Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, April 8th, 2026
Wednesday in Easter Week
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

Leviticus 18:20

You are not to go to bed with your neighbor's wife and thus become unclean with her.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abomination;   Adultery;   The Topic Concordance - Defilement;   Sexual Activities;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Affinity;   Marriage;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Evil;   Homosexuality;   Immorality, Sexual;   Worship;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bastard;   Clean, Cleanness;   Leviticus;   Molech;   Pentateuch;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Leviticus;   Marriage;   Nations;   Priests and Levites;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Fornication ;   King James Dictionary - Carnally;   Confusion;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Adultery;   Bastard;   Carnal;   Defile;   Leviticus;   Neighbor;   Woman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Adultery;   Chastity;   Ethics;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"'You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her.
King James Version
Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
Lexham English Bible
And you must not have sex with your fellow citizen's wife, becoming unclean with her.
New Century Version
"‘You must not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and make yourself unclean with her.
New English Translation
You must not have sexual intercourse with the wife of your fellow citizen to become unclean with her.
Amplified Bible
'You shall not have intimate relations with your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with her.
New American Standard Bible
'And you shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with her.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Moreouer, thou shalt not giue thy selfe to thy neighbours wife by carnall copulation, to be defiled with her.
Legacy Standard Bible
And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with her.
Contemporary English Version
Don't have sex with another man's wife—that would make you unclean.
Darby Translation
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to become unclean with her.
Easy-to-Read Version
"You must not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife. This will only make you filthy.
English Standard Version
And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her.
George Lamsa Translation
Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbors wife to defile yourself with her.
Good News Translation
Do not have intercourse with another man's wife; that would make you ritually unclean.
Christian Standard Bible®
You are not to have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her.
Literal Translation
And you shall not give your semen to your neighbor's wife by lying with her , for uncleanness with her.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou shalt not lye with thy neghbours wife to medle with her, for to defyle thy self withall.
American Standard Version
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her.
Bible in Basic English
And you may not have sex relations with your neighbour's wife, making yourself unclean with her.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Moreouer, thou shalt not lye with thy neighbours wyfe, to defile her with seede.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
King James Version (1611)
Moreouer, thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbours wife, to defile thy selfe with her.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt not lie with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.
English Revised Version
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
Berean Standard Bible
You must not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and thus defile yourself with her.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou schalt not do letcherie with `the wijf of thi neiybore, nether thou schalt be defoulid with medlyng of seed.
Young's Literal Translation
`And unto the wife of thy fellow thou dost not give thy seed of copulation, for uncleanness with her.
Update Bible Version
And you shall not have sex with your neighbor's wife, to 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, to defile yourself with her.
New King James Version
Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her.
New Living Translation
"Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor's wife.
New Life Bible
Do not have sex with your neighbor's wife. You would be unclean.
New Revised Standard
You shall not have sexual relations with your kinsman's wife, and defile yourself with her.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And of the wife of thy neighbour, shalt thou not have carnal knowledge, - to commit uncleanness with her.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not lie with thy neighbour’s wife: nor be defiled with mingling of seed.
Revised Standard Version
And you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her.
THE MESSAGE
"Don't have sex with your neighbor's wife and violate yourself by her.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with her.

Contextual Overview

19 You are not to approach a woman in order to have sexual relations with her when she is unclean from her time of niddah. 20 You are not to go to bed with your neighbor's wife and thus become unclean with her. 21 "‘You are not to let any of your children be sacrificed to Molekh, thereby profaning the name of your God; I am Adonai . 22 (RY: iv, LY: vii) "‘You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination. 23 "‘You are not to have sexual relations with any kind of animal and thus become unclean with it; nor is any woman to present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; it is perversion. 24 "‘Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, because all the nations which I am expelling ahead of you are defiled with them. 25 The land has become unclean, and this is why I am punishing it — the land itself will vomit out its inhabitants. 26 But you are to keep my laws and rulings and not engage in any of these disgusting practices, neither the citizen nor the foreigner living with you; 27 (LY: Maftir) for the people of the land have committed all these abominations, and the land is now defiled. 28 If you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out too, just as it is vomiting out the nation that was there before you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Leviticus 20:10, Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18, Deuteronomy 22:22, Deuteronomy 22:25, 2 Samuel 11:3, 2 Samuel 11:4, 2 Samuel 11:27, Proverbs 6:25, Proverbs 6:29-33, Malachi 3:5, Matthew 5:27, Matthew 5:28, Romans 2:22, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Galatians 5:19, Hebrews 13:4

Reciprocal: Numbers 5:13 - General Ezekiel 18:6 - neither hath defiled Ezekiel 22:11 - committed

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground!
Genesis 13:13
Now the men of S'dom were evil, committing great sins against Adonai .
Genesis 19:13
because we are going to destroy it. Adonai has become aware of the great outcry against them, and Adonai has sent us to destroy it."
Isaiah 3:9
Their very look witnesses against them! They parade their sin, like S'dom; they don't even try to hide it — all the worse for them! — they bring evil on themselves.
Isaiah 5:7
Now the vineyard of Adonai -Tzva'ot is the house of Isra'el, and the men of Y'hudah are the plant he delighted in. So he expected justice, but look — bloodshed! — and righteousness, but listen — cries of distress!
Jeremiah 14:7
Although our crimes witness against us, take action, Adonai , for your name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you.
James 5:4
Listen! The wages you have fraudulently withheld from the workers who mowed your fields are calling out against you, and the outcries of those who harvested have reached the ears of Adonai -Tzva'ot.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Moreover, thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife,.... Which is adultery, and a breach of the seventh command,

Exodus 20:14:

to defile thyself with her; not only adultery is a defiling a man's wife, as it is sometimes called, but the adulterer defiles himself: all sin is of a defiling nature, but especially this, which defiles a man both in soul and body, and brings a blot and stain upon his character, which shall not be wiped off, Proverbs 6:32.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 18:20. Thy neighbour's wifeExodus 20:14; Exodus 20:14.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile