sexual union with an uncle’s wife would trespass against both the uncle and the marriage covenant. Israel was called to reject the sexual practices of surrounding nations and to preserve the boundaries God established for families. Deu 22:22 If a man is found lying with another man’s wife,… to have sexual relations with her; Such conduct defiles the household and disrupts the order God gave for marriage and kinship. The command treats sexual faithfulness and family integrity as inseparable. 1Co 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin… she is your aunt. Though related by marriage, she belongs within the protected circle of close family. Her marriage to the father’s brother establishes a boundary that must not be crossed. Lev 20:19 You must not have sexual relations with the sister… You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. God’s law protects the order of the household and the integrity of marriage. A daughter-in-law enters the family through a covenant with the son, not as a potential sexual partner for his father. Such conduct would corrupt family authority, betray the son, and bring dishonor upon the household. Lev 20:12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law… She is your son’s wife; Her marriage to the son establishes a bond that must be honored by every member of the family. In Israel’s covenant community, marriage carried public and familial obligations, and violating that union threatened both the family’s stability and its faithfulness to God’s commands. Gen 38:24-26 About three months later, Judah was told… you are not to have sexual relations with her. The direct repetition removes any uncertainty. Sexual relations with a daughter-in-law are forbidden because they violate the boundaries God established for marriage, kinship, and covenant loyalty. 1Co 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality… You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; Marriage creates a protected union that must not be violated by another member of the family. Such conduct would bring disorder into the household and defile relationships God established for faithfulness and stability. Lev 20:21 If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act… that would shame your brother. Taking a brother’s wife dishonors him publicly and treats his marriage as though it had no sacred claim. The prohibition guards both the brother’s dignity and the integrity of the family. Deu 25:5-10 When brothers dwell together and one of them dies… You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. God forbids sexual unions that violate the natural boundaries of the household. Such conduct corrupts family relationships, creates rivalry and injury within the home, and treats close relatives as objects of desire rather than members of a family deserving honor and protection. Lev 20:14 If a man marries both a woman and her mother,… You are not to marry her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter and have sexual relations with her. The prohibition extends to granddaughters, preserving clear generational boundaries. Israel was not to adopt the sexual practices of surrounding nations, where family order and covenant faithfulness were often disregarded. Lev 20:12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law… They are close relatives; it is depraved. These relationships are condemned as morally corrupt because they overturn God’s order for marriage, kinship, and household life. Holiness required Israel to reject practices that defiled families and dishonored God. Deu 27:23 Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.… You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife Marriage to two sisters had brought bitter rivalry into Jacob’s household through Leah and Rachel. Israel was forbidden to repeat such an arrangement, which would divide a family and set sisters against one another. Gen 29:21-30 Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife… and have sexual relations with her Taking a wife’s sister in marriage included sexual union. The law guarded the existing marriage bond and prohibited a relationship that would create ongoing conflict within the household. Lev 20:17 If a man marries his sister, whether the daughter of his… while your wife is still alive. The restriction applied during the wife’s lifetime. It protected her place in the marriage and prevented her sister from becoming a competing wife. Rom 7:2-3 For instance, a married woman is bound by law… You must not approach a woman Israel was to live under God’s holy order, including clear boundaries for sexual conduct. Marriage and intimacy were governed by His commands rather than surrounding pagan customs. Exo 19:15 “Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people.… to have sexual relations with her Sexual union was not treated as morally insignificant or merely private. It belonged within the covenant life of Israel and was subject to the laws governing holiness and ceremonial cleanliness. 1Co 6:15-18 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?