Leviticus Chapter 18
Laws of Sexual Morality
A. Commands against incest
1. (Leviticus 18:1–5) Introduction to the commands regarding sexual conduct
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I am the LORD your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.”
This passage marks a turning point in the Law, where God directly addresses the moral foundations of sexual conduct among His people. It establishes divine authority over one of the most personal and easily corrupted areas of human life: sexuality. These commands are not the opinions of men or the product of social custom, but the words of Almighty God, who alone defines righteousness.
Before any specific prohibition is given, God lays down the principle of separation. His people were not to imitate the practices of Egypt, where they once lived, nor the Canaanites, whose land they would soon possess. Both nations were notorious for sexual corruption, idolatry, and perversion. By contrast, Israel was to live as a holy nation, walking in the moral statutes and judgments of the LORD.
The Lord begins with the solemn declaration, “I am the LORD your God.” This statement anchors all moral obligation in His divine nature and covenant relationship with Israel. The authority of these commands rests not on social consensus or personal preference but upon who God is. He is the Creator and Redeemer, the sovereign Lawgiver whose holiness defines morality itself.
The phrase, “According to the doings of the land of Egypt…nor according to the doings of the land of Canaan,” points to the moral contrast God demanded. Egypt was a civilization of worldly grandeur but deep depravity. Archaeology and historical records reveal that incest, temple prostitution, and various unnatural unions were common in both Egyptian and Canaanite religion. God was calling Israel to reject all such practices and to represent His holiness before the nations.
As Moses declared, “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.” These words reveal that obedience brings life, not bondage. God’s moral law was never intended to rob mankind of joy, but to preserve true joy through purity. The sexual boundaries God established protect the sanctity of marriage, family, and community. They guard against the physical, emotional, and spiritual ruin that always follows disobedience.
While believers in the New Testament era are not under the Mosaic Law for justification (Romans 6:14–15; Galatians 5:18), the moral principles of Leviticus 18 remain relevant because they express God’s unchanging character. As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” The apostolic command mirrors Leviticus 18 by calling God’s people to holiness in contrast to a corrupt world.
Christ Himself upheld the moral law, saying in Matthew 5:17–19, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus later summarized all the Law and the Prophets with two commandments: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40). Therefore, obedience to the sexual laws of Leviticus 18 is an expression of both love for God and love for one’s neighbor. True love does not transgress God’s moral boundaries but seeks the good of others within them.
The statement “According to the doings of the land of Egypt…nor according to the doings of the land of Canaan” also applies prophetically to the modern world. As ancient civilizations perverted God’s design, so has our culture. The moral corruption of today—pornography, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, gender confusion—mirrors the same pagan practices God condemned long ago. The moral relativism of the modern age says, “If it feels good, it is right,” yet the inevitable result is spiritual emptiness and societal decay.
The Apostle Paul’s warning in Romans 12:2 echoes Leviticus 18: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Believers must reject cultural compromise and live by the unchanging truth of Scripture.
When God says, “If a man does, he shall live by them,” He is not teaching salvation by works, but the principle that obedience to divine truth brings blessing and stability to life. The moral law is a reflection of the Creator’s order, and when man aligns himself with it, he experiences life as it was meant to be. Disobedience, by contrast, brings corruption, disease, brokenness, and death—both physical and spiritual.
Ezekiel 18:9 reinforces this truth: “If he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully—he is just; he shall surely live,” says the LORD God. Paul later quoted this same concept in Romans 10:5 and Galatians 3:12 to show that perfect obedience would lead to life, though in practice only Christ fulfilled it completely. Yet the moral principle remains: righteousness preserves life, while sin destroys it.
The words of Leviticus 18:1–5 remind every believer that God’s design for human sexuality is not restrictive but redemptive. His boundaries bring freedom, safety, and fulfillment, while rebellion brings ruin. Those who live by God’s moral order will find that it is not merely a set of prohibitions, but a path that leads to true life in body, mind, and spirit.
Laws of Sexual Morality
A. Commands against incest
2. (Leviticus 18:6–9) Sexual relations among immediate family (incest) prohibited
“None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the LORD. The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness. The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover.”
This passage contains the first specific prohibition against sexual relations within one’s immediate family, and it is the foundation for understanding biblical sexual morality. God begins His laws on sexual ethics by forbidding incest. Such a prohibition is not merely cultural or societal, but moral and universal, rooted in the sanctity of the family as God designed it. The family was created as the basic unit of human society, and God’s command here preserves both its moral purity and its structural integrity.
a. None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him:
The command forbids sexual intimacy between close relatives, those described as “near of kin.” This is the essence of incest. The law’s clarity reflects God’s design for human relationships—each role within the family has boundaries that must never be crossed. By setting this law first, God underscores that His standard of righteousness is higher than human desire.
