TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Leviticus 18:19–30. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
Because it is a heinous crime: In Hebrew, this word heinous crime is expressed by the word confusion, signifying the shamefulness and baseness of this abominable sin.
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Summary
Leviticus 18:23 presents an unequivocal divine prohibition against bestiality for both men and women, identifying such acts as profoundly defiling and a fundamental perversion of the created order. This command is an essential component of God's comprehensive statutes on sexual purity, designed to establish a clear moral and spiritual distinction between the covenant people of Israel and the morally degraded practices prevalent among the surrounding Canaanite nations, thereby safeguarding the holiness of God's people and the sanctity of the land itself.
Context
Literary Context
Leviticus 18 is a pivotal chapter within the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-26), which systematically outlines God's expectations for His covenant people to live a life consecrated to Him. Following detailed instructions concerning sacrifices and the priestly service, this chapter transitions to the practical outworking of holiness in daily life, with a specific focus on sexual ethics. The prohibitions enumerated here, including various forms of incest, child sacrifice, and bestiality, are repeatedly labeled as "abominations" (תּוֹעֵבָה, tôʿēḇâ), signifying acts that are utterly detestable to God and fundamentally incompatible with His holy character. This chapter thus serves as a moral cornerstone for Israel's distinct identity, emphasizing that their conduct, particularly in matters of sexuality, must reflect the transcendent holiness of the God who has called them out of Egypt and into covenant relationship. The progression of forbidden acts within the chapter reveals a descent into increasing perversion, culminating in the most egregious violations of natural and divine order, setting the stage for the severe consequences outlined later in the code.
Historical & Cultural Context
The commands in Leviticus 18 are explicitly framed as a stark contrast to "the customs of the land of Egypt, in which you lived, and... the customs of the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you" (Leviticus 18:3). Ancient Near Eastern cultures, particularly those of Canaan, were deeply immersed in pagan fertility cults and idolatrous practices. These often involved ritual prostitution, cultic sexual acts within temples, and even zoomorphism or bestiality, which was sometimes associated with animal worship, attempts to invoke fertility, or imitative magic. Such practices blurred the divinely established lines between human and animal, sacred and profane, and were deemed utterly defiling by God. The severe warnings articulated in Leviticus 18:25-28 about the land "vomiting out" its inhabitants due to such defilement underscore the immense gravity of these sins, indicating that moral corruption had profound ecological and national consequences, ultimately leading to divine judgment and expulsion from the Promised Land.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Leviticus and the Pentateuch. Foremost is the theme of Holiness, emphasizing that God's people must be "holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). The prohibition against bestiality highlights the importance of Purity and Cleanliness, not merely ritual but moral, as essential for maintaining a right relationship with God. It also reinforces the theme of Distinction and Separation, as God calls Israel to be distinct from the surrounding nations in their ethical and moral practices. Crucially, the verse speaks to the Sanctity of Created Order, affirming the divinely established boundaries between humanity, made in God's image, and the animal kingdom. Violating these boundaries, as bestiality does, is presented as an act of Perversion and Disorder that fundamentally affronts God's design for creation and human sexuality, which is reserved for the sacred covenant of marriage between a man and a woman as established in Genesis 2:24.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This noun (שְׁכֹבֶת, H7903) is derived from the verb "to lie down" and specifically refers to a "sexual lying with." In this context, it is a euphemism for sexual intercourse. Its use here underscores the direct and explicit nature of the forbidden act, leaving no ambiguity regarding the physical transgression. The term highlights the intimate and personal nature of the defilement that occurs through such a perverse union.
The verb "to defile" (טָמֵא, H2930) signifies becoming ritually or morally unclean, impure, or polluted. In the Old Testament, defilement could result from various sources, including contact with death, certain bodily discharges, or, as in this verse, engaging in forbidden sexual acts. This word emphasizes that bestiality is not merely a social taboo but an act that fundamentally corrupts the individual's spiritual and moral state, rendering them unfit for communion with a holy God and for participation in the sacred community. Such defilement also had implications for the land itself, which could become defiled by the inhabitants' sins.
The noun "confusion" (תֶּבֶל, H8397) is a rare but exceptionally potent term, appearing only three times in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:23; 20:12; and as a verb in Judges 21:16). It denotes a "mixture," "mingling," or "perversion," specifically an unnatural or illicit mixing that violates established boundaries and order. In the context of bestiality, tebel highlights the profound disruption of God's created order, where distinct categories (human and animal) are unnaturally merged. It signifies an act that is inherently chaotic, perverse, and an affront to the divine design for life, sexuality, and the unique status of humanity as image-bearers of God.
Verse Breakdown
"Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith:"
This initial clause issues a direct and absolute prohibition to men against engaging in sexual intercourse with animals. The phrase "lie with" (שָׁכַב, šāḵaḇ) is a common biblical euphemism for sexual relations. The immediate consequence stated, "to defile thyself therewith," emphasizes that this act is not merely a physical transgression but one that carries profound spiritual and moral impurity, polluting the individual in God's sight and rendering them ritually unclean.
"neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto:"
This parallel clause extends the prohibition to women, using a slightly different construction ("stand before... to lie down thereto") to describe the act of sexual engagement with an animal. The specific posture ("stand before... to lie down") indicates the deliberate and intentional nature of the act, underscoring its perversity and the active participation of the woman. By explicitly forbidding both male and female participation, the law covers all forms of bestiality, reinforcing its universal condemnation and the comprehensive nature of the defilement.
"it [is] confusion."