…… during her menstrual period. During menstruation, a woman was ceremonially unclean under the regulations of Leviticus 15. This was not a judgment on her character, but a temporary ritual condition. Intercourse at that time would bring ceremonial uncleanness and violate the order God established for His people. Ezk 18:6 He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols… You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife Marriage was established by God as an exclusive covenant union between a man and a woman. Adultery violated that covenant, wronged the husband and wife, disrupted households, and threatened the moral order of Israel. Because Israel belonged to the holy God, sexual faithfulness was essential to both personal conduct and community life. Pro 6:29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;… and thus defile yourself with her. Sexual sin brought moral defilement upon those involved. It was not merely a private matter but an offense against God’s holiness and the covenant community. Israel was called to reject such corruption and remain set apart from the practices of the surrounding nations. Ezk 22:11 One man commits an abomination with his neighbor’s wife;… You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, God forbade Israel from participating in the child-sacrifice practices associated with Molech among surrounding peoples. Such worship treated children as offerings to false gods and directly opposed God’s command to preserve innocent life. Israel was to remain separate from the idolatry and cruelty of the nations in Canaan. 2Ki 23:10 He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom… for you must not profane the name of your God. Offering children to idols would disgrace the God who had redeemed Israel and bound Himself to them by covenant. Their conduct among the nations was to reflect His holiness rather than the corrupt worship of pagan gods. Lev 22:32 You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged… I am the LORD. The command rests on the authority of the covenant God, Israel’s Creator and Redeemer. He alone had the right to define worship and require obedience from His people. Exo 20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out… You must not lie with a man as with a woman; Israel was called to live differently from Egypt and Canaan, whose sexual practices formed part of the corruption God judged. Sexual union belonged within marriage between a man and a woman and was ordered toward faithful companionship, family, and the continuance of the covenant community. Male same-sex intercourse violated that order and was forbidden among God’s people. Rom 1:26-27 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions.… that is an abomination. God regarded such conduct as morally detestable and incompatible with the holiness required of Israel. The prohibition was not merely ceremonial but reflected God’s design for human sexuality and the distinct character He required of His people. Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a man as with a woman,… You must not lie carnally with any animal, God’s creation order distinguishes humanity from the animals placed under human stewardship. Sexual union belongs within marriage between a man and a woman; intercourse with an animal rejects that order and profanes human dignity. Lev 20:15 If a man lies carnally with an animal… thus defiling yourself with it; Such conduct brought moral and ceremonial defilement upon the offender. It violated the holiness required of Israel and corrupted the person’s standing within the covenant community. Psa 106:39 They defiled themselves by their actions… a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; The command expressly includes women as well as men, leaving no exception based on gender. Israel was not to adopt practices associated with the surrounding pagan peoples or permit conduct that dishonored God’s design for sexuality. Lev 20:16 If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it,… that is a perversion. The act is condemned as a gross distortion of what God established in creation. Its prohibition guarded the holiness, moral order, and distinct identity of Israel. Jud 1:7 In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities… Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, God forbids Israel from participating in the sexual perversions, idolatry, and child sacrifice described in the preceding laws. Their conduct was to reflect their covenant calling as a people set apart for the Lord. Deu 18:9-12 When you enter the land that the LORD your God gives you,… for by all these things the nations The Canaanite peoples had filled the land with these sins. Their worship and social life were marked by practices God had condemned, making their presence in the land an offense against His holiness. Deu 9:4-5 When the LORD your God has driven them out before you,… I am driving out before you God would remove these nations through Israel’s conquest of Canaan. Their expulsion was not merely Israel’s expansion but God’s judgment on generations of persistent rebellion and the fulfillment of His promise to give the land to Abraham’s descendants. Exo 23:28-31 I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites… have defiled themselves. The nations had corrupted themselves before God through continued disobedience. Israel was warned that the same judgment could fall on them if they adopted the sins for which the Canaanites were being removed. Psa 106:38-39 They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons… Even the land has become defiled, Israel’s land belonged to the Lord and was given to His people under the covenant. The sins practiced by the Canaanites—especially idolatry, sexual immorality, and violence—brought moral pollution upon the land itself. Human rebellion against God was not treated as private conduct but as a corruption that affected the whole community and its inheritance. Num 35:33 Do not pollute the land where you live, … so I am punishing it for its sin, God’s judgment fell upon the inhabitants whose wickedness had reached its full measure. Israel’s coming conquest of Canaan was not merely an expansion of territory but an act of divine judgment against nations that had persisted in abominable practices. Israel was likewise