From a purely physical standpoint, there may be no difference in pleasure between a sexual act with a relative and one with an unrelated person. But God never intended physical pleasure to be the chief purpose of sex. The divine purpose is relational, covenantal, and procreative—a physical expression of spiritual and emotional unity between a husband and wife, who become one flesh. As it is written in Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Jesus reaffirmed this design in Matthew 19:4–6, saying, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Incest defies this pattern by fusing the roles of family and spouse, bringing corruption and confusion into the order God established. Rooker correctly notes that these laws define the moral foundation necessary for Israel’s survival: “This instruction is critical if the promise that Abraham was to be the ancestor of a great and mighty nation was to be fulfilled. A nation cannot exist if the family unit is not well defined, for the family is the foundation of society.”
Historically, it is true that in the earliest generations of humanity, marriage between close relatives was unavoidable. As Adam Clarke observes, “In the infancy of the world, persons very near of kin must have been joined in matrimonial alliances; even brothers must have matched with their own sisters. This must have been the case in the family of Adam. In these first instances necessity required this; when this necessity no longer existed, the thing became inexpedient and improper.” As human genetic diversity expanded and God’s purposes unfolded, such unions became not only unnecessary but sinful and destructive.
b. To uncover his nakedness:
This phrase, repeated seventeen times in this chapter, is a modest way of referring to sexual relations. It does not refer merely to nudity but to sexual activity in general, including any act of intimacy intended for the marriage bed. The term is broad enough to encompass inappropriate acts short of intercourse—such as molestation or fondling—and, by implication, it includes the moral defilement of voyeurism and pornography.
To “uncover nakedness” therefore carries the idea of taking what belongs exclusively to the marital relationship and exposing it to another. As Peter-Contesse notes, “The words to uncover nakedness simply mean ‘to have sexual intercourse’ or ‘to commit a sex act.’” The viewing or imagining of another’s nakedness through pornography is an indirect form of this violation, for it indulges lust outside of God’s ordained boundaries.
c. The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover:
These commands prohibit sexual relations between parents and children, between parents and stepchildren, and between siblings, whether related by blood or by marriage. This includes any sexual relationship between family members, even when both parties are adults and claim mutual consent. Scripture makes clear that consent does not make sin permissible before God.
In 1 Corinthians 5:1, Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for tolerating such sin: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!” The moral law of Leviticus 18 was thus reaffirmed in the New Testament, showing its continuing relevance and authority.
Sexual relations between family members defile the God-ordained order of the home and destroy trust within the most sacred human bond. Rooker writes, “Sexual impulse is a potent desire. If gratified incestuously within the family, it blurs family lines and leads to the destruction of the family unit.” Incest shatters the moral and emotional structure of the home, introducing shame and confusion where there should be safety and respect.
There is also a physical reason for this prohibition. As Harrison observes, “Surveys in different parts of the world where inbreeding occurs have shown that it is accompanied by an increase in congenital malformations and perinatal mortality, for which recessive genes and environmental factors respectively would be responsible.” In the same way, he notes that “in those instances where the parents are siblings, or where the relationship is one between parent and child, the resultant offspring incur approximately at a 30% risk of retardation or some other serious defect.” Thus, God’s moral law is also an act of mercy—protecting both the soul and the body from corruption.
d. The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness:
This command specifically addresses sexual relations with one’s stepmother, even after the father’s death. Such an act dishonors both father and son, for the wife’s nakedness is considered an extension of her husband’s. The two are one flesh (Genesis 2:24), and to violate that union is to attack the sanctity of marriage itself.
In God’s design, the nakedness of a husband or wife belongs only to their spouse. As Genesis 2:25 declares, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” The purity and freedom within the marriage covenant are unique to that relationship and cannot be duplicated or shared outside it. The moment sexual activity leaves that sacred bond, shame and defilement enter in.
Therefore, God’s laws on incest are not arbitrary restrictions, but divine boundaries meant to protect purity, preserve the family, and uphold the sanctity of marriage. When those lines are crossed, both the moral order and human well-being are destroyed.
A. Commands against incest
3. (Leviticus 18:10–18) Other applications of the command against incest
“The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness. The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father—she is your sister—you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is near of kin to your father. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is near of kin to your mother. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law—she is your son’s wife—you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness. Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.”
