TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
Complete Jewish Bible
You are not to approach a woman in order to have sexual relations with her when she is unclean from her time of niddah.
Berean Standard Bible
You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period.
American Standard Version
And thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.
World English Bible Messianic
“‘You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Thou shalt not also go vnto a woman to vncouer her shame, as long as she is put apart for her disease.
Young's Literal Translation
`And unto a woman in the separation of her uncleanness thou dost not draw near to uncover her nakedness.
In the KJVVerse 3,271 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Leviticus 18 verses 19–30
19 ¶ Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.
Here is, I. A law to preserve the honour of the marriage-bed, that it should not be unseasonably used (Lev 18:19), nor invaded by an adulterer, Lev 18:20.
II. A law against that which was the most unnatural idolatry, causing their children to pass through the fire to Moloch, Lev 18:21. Moloch (as some think) was the idol in and by which they worshipped the sun, that great fire of the world; and therefore in the worship of it they made their own children either sacrifices to this idol, burning them to death before it, or devotees to it, causing them to pass between two fires, as some think, or to be thrown through one, to the honour of this pretended deity, imagining that the consecrating of but one of their children in this manner to Moloch would procure good fortune for all the rest of their children. Did idolaters thus give their own children to false gods, and shall we think any thing too dear to be dedicated to, or to be parted with for, the true God? See how this sin of Israel (which they were afterwards guilty of, notwithstanding this law) is aggravated by the relation which they and their children stood in to God. Eze 16:20, Thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these thou hast sacrificed. Therefore it is here called profaning the name of their God; for it looked as if they thought they were under greater obligations to Moloch than to Jehovah; for to him they offered their cattle only, but to Moloch their children.
III. A law against unnatural lusts, sodomy and bestiality, sins not to be named nor thought of without the utmost abhorrence imaginable, Lev 18:22, Lev 18:23. Other sins level men with the beasts, but these sink them much lower. That ever there should have been occasion for the making of these laws, and that since they are published they should ever have been broken, is the perpetual reproach and scandal of human nature; and the giving of men up to these vile affections was frequently the punishment of their idolatries; so the apostle shows, Rom 1:24.
IV. Arguments against these and the like abominable wickednesses. He that has an indisputable right to command us, yet because he will deal with us as men, and draw with the cords of a man, condescends to reason with us. 1. Sinners defile themselves with these abominations: Defile not yourselves in any of these things, Lev 18:24. All sin is defiling to the conscience, but these are sins that have a peculiar turpitude in them. Our heavenly Father, in kindness to us, requires of us that we keep ourselves clean, and do not wallow in the dirt. 2. The souls that commit them shall be cut off, Lev 18:29. And justly; for, if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, Co1 3:17. Fleshly lusts war against the soul, and will certainly be the ruin of it if God's mercy and grace prevent not. 3. The land is defiled, Lev 18:25. If such wickednesses as these be practised and connived at, the land is thereby made unfit to have God's tabernacle in it, and the pure and holy God will withdraw the tokens of his gracious presence from it. It is also rendered unwholesome to the inhabitants, who are hereby infected with sin and exposed to plagues and it is really nauseous and loathsome to all good men in it, as the wickedness of Sodom was to the soul of righteous Lot. 4. These have been the abominations of the former inhabitants, v, 24, 27. Therefore it was necessary that these laws should be made, as antidotes and preservatives from the plague are necessary when we go into an infected place. And therefore they should not practise any such things, because the nations that had practised them now lay under the curse of God, and were shortly to fall by the sword of Israel. They could not but be sensible how odious those people had made themselves who wallowed in this mire, and how they stank in the nostrils of all good men; and shall a people sanctified and dignified as Israel was make themselves thus vile? When we observe how ill sin looks in others we should use this as an argument with ourselves with the utmost care and caution to preserve our purity. 5. For these and the like sins the Canaanites were to be destroyed; these filled the measure of the Amorites' iniquity (Gen 15:16), and brought down that destruction of so many populous kingdoms which the Israelites were now shortly to be not only the spectators, but the instruments of: Therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, Lev 18:25. Note, The tremendous judgments of God, executed on those that are daringly profane and atheistical, are intended as warnings to those who profess religion to take heed of every thing that has the least appearance of, or tendency towards, profaneness or atheism. Even the ruin of the Canaanites is an admonition to the Israelites not to do like them. Nay, to show that not only the Creator is provoked, but the creation burdened, by such abominations as these, it is added (Lev 18:25), The land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. The very ground they went upon did, as it were, groan under them, and was sick of them, and not easy till it had discharged itself of these enemies of the Lord, Isa 1:24. This bespeaks the extreme loathsomeness of sin; sinful man indeed drinks in iniquity like water, but the harmless part of the creation even heaves at it, and rises against it. Many a house and many a town have spued out the wicked inhabitants, as it were, with abhorrence, Rev 3:16. Therefore take heed, saith God, that the land spue not you out also, Lev 18:28. It was secured to them, and entailed upon them, and yet they must expect that, if they made the vices of the Canaanites their own, with their land their fate would be the same. Note, Wicked Israelites are as abominable to God as wicked Canaanites, and more so, and will be as soon spued out, or sooner. Such a warning as was here given to the Israelites is given by the apostle to the Gentile converts, with reference to the rejected Jews, in whose room they were substituted (Rom 11:19, etc.); they must take heed of falling after the same example of unbelief, Heb 4:11. Apply it more generally; and let it deter us effectually from all sinful courses to consider how many they have been the ruin of. Lay the ear of faith to the gates of the bottomless pit, and hear the doleful shrieks and outcries of damned sinners, whom earth has spued out and hell has swallowed, that find themselves undone, for ever undone, by sin; and tremble lest this be your portion at last. God's threatenings and judgments should frighten us from sin.
V. The chapter concludes with a sovereign antidote against this infection: Therefore you shall keep my ordinance that you commit not any one of these abominable customs, Lev 18:30. This is the remedy prescribed. Note, 1. Sinful customs are abominable customs, and their being common and fashionable does not make them at all the less abominable nor should we the less abominate them, but the more; because the more customary they are the more dangerous they are. 2. It is of pernicious consequence to admit and allow of any one sinful custom, because one will make way for many, Uno absurdo dato, mille sequuntur - Admit but a single absurdity, you invite a thousand. The way of sin is downhill. 3. A close and constant adherence to God's ordinances is the most effectual preservative from the infection of gross sin. The more we taste of the sweetness and feel of the power of holy ordinances the less inclination we shall have to the forbidden pleasures of sinners' abominable customs. It is the grace of God only that will secure us, and that grace is to be expected only in the use of the means of grace. Nor does God ever leave any to their own hearts' lusts till they have first left him and his institutions.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 19–30. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Leviticus 18:19 prohibits sexual intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period, a time designated as ritual "uncleanness" within the Levitical purity laws. This command is part of a broader chapter detailing forbidden sexual relationships, underscoring God's demand for holiness and purity among His covenant people. By establishing such boundaries, the law distinguished Israel from the morally corrupt practices of surrounding nations, highlighting the sacredness of human sexuality and the importance of respecting God-ordained limits for physical intimacy.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Leviticus 18:19 employs several literary devices to convey its prohibition. The most prominent is Euphemism, particularly in the phrase "to uncover her nakedness," which serves as a polite or indirect expression for sexual intercourse. This usage is common throughout biblical legal texts concerning sexual matters, maintaining a certain decorum while clearly communicating the forbidden act. The verse also utilizes Legal Language, characterized by the direct, prohibitive command "thou shalt not approach," which is typical of the apodictic law found in the Holiness Code. This direct address emphasizes the absolute nature of the divine command. Furthermore, the verse functions as a specific instance within a broader List of Prohibitions in Leviticus 18, contributing to the chapter's comprehensive catalogue of forbidden sexual relationships. This structural device reinforces the overarching theme of sexual purity and the establishment of clear boundaries for Israel's moral conduct, implicitly drawing a Contrast between Israel's divinely ordained standards and the morally lax practices of surrounding nations. The specific condition "as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness" also acts as a Conditional Clause, precisely defining the circumstances under which the prohibition applies.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Leviticus 18:19, while a specific ritual prohibition, is deeply rooted in profound theological principles. It underscores God's absolute demand for holiness in every aspect of His covenant people's lives, including their most intimate relationships. The concept of "uncleanness" (ṭumʼâh) here is not about moral sin but about ritual impurity, which temporarily rendered an individual unfit for direct participation in sacred worship or contact with holy things. This distinction highlights God's meticulous concern for order, purity, and reverence for life. The law implicitly teaches respect for the natural cycles of a woman's body and the sacredness of sexual intimacy, which is to be governed by divine boundaries, not human impulse. By setting these parameters, God was establishing a distinct moral and social order for Israel, differentiating them from the morally corrupt and idolatrous practices of the surrounding pagan cultures. The underlying principle is that all of life, including sexuality, is to be lived under God's sovereign authority and for His glory.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the specific ritual laws concerning menstrual impurity are part of the Old Covenant and are not directly binding on New Covenant believers, the enduring principles embedded in Leviticus 18:19 remain profoundly relevant for Christian life and relationships. This verse calls us to a deep respect for the human body, created in God's image, and for the sacredness of sexual intimacy within marriage. It challenges believers to exercise self-control, mutual consideration, and honor for their spouse, acknowledging and respecting physical and emotional well-being. More broadly, it reinforces the call to live a life set apart for God's glory, pursuing moral purity and avoiding any form of sexual immorality that defiles the body, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The pursuit of holiness, rooted in reverence for God and love for one another, should permeate all aspects of our lives, including the most private.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was menstruation considered "unclean" in the Old Testament, and what does that mean for us today?
Answer: In the Old Testament, "uncleanness" (Hebrew: ṭumʼâh) related to menstruation was primarily a state of ritual impurity, not moral sinfulness. This distinction is crucial. It meant a woman was temporarily set apart from full participation in the community's sacred activities, such as entering the tabernacle or touching holy objects. The reasons for this designation are multifaceted: it likely had practical implications for hygiene in an ancient context, but more significantly, it carried symbolic weight. Blood, particularly that associated with life (or its absence, as in menstruation), was sacred to God (e.g., Leviticus 17:11). The temporary "uncleanness" acknowledged the mystery of life and death, the shedding of blood, and the need for purification before re-engaging with the holy. For believers today, while the ritual laws are fulfilled in Christ, the underlying principle of reverence for life, respect for the body, and the pursuit of purity in all things remains. Our "cleanness" now comes through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ, allowing us direct access to God (e.g., Hebrews 10:19-22).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Leviticus 18:19, like all Old Testament laws, finds its ultimate fulfillment and deeper meaning in Jesus Christ. While the specific ritual prohibition against sexual relations during menstruation is part of the Old Covenant's external purity code, Christ's coming inaugurated a New Covenant where internal purity and spiritual transformation are paramount. Jesus Himself demonstrated this by touching the "unclean" and making them whole (e.g., the woman with the hemorrhage in Mark 5:25-34), showing that true defilement comes not from external contact but from the heart (e.g., Mark 7:18-23). Through His perfect life, atoning death, and resurrection, Christ became the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes (e.g., Romans 10:4). He purifies us from all sin and uncleanness, not through ritual washings, but through His blood (e.g., Hebrews 9:13-14). Therefore, the call to holiness, which Leviticus 18:19 exemplifies, is now realized in believers through the indwelling Holy Spirit, empowering us to live lives of moral purity and mutual respect within marriage, honoring God with our bodies as temples of the Spirit (e.g., 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).