accountable and could not expect special treatment if it adopted the same sins. Hos 8:13 Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me… and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. The land’s expulsion of its inhabitants pictures the removal of a people no longer fit to remain in God’s gift. The Canaanites were driven out before Israel, and Israel later faced exile when it followed their ways. Possession of the land required obedience to the Lord who owned it. Lev 20:22 You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances,… But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, God required Israel to obey the laws He had given through Moses. These commands governed worship, conduct, justice, and family life, marking Israel as a people set apart for Him. Deu 11:1 You shall therefore love the LORD your God… and you must not commit any of these abominations— The prohibited sexual practices, called abominations because they are detestable to God, violated God’s design for human relationships and had corrupted the nations living in Canaan. Israel was not to adopt the customs that had brought judgment upon the land. Deu 12:31 You must not worship the LORD your God in this way,… neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. Everyone living within Israel’s community was accountable to the same moral standards. Foreign residents were welcomed under Israel’s protection but were not permitted to practice the sinful customs forbidden by God. Exo 12:49 The same law shall apply to both the native… For the men who were in the land before you The Canaanites had occupied the land God promised to Abraham’s descendants. Their society was marked by idolatry and practices tied to pagan worship, including acts God had forbidden. Deu 12:29-31 When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations… committed all these abominations, Their guilt included the sexual sins, child sacrifice, and idolatrous customs prohibited in this chapter. Their persistent rebellion brought God’s judgment upon them. Deu 18:9-12 When you enter the land that the LORD your God gives you,… and the land has become defiled. Sin had polluted the land entrusted to its inhabitants. God therefore removed the Canaanites, warning Israel that the same judgment would follow if they adopted the same sins. Num 35:33-34 Do not pollute the land where you live, … So if you defile the land, Canaan belonged to God and was given to Israel as their covenant inheritance. Its defilement came through the sins condemned in this chapter, including idolatry, sexual immorality, and practices associated with pagan worship. Israel’s conduct in the land mattered because they were called to live under God’s rule. Num 35:33-34 Do not pollute the land where you live, … it will vomit you out The image portrays the land as unable to bear persistent rebellion. Israel would not possess Canaan merely by ancestry or military strength; continued residence depended on obedience to the Lord. The warning anticipates that covenant unfaithfulness would bring expulsion from the land. Lev 20:22 You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances,… as it spewed out the nations before you. The Canaanite peoples were driven out because of long-standing wickedness and abominable worship. Israel was not exempt from the same judgment. God’s dealings with the former inhabitants showed that He judges sin impartially, including among the people He had chosen. Deu 11:23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you… Therefore anyone who commits any of these abominations God held both Israelites and resident foreigners accountable for the sins forbidden in this chapter, including incest, adultery, child sacrifice, homosexual acts, and bestiality. Such conduct defiled those who practiced it and brought judgment on the land itself. Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a man as with a woman,… must be cut off from among his people. The offender was to be cut off—removed from the covenant community under God’s judgment, possibly through excommunication, banishment, or death—preserving Israel’s holiness and warning the nation against adopting the practices of the surrounding peoples. Gen 17:14 But if any male is not circumcised, he will be… You must keep My charge Israel was bound to obey the commands God had given as His covenant people. Their life in the land was to reflect His holiness and distinguish them from the nations around them. 1Ki 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways… not to practice any of the abominable customs The practices forbidden included the idolatry, sexual sins, and other corrupt acts associated with Canaanite worship. God judged these deeds as morally corrupt and incompatible with worship of Him. Deu 18:9 When you enter the land that the LORD your God gives you,… that were practiced before you, The inhabitants of Canaan had long followed these customs, and their sin was among the reasons God brought judgment upon them and gave their land to Israel. Israel was not to repeat the sins of the people they displaced. Deu 9:4-5 When the LORD your God has driven them out before you,… so that you do not defile yourselves by them. Participation in such acts would bring moral and spiritual uncleanness upon the people and threaten their fellowship with God in the land He had given them. Ezk 20:7 And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away… I am the LORD your God.” The command rests on God’s authority and His covenant with Israel. He had redeemed them and called them to belong to Him alone. Exo 20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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