This section extends the prohibition of incest beyond immediate family members to a wider circle of kinship. God’s intent is to preserve the sanctity, clarity, and stability of family relationships, preventing confusion and corruption that would otherwise erode the moral foundation of the home and community. Every boundary set here flows from the same divine principle: the sexual bond is sacred and exclusive to the marriage covenant between one man and one woman.
a. The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover:
Here God addresses sexual relations between multiple generations of the same family, explicitly forbidding sexual acts between grandparents and grandchildren, as well as uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and step-relatives. These relationships represent the most intimate and trusted connections within the family structure, and any sexual intrusion into them perverts God’s design.
Such acts not only violate the individuals involved but destroy the family hierarchy of respect, nurture, and protection. By perverting the generational lines, incest within these relationships creates confusion where God intended order. Family bonds that should represent safety and honor are corrupted into instruments of shame and defilement.
Rooker notes that “The group of relatives the Israelite was forbidden to marry would largely coincide with the relatives who would have lived in a single household in ancient Israel.” In other words, God’s design guarded the sanctity of the household, the place of upbringing and security. Where people lived in close domestic proximity, temptation and familiarity could lead to sin if boundaries were not firmly set. These divine prohibitions ensured purity and reverence within the home.
The structure of these commands also reinforces a larger principle: God’s concern is not merely biological, but moral and relational. Even relationships formed through marriage (such as stepchildren, in-laws, or siblings by marriage) are protected under the same moral law. God’s boundaries cover both blood and covenantal family ties, showing that holiness governs not only what is natural but also what is relationally sacred.
b. It is your brother’s nakedness:
This repeated principle highlights that the physical intimacy of marriage belongs exclusively to one’s spouse and, by covenant, to no other. To engage sexually with another person’s spouse is not only adultery but also an assault on the marital bond itself. Scripture consistently affirms that the “nakedness” of a man or woman—meaning their sexual self—is the private possession of their spouse alone.
Genesis 2:24 declares, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Likewise, the Apostle Paul elaborates in 1 Corinthians 7:4, “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” Within marriage, the giving of oneself sexually is a mutual act of love and covenantal fidelity; outside of it, it becomes defilement.
To expose or “uncover” the nakedness of another’s spouse is to take what belongs to that spouse alone. It is theft of the most personal and intimate kind, and a direct violation of both God’s moral law and the sacred institution of marriage.
c. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother… nor your daughter-in-law… nor your brother’s wife:
These examples prohibit sexual relationships with one’s aunt, daughter-in-law, or sister-in-law. Each prohibition serves to maintain distinct generational and marital boundaries. For instance, the command against taking one’s brother’s wife preserves the sanctity of the marriage covenant even after death, except where specifically permitted for Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5–10), which served a unique legal and redemptive purpose in Israel’s culture.
The underlying moral lesson remains timeless: the sexual bond is never to be treated casually or redirected toward anyone other than one’s lawful spouse. God designed sexual union to reinforce commitment, not to confuse relationships or blur family distinctions.
d. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter… they are near of kin to her; it is wickedness:
This command condemns sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter or her grandchildren, whether simultaneously or separately. Such actions compound sin upon sin, corrupting multiple family lines and generating deep moral decay. God labels it plainly: “It is wickedness.”
Peter-Contesse notes, “The term translated here as wickedness is a very general one… used to describe any kind of morally unacceptable or detestable action.” This word captures the full depravity of incestuous sin—it is a defilement that pollutes the soul and the community alike.
e. Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive:
This command forbids the taking of two sisters as wives at the same time. The wording points to rivalry and emotional harm, which naturally arises when affections are divided. The example of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel in Genesis 29–30 shows the strife, jealousy, and heartache that result when such relationships are pursued. While some have seen this verse as a general prohibition against polygamy, it primarily speaks to the relational discord caused by joining two sisters to one husband.
Even so, Scripture reveals that every example of polygamy in the Old Testament brought with it conflict, envy, and sorrow—never peace or blessing. God’s design from the beginning was monogamy: one man and one woman united in lifelong covenant.
John Trapp, the Puritan commentator, suggested that this verse implicitly rebukes all forms of polygamy, since it exposes the rivalry and spiritual disorder it creates. Whether or not the text explicitly addresses polygamy as a whole, it certainly reaffirms the principle that God’s intent for marriage is unity, exclusivity, and peace, not competition or jealousy.
Thus, Leviticus 18:10–18 presents a detailed framework for protecting the purity of the family and the sacredness of marriage. God’s prohibitions against incest safeguard human dignity, ensure generational order, and reflect His holy nature. When obeyed, these boundaries foster love, respect, and stability in the home—the very qualities upon which a righteous society must stand.
Laws of Sexual Morality
B. Other laws regarding sexual morality
1. (Leviticus 18:19) The command against sex during menstruation
“Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness as long as she is in her customary impurity.”
