The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.
- BSB You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; it would dishonor your father.
- NKJV The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness.
- NASB You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.
- NLT “Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.
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
Relations with one's father's wife are forbidden as a violation of the father.
Overview
This protects the marriage bond of one's parents, treating an offense against the father's wife as an offense against the father himself. It guards the integrity of the family from internal corruption. Paul later confronts a case of this very sin in the Corinthian church, showing the enduring moral force of the principle.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Lev 20:11And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
- 1 Cor 5:1It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
- Deut 27:20Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.
- Deut 22:30A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor discover his father’s skirt.
- Amos 2:7That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:
- Gen 49:4Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
- Gen 35:22And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
- Ezek 22:10In thee have they discovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.
- 2 Sam 16:21–22And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
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 18:8 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.