Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestable.
- BSB You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.
- NKJV You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.
- NASB You shall not sleep with a male as one sleeps with a female; it is an abomination.
- NLT “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Homosexual relations between men are forbidden and called detestable.
Overview
This verse, restated in Leviticus 20, prohibits male same-sex relations as contrary to God's created order for human sexuality. The New Testament affirms the moral principle behind it while calling all sinners to repentance and offering grace in Christ. Like all of Scripture's sexual ethics, it directs people toward the goodness of God's design and the hope of forgiveness and transformation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Lev 20:13If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
- Rom 1:26–27For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
- 1 Cor 6:9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
- 1 Tim 1:10For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
- Jude 1:7Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
- 1 Kgs 14:24And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
- Deut 23:18Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
- Judg 19:22Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
- Gen 19:5And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 18:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.