This command refers to sexual relations during a woman’s menstrual period, which the Law calls her “customary impurity.” It echoes the instructions given in Leviticus 15:19–24, where contact with menstrual blood rendered a person ceremonially unclean, requiring ritual washing and a temporary separation from temple worship. Here, the focus is moral as well as ceremonial, establishing boundaries of restraint and respect within intimate relationships.
a. In her customary impurity:
The term “customary impurity” refers to the woman’s regular menstrual cycle, which under the Mosaic law was associated with ritual uncleanness due to the loss of blood—symbolic of life. Because “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11), any discharge of blood was treated with reverence, not casual familiarity. The prohibition against sexual intercourse during this time taught Israel to regard life, and by extension the procreative power of sex, as sacred.
This command applied both within and beyond marriage. The Hebrew term “a woman” includes one’s wife but also extends more broadly, showing that restraint and purity were required in all circumstances. Within marriage, it was a command of self-control, reminding husbands that even in the marital bond, sexual union must be governed by holiness and consideration, not mere desire.
The Apostle Paul captured this same ethic in 1 Corinthians 7:3–4: “Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” This balance of mutual care teaches that marital intimacy must always reflect servanthood and love, not selfish indulgence.
In a world that often views sexual activity as self-centered gratification, this law reminds believers that even within marriage, restraint is an act of love and reverence for God. It teaches that true intimacy honors both God’s design and the dignity of the other person.
b. You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness:
This phrase, as in previous verses, is a respectful expression referring to sexual intercourse. To “uncover nakedness” implies the act of engaging in sexual activity, not merely viewing nudity. Thus, the verse forbids sexual relations during menstruation.
The broader principle behind this law reveals God’s concern for cleanliness, health, and respect in marital relations. It reflects divine wisdom, both moral and practical. On a physical level, sexual contact during menstruation poses health risks and was wisely prohibited long before modern medical understanding. On a spiritual level, the law reminded Israel that the human body and the act of sex are sacred, not common, and must never be defiled by disregard for God’s order.
Through such commands, God was not burdening His people but teaching them that holiness governs every area of life—even the most private and physical aspects.
2. (Leviticus 18:20) The command against adultery
“Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her.”
Here God forbids adultery, the violation of the marriage covenant by sexual activity with another person’s spouse. The act is described by the phrase “lie carnally,” meaning sexual intercourse, and “neighbor’s wife” indicates any woman married to another man. This law reiterates the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14), emphasizing the sacredness of marriage and the destructive nature of sexual sin.
a. You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife:
This prohibition defines adultery as a deliberate act of unfaithfulness that desecrates the marriage covenant. God’s design for sexual expression has always been confined to the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. As Genesis 2:24 teaches, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Jesus reaffirmed this divine order in Matthew 19:4–6: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
To break this covenantal union is to rebel against God’s authority and desecrate what He has made holy. Every rationalization for adultery—whether it be emotional dissatisfaction, attraction, or false notions of divine approval—is a lie from the flesh and the devil. As James 1:14–15 warns, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Adultery has always been considered among the gravest sins because it strikes at the heart of the family, which is the foundation of society. Rooker notes, “Adultery is an assault on the nuclear family. It was called ‘the great sin’ in the ancient Near East.” Its consequences ripple outward—destroying trust, dividing households, corrupting children, and defiling the conscience of the sinner.
The commandment itself offers no loopholes or exceptions. Emotional or romantic justification, such as claiming “we are in love” or “my spouse doesn’t understand me,” cannot excuse sin. God’s standard is clear and absolute.
b. To defile yourself with her:
Adultery defiles not only the marriage but also the individual soul. The word defile conveys moral pollution and spiritual corruption. Proverbs 6:32 warns, “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul.” The adulterer wounds his integrity, soils his conscience, and separates himself from the presence and blessing of God.
While the external consequences of adultery—broken families, loss of reputation, guilt—are visible, the deeper defilement is internal and spiritual. The unfaithful person becomes marked by untrustworthiness and shame. Even if the act is hidden from others, it is fully exposed before God, as Hebrews 4:13 declares: “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
For believers, adultery not only harms others but also defiles their fellowship with Christ. The Apostle Paul exhorts in 1 Corinthians 6:18–20, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Sexual sin always carries a cost. It desecrates what God has made sacred and harms all who touch it. Yet even here, God’s mercy is greater than sin. Those who repent and turn to Christ can be cleansed, for as 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Thus, the command against adultery is not merely a rule to restrict pleasure, but a safeguard of holiness, love, and life itself. It protects what God calls honorable—“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).
