Leviticus 18:7

You must not ¹  expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother. ²  She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her.

"‘Do not dishonour your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.

‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness.

Do not violate your father by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must never have intercourse with her.

"Don't violate your father by having sex with your mother. She is your mother. Don't have sex with her.

You may not have sex relations with your father or your mother: she is your mother, you may not take her.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.

‘The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

You must not ¹  expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother. ²  She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her.

¹ tn The verbal negative here is the same as that used in the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:4-5, 7, 13-17). It suggests permanent prohibition rather than a simple negative command and could, therefore, be rendered “must not” here and throughout the following section as it is in vv. 3-4 above.

² tn Heb “The nakedness of your father and [i.e., even] the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover.”

sn Commentators suggest that the point of referring to the father’s nakedness is that the mother’s sexuality belongs to the father and is forbidden to the son on that account (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 120, and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 294). The expression may, however, derive from the shame of nakedness when exposed. If one exposes his mother’s nakedness to himself it is like openly exposing the father’s nakedness (cf. Gen 9:22-23 with the background of Gen 2:25 and 3:7, 21). The same essential construction is used in v. 10 where the latter explanation makes more sense than the former.