This culminating declaration provides the theological justification for the prohibition. The Hebrew word tebel (תֶּבֶל), translated as "confusion" or "perversion," here signifies that bestiality is not just a sin but an act that fundamentally disorders and corrupts the very fabric of creation. It blurs the divinely established distinctions between humans, made uniquely in God's image, and animals, violating the natural order and God's design for human sexuality and dignity. It is an act of profound cosmic and moral chaos, an affront to the Creator's wisdom and a distortion of His intended harmony.
Literary Devices
Leviticus 18:23 employs several potent literary devices to underscore the gravity and comprehensive nature of the prohibition. Parallelism is evident in the symmetrical structure that addresses both male ("Neither shalt thou lie with any beast") and female ("neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto") participation in the forbidden act, emphasizing its universal and absolute condemnation across genders. The subtle Repetition of the core prohibition, albeit with varied phrasing, serves to highlight its absolute and non-negotiable nature, impressing upon the reader the severity of the command. The phrase "to defile thyself therewith" functions as a clear statement of Consequence, articulating the immediate spiritual and moral impurity that results from such an act, linking the physical transgression directly to a state of ritual and moral uncleanness. Finally, the concluding declaration, "it [is] confusion," acts as a powerful Aetiology, providing the fundamental reason and inherent nature of the sin—it is a profound perversion of the created order, blurring the divinely ordained boundaries between humanity and the animal kingdom, and thus an act of cosmic disorder.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Leviticus 18:23 profoundly underscores God's unwavering demand for holiness and the sanctity of human sexuality, which is to be expressed exclusively within divinely ordained boundaries. This verse reveals that God's moral law is not arbitrary but is deeply rooted in His immutable character and the inherent order He established in creation. Bestiality, by blurring the distinct lines between human and animal, directly assaults the unique dignity of humanity as image-bearers of God (Genesis 1:26-28). It is an act of profound rebellion against the Creator's design, leading to deep spiritual and moral defilement. The prohibition thus serves as a foundational principle for understanding that sexual purity is an indispensable aspect of living a life set apart for God, distinguishing His people from the degrading and chaotic practices of the world. It highlights God's concern for the integrity of His creation and the moral well-being of His people.
Reflection and Application
While the specific prohibition against bestiality may seem self-evident and universally abhorrent, the underlying principles of Leviticus 18:23 remain profoundly relevant for believers today. This verse calls us to a deeper appreciation for the sanctity of human sexuality as a sacred gift from God, intended for expression within specific, divinely ordained boundaries, primarily the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. It reminds us that God's laws are not restrictive burdens but protective guidelines designed to preserve human dignity, foster genuine intimacy, and prevent the destructive, chaotic consequences of sin. The concept of "confusion" (תֶּבֶל, tebel) challenges us to consider how we might, in more subtle ways, blur God-given distinctions in our lives—whether in our understanding of gender roles, family structures, moral absolutes, or the sacred and the secular. Our call to holiness extends to honoring God with our bodies and minds, actively resisting cultural pressures that seek to redefine or dismantle God's established order, and striving for purity in all aspects of our lives, recognizing that true freedom is found in aligning with God's wise and loving design.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is bestiality considered "confusion" (תֶּבֶל, tebel)?
The Hebrew word tebel (תֶּבֶל) signifies a profound "mixture," "mingling," or "perversion." In the context of bestiality, it denotes an act that fundamentally violates the divinely established order of creation. God created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26), setting humans apart from and above the animal kingdom, granting them dominion over it. Bestiality blurs this essential distinction, reducing human beings to the level of animals and animals to objects of human sexual gratification, thereby perverting the unique dignity and purpose of both. It is an act of chaos that defies the Creator's design for distinct categories and proper relationships within His creation, making it an abomination in His sight.
How does this ancient law apply to believers today?
While the specific act of bestiality is universally condemned and considered abhorrent, the underlying principles of Leviticus 18:23 remain highly relevant for believers. First, it underscores God's unwavering demand for holiness and purity in all aspects of life, especially sexuality. Believers are called to be set apart from the degrading practices of the world (1 Peter 1:15-16). Second, the concept of "confusion" (תֶּבֶל) highlights the importance of respecting God's created order and natural boundaries, not just in sexual ethics but in all areas where human beings might seek to redefine or transgress divine design. This principle extends to all forms of sexual immorality that deviate from God's design for marriage between a man and a woman, as articulated in the New Testament (Romans 1). The law reveals the seriousness of sin and humanity's propensity to pervert God's good gifts, calling us to align our lives with His wisdom, love, and established order.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Leviticus 18:23, with its stark prohibition against bestiality and the declaration that "it is confusion," powerfully reveals the depth of human sin and the absolute holiness of God's standards for creation and human conduct. While the law meticulously exposes humanity's inability to perfectly keep God's commands and avoid defilement, it simultaneously points forward to the ultimate solution found in Jesus Christ. Christ fulfills the law not only by living a life of perfect purity and holiness, never succumbing to any form of "confusion" or perversion, but also by becoming the perfect, unblemished sacrifice for sin. His atoning death on the cross cleanses us from all defilement and impurity that the Old Testament laws could only identify but not ultimately remove (Hebrews 10:10). Through faith in Him, believers are declared righteous and are made new creations, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in alignment with God's original design for humanity and sexuality, overcoming the "confusion" of sin and reflecting the order and beauty of God's kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christ's redemptive work restores true humanity and enables us to live lives that honor God with our bodies and spirits, presenting ourselves as a holy and blameless bride to Him, set apart from the world's perversions (Ephesians 5:25-27).