Laws of Sexual Morality
B. Other laws regarding sexual morality
3. (Leviticus 18:21) The command against Molech worship
“And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.”
In the midst of laws governing sexual morality, God includes this shocking and horrifying prohibition against the worship of Molech. The command forbids child sacrifice, one of the most abominable practices of pagan religion. Though it may seem out of place at first glance, its connection to the previous commands becomes clear upon examination—Molech worship was closely tied to sexual immorality, fertility rituals, and the attempt to conceal or atone for the consequences of such sin, particularly the birth of illegitimate children.
a. You shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech:
Molech, also called Molek or Moloch, was a Canaanite deity associated with the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:7). Worshippers constructed a large hollow statue of the god, usually made of bronze, with outstretched arms. The statue was heated from within until it glowed red-hot. Parents would then place their infants upon the searing arms of Molech as a living sacrifice. To drown out the screams of the dying child, drums and flutes were played loudly, turning the entire ritual into a nightmarish spectacle of demonic idolatry.
Scripture reveals the true nature of such sacrifices. Psalm 106:37 declares, “They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.” The worship of Molech was not simply pagan superstition—it was communion with demonic forces masquerading as a god. Leviticus 20:1–5 would later pronounce the death sentence upon anyone who participated in this evil. God said in Jeremiah 7:31, “And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.”
Even with these clear and dreadful warnings, Israel repeatedly fell into the sin of Molech worship. King Solomon, influenced by his foreign wives, built an altar to Molech east of Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7). Centuries later, the northern tribes practiced it, provoking God’s wrath and bringing the Assyrian captivity upon them (2 Kings 17:17). Judah also became guilty; King Manasseh burned his son as a sacrifice (2 Kings 21:6). It was not until the reforms of King Josiah that this vile practice was finally condemned and the site of its worship destroyed: “And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.” (2 Kings 23:10).
The persistence of Molech worship in Israel is a sobering reminder of how sin corrupts even God’s people when they embrace the culture of the surrounding world. Despite divine revelation, miracles, and covenant, they adopted the abominations of the pagans.
Rooker notes, “Noting that the context deals with sexual activity, many scholars have advocated a position reflected in Jewish tradition that what is involved here is Jewish parents offering their children to Molech to grow up as temple prostitutes. This may be an attempt, however, to avoid the utter horror of what seems to be the face value reading of the text, since it is well known that the worship of Molech involved human sacrifice.” The text means exactly what it says: Israel was warned against the literal sacrifice of their children.
This evil practice demonstrates the depravity of man when he departs from God’s truth. The perversion of Molech worship combined sexual immorality, idolatry, and murder into one profane ritual. The children conceived in acts of fornication or adultery were offered up to appease false gods or to hide sin—a primitive and demonic form of birth control through infanticide.
b. Nor shall you profane the name of your God:
To engage in Molech worship was to bring utter shame upon the holy name of the LORD. God’s name represents His character, His covenant, and His holiness. To offer one’s child to a false god was not merely idolatry—it was a direct assault on the sanctity of His name and a denial of His sovereignty as Creator and Sustainer of life.
The inclusion of this command among sexual laws highlights that child sacrifice was often the gruesome consequence of sexual sin. When men and women engaged in forbidden relations and conceived children, they sometimes offered those children to Molech to conceal their shame or appease guilt. Thus, Molech worship and sexual immorality were intertwined, showing the ultimate fruit of unrestrained lust and idolatry: death and destruction.
In this way, Molech worship serves as an ancient precursor to modern abortion. Though the rituals differ, the motivation is tragically similar—eliminate the child as an inconvenience or consequence of sin. As Rooker observed, Molech worship can be viewed as “an ancient version of birth control by infanticide.” Today, the altars of Molech have been replaced by clinics, and the cries of burning infants have been replaced by the silence of sanitized procedure rooms—but the same demonic spirit remains behind both.
Peter-Contesse notes that the word Molech was deliberately formed to sound like two Hebrew words: melek (“king”) and bosheth (“shame”), producing a term that can be rendered “the king of shame.” This play on words captures both the perversion and humiliation of those who followed him. To worship Molech was to surrender one’s heritage and offspring—the very future of the nation—to a false god of death and shame.
In contrast, the LORD calls Himself the God of life, the Defender of the innocent, and the Redeemer of sinners. Where Molech demanded the death of children, God sent His own Son to die for sinners that they might live. The blood of Molech’s victims cried out for judgment, but the blood of Christ cries out for mercy.
For this reason, the LORD ends this verse with the solemn declaration: “I am the LORD.” This divine signature seals the command with absolute authority. It is as if God says, “You shall not do this, for I alone am your God, the Giver of life, and My name must never be profaned.”
