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Easy-to-Read Version

Leviticus 20:20

"A man must not have sexual relations with his uncle's wife. It would be like having sexual relations with his uncle. That man and his uncle's wife will be punished for their sins. They will die without children.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Incest;   Marriage;   Sanitation;   The Topic Concordance - Sexual Activities;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Fornication;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Abortion;   Immorality, Sexual;   Sexuality, Human;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Sacrifice;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bastard;   Incest;   Leviticus;   Naked;   Pentateuch;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Leviticus;   Priests and Levites;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Child;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Stoning;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Aunt;   Bastard;   Leviticus;   Relationships, Family;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Barren, Barrenness;   Incest;   Marriage Laws;   Theocracy;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
If a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
King James Version
And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
Lexham English Bible
As for a man who lies with his aunt, he has exposed his uncle's nakedness—they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
New Century Version
"‘If a man has sexual relations with his uncle's wife, he has shamed his uncle. That man and his uncle's wife will die without children; they are guilty of sin.
New English Translation
If a man has sexual intercourse with his aunt, he has exposed his uncle's nakedness; they must bear responsibility for their sin, they will die childless.
Amplified Bible
'If there is a man who lies [intimately] with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they will bear their sin. They will die childless.
New American Standard Bible
'If there is a man who sleeps with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they will bear their sin. They will die childless.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Likewise the man that lyeth with his fathers brothers wife, and vncouereth his vncles shame: they shall beare their iniquitie, and shall die childlesse.
Legacy Standard Bible
If there is a man who lies with his aunt, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they will bear their sin. They will die childless.
Contemporary English Version
If you have sex with your uncle's wife, neither you nor she will ever have any children.
Complete Jewish Bible
If a man goes to bed with his uncle's wife, he has disgraced his uncle sexually; they will bear the consequences of their sin and die childless.
Darby Translation
And if a man lie with his aunt, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: their sin shall they bear: they shall die childless.
English Standard Version
If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
George Lamsa Translation
And if a man shall lie with his uncles wife, he has uncovered his uncles nakedness; they shall suffer for their sin; they shall die childless.
Good News Translation
If a man has intercourse with his uncle's wife, he disgraces his uncle, and he and the woman will pay the penalty; neither one will have children.
Christian Standard Bible®
If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has violated the intimacy that belongs to his uncle; they will bear their guilt and die childless.
Literal Translation
If a man lies with his aunt, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf eny man lye with his vncles wyfe, the same hath vncovered the preuytie of his uncle: they shall beare their synne, without children shal they dye.
American Standard Version
And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
Bible in Basic English
And if a man has sex relations with the wife of his father's brother, he has put shame on his father's brother: their sin will be on them; till the day of their death they will have no children.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If a man lye with his vncles wyfe, and vncouer his vncles nakednesse, they shall beare their sinne, and shall dye chyldlesse.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife--he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness--they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
King James Version (1611)
And if a man shall lie with his vncles wife, he hath vncouered his vncles nakednesse: they shall beare their sinne, they shall die childlesse.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Whosoever shall lie with his near kinswoman, has uncovered the nakedness of one near akin to him: they shall die childless.
English Revised Version
And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
Berean Standard Bible
If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that doith fleischli knowyng with the wijf of `his fadris brother, ether of his modris brother, and schewith the filthe of his kyn, bothe schulen bere her synne, thei schulen die without fre children.
Young's Literal Translation
`And a man who lieth with his aunt, the nakedness of his uncle he hath uncovered; their sin they bear; childless they die.
Update Bible Version
And if a man shall have sex with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
Webster's Bible Translation
And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
World English Bible
If a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
New King James Version
If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness. They shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
New Living Translation
"If a man has sex with his uncle's wife, he has violated his uncle. Both the man and woman will be punished for their sin, and they will die childless.
New Life Bible
If a man lies with the wife of his father's or mother's brother, he has put to shame his father's or mother's brother. They will suffer for their own sin. They will die without children.
New Revised Standard
If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall be subject to punishment; they shall die childless.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, any man, who lieth with his uncles wife, the shame of his uncle, hath he uncovered, - their sin, shall they bear - childless, shall they die.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If any man lie with the wife of his uncle by the father, or of his uncle by the mother, and uncover the shame of his near akin, both shall bear their sin. They shall die without children.
Revised Standard Version
If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their sin, they shall die childless.
THE MESSAGE
"If a man has sex with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible and die childless.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'If there is a man who lies with his uncle's wife he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they will bear their sin. They will die childless.

Contextual Overview

10 "If a man has sexual relations with his neighbor's wife, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery and must be put to death! 11 If a man has sexual relations with his father's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death. It is as if that man had sexual relations with his father! 12 "If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have committed a terrible sexual sin! They are responsible for their own death. 13 "If a man has sexual relations with another man as with a woman, they have committed a terrible sin. They must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death. 14 "It is a sexual sin if a man has sexual relations with a woman and her mother. The people must burn that man and the two women in fire! Don't let this sexual sin happen among your people. 15 "If a man has sexual relations with an animal, both the man and the animal must be put to death. 16 If a woman has sexual relations with an animal, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death. 17 "It is a shameful thing for a brother and his sister or half-sister to marry each other and have sexual relations with each other. They must be punished in public. They must be separated from their people. The man who has sexual relations with his sister must be punished for his sin. 18 "If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly time of bleeding, both the woman and the man must be separated from their people. They sinned because they exposed her source of blood. 19 "You must not have sexual relations with your mother's sister or your father's sister. That is a sin of incest. You must be punished for your sins.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

uncle's wife: Leviticus 18:14

childless: Job 18:19, Psalms 109:13, Jeremiah 22:30, Luke 1:7, Luke 1:25, Luke 23:29

Reciprocal: Exodus 28:43 - bear not iniquity Leviticus 17:16 - General Numbers 9:13 - bear his sin Numbers 18:22 - bear sin Luke 20:29 - and died

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife,.... His uncle being dead, and he marry her, which is forbidden, Leviticus 18:14;

he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: his wife's, which was his, and therefore the kindred too near for a man to marry in, and such a copulation must be incestuous:

they shall bear their sin; "both" of them, as the Vulgate Latin, as before, Leviticus 20:19; the punishment of it, as follows:

they shall be childless; which Jarchi and other Jewish writers interpret, if they had any children at this time, that is, by a former marriage, they should die and be buried before them, which was reckoned a great punishment, see Jeremiah 22:30.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They shall die childless - Either the offspring should not be regarded as lawfully theirs, nor be entitled to any hereditary privileges, or they should have no blessing in their children.


 
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