The lesson is timeless: wherever a society abandons God’s moral law and exalts sexual freedom and idolatry, it inevitably begins to destroy its own children—whether by fire, neglect, or abortion. The command of Leviticus 18:21 therefore stands as a moral warning for every generation: the sanctity of life and the holiness of God’s name are inseparably linked.
Laws of Sexual Morality
B. Other laws regarding sexual morality
4. (Leviticus 18:22) Command against homosexual sex
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.”
This command is one of the clearest and most direct statements in Scripture regarding the sin of homosexual acts. It defines God’s unchanging moral standard for sexual relationships, emphasizing that any sexual act outside the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman is sinful.
a. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman:
This language is explicit and unambiguous. The phrase “lie with” is a modest Hebrew idiom for sexual intercourse. The command condemns the act of homosexual intercourse as contrary to God’s design. Sexual expression, according to Scripture, was created for a man and a woman joined in the covenant of marriage, fulfilling God’s purpose for companionship, love, and procreation.
From the beginning, God established this pattern in Genesis 2:18–25: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.… Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Jesus reaffirmed this divine design in Matthew 19:4–6: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
God’s order for human sexuality is exclusive to this union. Any deviation—whether adultery, fornication, incest, or homosexual activity—is rebellion against His created intent.
This command, along with others such as Romans 1:24–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, and 1 Timothy 1:10, stands in sharp contrast to modern culture. While many today reject these teachings as outdated or hateful, the Word of God does not change. What was declared sin in Leviticus remains sin today, not because of cultural tradition but because God’s moral law reflects His holy and unchanging nature.
Paul’s words in Romans 1:26–27 reaffirm this: “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”
b. It is an abomination:
The Hebrew word translated “abomination” (toʿevah) denotes something detestable, repulsive, or abhorrent in the sight of God. It is one of the strongest condemnatory terms in Scripture, used often in reference to idolatry, witchcraft, and gross immorality. Homosexual acts are not described as a mere weakness or mistake—they are portrayed as moral corruption of the highest order, an affront to God’s holiness.
Leviticus 20:13 further emphasizes the severity: “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” This law underscored the moral gravity of the sin under the theocratic covenant of Israel. While the civil penalties no longer apply under the New Covenant, the moral principle remains unchanged—homosexuality is still sin in God’s eyes.
Other Scriptures echo this condemnation:
1 Corinthians 6:9–10: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Revelation 22:15: “But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”
Rooker observes, “An abomination, a term especially frequent in the Book of Deuteronomy, refers to an act that is abhorrent or repugnant, such as idolatry and inappropriate worship of God.” Homosexuality, therefore, is placed in the same moral category as idolatry because both reject God’s order and substitute a human-made distortion.
c. The modern rejection of this command:
Modern society largely celebrates what God calls sin. One of the reasons this command is so widely despised is because of a profound shift in worldview. In previous centuries, homosexuality was viewed as a behavior; today, it is treated as an identity. This change has caused people to interpret moral opposition as hatred of persons rather than rejection of sinful conduct.
Scripture, however, distinguishes between the person and the practice. Christians are commanded to love all people as bearers of God’s image but are never permitted to call evil good. Isaiah 5:20 warns, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” True love does not affirm what destroys the soul—it calls sinners to repentance and points them to forgiveness and transformation in Christ.
Believers must neither harbor hatred toward those struggling with same-sex attraction nor compromise the truth out of cultural pressure. The saying is still true: “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” Compassion does not require compromise, and conviction does not negate compassion.
d. The irrelevance of “inborn nature” as an excuse for sin:
Some claim that homosexual orientation is innate and therefore should be accepted as natural. Yet Scripture teaches that all people are born with a sinful nature (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23). The fact that a desire feels natural does not make it righteous. Many sins—lust, anger, pride, greed—arise from natural inclinations, yet they are condemned because they oppose God’s holiness.
The cause of homosexual attraction, whether genetic, psychological, or environmental, is ultimately secondary to the moral question. The Bible’s concern is not where sinful desires originate but whether we obey or resist them. As Romans 8:13 states, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
e. Cultural realities and compassion:
Even from a societal perspective, the prevalence of homosexual orientation is far less than often portrayed. According to data from the 2018 United States National Health Interview Survey, 97.6% of adults identified as heterosexual, 1.6% as gay or lesbian, and 0.8% as bisexual. While these numbers are small, they represent individuals who, like all sinners, need the gospel’s hope and grace.
The church must therefore speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Homosexual acts remain an abomination before God, yet those who commit them are not beyond redemption. Paul wrote of believers in Corinth, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
This verse stands as a testimony that no sinner is beyond the cleansing power of Christ. Homosexuality, like any other sin, can be forgiven, and the sinner can be transformed through faith and repentance.
B. Other laws regarding sexual morality
5. (Leviticus 18:23) The command against bestiality — sexual relations with animals
“Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.”
This verse delivers a final and forceful prohibition in God’s laws of sexual morality, condemning bestiality—the act of sexual intercourse between a human and an animal. Such behavior is not only unnatural but also represents the ultimate distortion of God’s created order.
a. Nor shall you mate with any animal:
This is a direct, unequivocal command. Sexual activity between humans and animals violates the fundamental purpose of sexuality as designed by God. His intention for sexual union is clear: it is to occur only within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. Genesis 2:18–25 sets this foundation: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.… Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Jesus reaffirmed this divine standard in Matthew 19:4–6: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
All sexual activity outside this covenant—whether fornication, adultery, homosexuality, or bestiality—is rebellion against God’s design. Each represents a rejection of the purpose and sanctity of human sexuality, which was created to reflect divine order and relational unity, not animal instinct or moral chaos.
Ancient pagan cultures, including those surrounding Israel, were known to practice bestiality as part of fertility and idolatrous rituals. The Canaanites, Egyptians, and other Near Eastern peoples often linked sexual depravity to the worship of false gods. As Harris notes, “In contrast, the gods of Ugarit, by their example, led their devotees in this sin.” Similarly, Adam Clarke observed, “That this was often done in Egypt there can be no doubt; and we have already seen, from the testimony of Herodotus, that an act of this kind actually took place while he was in Egypt.”
Thus, this command separated Israel not only from pagan immorality but from demonic worship disguised as religion. God’s people were called to holiness, to reflect His image, and to reject the animalistic corruption of the surrounding nations.
b. It is perversion:
The word perversion here translates the Hebrew tebel, meaning “confusion” or “mixing together.” Rooker explains, “The term tebel is from the root bll, which means ‘to mix’ and indicates that this sexual practice involves an improper mixing together of different species, stepping over the boundaries God has established (Genesis 1:1–2:3).” God’s creation order established distinctions—between light and darkness, heaven and earth, male and female, human and animal. To blur these distinctions is to assault the order and holiness of God’s creation.
Such behavior defiles the person and corrupts the image of God in man. It is a deliberate act of degradation, turning what was created for sacred intimacy into bestial defilement. It mocks the divine purpose of sexuality and drags humanity down to the level of irrational beasts.
Kaiser, commenting on Exodus, noted, “This offensive sex act apparently was prevalent among the Canaanites.” Cole adds, “Bestiality was not only an obvious perversion: it figured so often in the Canaanite cycle ‘Tales of Baal’ that it probably had a religious significance for the Canaanites.” Indeed, ancient depictions of Baal, Asherah, and other deities often included animal forms, reflecting demonic perversion where divine worship and carnal indulgence were intermingled.
By commanding Israel to abstain from bestiality, God was protecting His people from both moral and spiritual corruption. Such acts defile not only the body but also the soul, erasing the line between the human and the animal, the sacred and the profane.
c. Modern implications:
While this sin may seem distant or unthinkable to many, it tragically persists in various forms. In some nations today, bestiality is still legal or tolerated, and a subculture openly promotes and practices it. This moral collapse should not surprise those who understand the progression of sin. When a society rejects God’s standards in one area of sexual morality, it inevitably descends into deeper corruption.
The Apostle Paul described this downward spiral in Romans 1:24–28: “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.… For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.… Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another.… And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”
When God is rejected as Creator and moral Lawgiver, the distinction between right and wrong, holy and unholy, dissolves. The inevitable result is the normalization of perversion—what once was condemned as vile becomes tolerated, celebrated, and legally protected.
Christian morality, rooted in Scripture, is the only lasting safeguard against such moral decay. It is Christian civilization that has restrained the worst expressions of human depravity—condemning fornication, adultery, pedophilia, prostitution, homosexuality, gender confusion, and now, increasingly, bestiality. As the world abandons God’s Word, it returns to the same pagan chaos from which God delivered His people.
Therefore, this law is more than an ancient command—it is a moral anchor. It reminds humanity that sexual sin, in any form, is not merely a private matter but a spiritual rebellion that desecrates the image of God and erodes the moral foundations of society.
B. Other laws regarding sexual morality
6. (Leviticus 18:24–30) Summation: The urgency to obey God’s command for sexual morality
“Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God.”
This closing section of Leviticus 18 serves as both a warning and a call to holiness. God reminds Israel that the sexual sins described in this chapter are not merely personal transgressions but acts of defilement that corrupt the entire land. The moral decay of the Canaanites was so severe that God’s judgment upon them was unavoidable. Israel’s possession of the Promised Land was not simply a gift of grace, but also a stewardship of holiness—one that required obedience to God’s commands.
a. Do not defile yourselves:
The word defile means to pollute, corrupt, or make unclean. God’s warning is clear: sin, especially sexual sin, defiles both the individual and society. Modern culture rejects this idea, claiming that sexual behavior is a private matter defined only by personal pleasure or consent. Yet Scripture reveals that sexual sin is not only a moral failure but a spiritual contagion—it corrupts the heart, erodes conscience, and poisons the moral fabric of nations.
In God’s sight, sexual sin is never “harmless.” It desecrates the image of God in humanity and the sanctity of the marriage covenant. His laws are not arbitrary restrictions but protective measures that preserve purity, dignity, and stability. God’s commands are expressions of love, not tyranny. They are designed for human flourishing.
The contrast between God’s way and the world’s way is seen even in modern statistics: married couples—those living according to God’s intended design—report higher satisfaction, greater intimacy, and longer life expectancy than those who live in promiscuity or immorality. These observable facts testify that God’s way is indeed the best way.
When Paul addressed sexual sin among believers, he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” The purity God demands is not for denial’s sake, but for blessing and peace.
b. For the land is defiled:
This striking statement shows that moral corruption brings consequences beyond individual sin—it defiles the land itself. God, the Creator, ties the moral health of a people to the physical health of the land they inhabit. The defilement of the Canaanites was so deep that the land could no longer bear them. God said the land would “vomit out its inhabitants,” a vivid picture of divine rejection and judgment.
The Lord warned Israel that the same fate would befall them if they adopted the same sins. As Genesis 15:16 foretold, “The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” By the time of Israel’s entry into Canaan, their sin had reached its full measure. Rooker observes, “Since the chapter opened with the statement that the Israelites are soon to enter the land of Canaan (18:3), it is clear that the iniquity of the Amorite/Canaanite is now complete (Genesis 15:16).”
This principle still holds true for nations today. When societies glorify sexual perversion, idolatry, and violence, they heap up judgment upon themselves. Just as the Canaanites were expelled from the land, so modern nations that defy God’s moral law should not expect to remain unpunished. A nation cannot long survive when it celebrates sin and mocks righteousness.
The imagery of the land vomiting out its inhabitants is both poetic and prophetic. It portrays sin as a contaminant that sickens creation itself. As Romans 8:22 declares, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” The defilement of sin disturbs the natural order, bringing decay, disaster, and divine discipline.
c. The persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people:
God commands Israel to enforce a standard of holiness that separates the righteous from the defiled. To be “cut off” means to be removed from the covenant community, whether by death or exile. Such punishment underscores the severity of sexual sin. It is not merely a private vice—it destroys families, dishonors God, and corrodes the moral foundation of the nation.
Rooker quotes Kellogg: “Where there is incest or adultery, we may truly say the family is murdered; what murder is to the individual, that, precisely, are crimes of this class to the family.” This insight captures the heart of God’s concern. Sexual immorality kills the family structure just as surely as murder takes a life. When the family dies, society soon follows.
Israel was not free from these sins, but they were commanded to never justify them. Even when such sins occurred, there was to be a public recognition that these acts were wrong, shameful, and incompatible with the people of God. In contrast, our modern culture has moved to the opposite extreme—celebrating what God calls sin and silencing those who stand for righteousness.
As Isaiah 3:9 says of Judah’s corruption, “The look on their countenance witnesses against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.” When sin becomes normalized, judgment becomes inevitable.
d. Therefore you shall keep My ordinance:
This final command is a call to covenant faithfulness. God’s people were to obey not from fear alone, but from reverence for His holiness and gratitude for His mercy. The Lord concludes with the reminder, “I am the LORD your God.” This personal declaration reinforces both His authority and His relationship with His people.
As F. B. Meyer noted, “Let us remember the imperative tone of these words, and ask God to work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.” The ability to obey God’s commands flows from a heart yielded to His Spirit. Holiness cannot be achieved through human willpower alone—it must come through regeneration and continual surrender.
For believers today, the same truth applies. Though we are no longer under the Mosaic Law, the moral principles remain unchanged. We are called to live pure and undefiled lives in a corrupt world. The Apostle Peter exhorts, “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15–16).
The summation of Leviticus 18 thus serves as both warning and encouragement. God’s standards for sexual morality are not obsolete—they are eternal expressions of His holy nature. To reject them is to invite judgment; to embrace them is to walk in blessing and life.
