1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
2 Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, I am the Lord your God.
3 After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt, shal ye not doe: and after the doings of land of Canaan whither I bring you, shall ye not doe: neither shall yee walke in their ordinances.
4 Ye shall doe my iudgements, and keepe mine ordinances, to walke therein: I am the Lord your God.
5 Yee shall therefore keepe my statutes, and my iudgements: which if a man doe, hee shall liue in them: I am the Lord.
6 ¶ None of you shall approche to any that is neere of kinne to him, to vncouer their nakednesse: I am the Lord.
7 The nakednesse of thy father, or the nakednesse of thy mother, shalt thou not vncouer: she is thy mother, thou shalt not vncouer her nakednesse.
8 The nakednesse of thy fathers wife shalt thou not vncouer: it is thy fathers nakednesse.
9 The nakednesse of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether shee be borne at home, or borne abroad, euen their nakednesse thou shalt not vncouer.
10 The nakednesse of thy sonnes daughter, or of thy daughters daughter, euen their nakednesse thou shalt not vncouer: for theirs is thine owne nakednesse.
11 The nakednesse of thy fathers wiues daughter, begotten of thy father, (she is thy sister,) thou shalt not vncouer her nakednesse.
12 Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy fathers sister: she is thy fathers neere kinswoman.
13 Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy mothers sister: for she is thy mothers neere kinswoman.
14 Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy fathers brother, thou shalt not approche to his wife: shee is thine aunt.
15 Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy daughter in law: shee is thy sonnes wife, thou shalt not vncouer her nakednesse.
16 Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy brothers wife: it is thy brothers nakednesse.
17 Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her sonnes daughter, or her daughters daughter, to vncouer her nakednesse: For they are her neere kinsewomen: it is wickednesse.
18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vexe her, to vncouer her nakednes besides the other, in her life time.
19 Also thou shalt not approche vnto a woman to vncouer her nakednes, as long as shee is put apart for her vncleannesse.
20 Moreouer, thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbours wife, to defile thy selfe with her.
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed passe through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God: I am the Lord.
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankinde, as with womankinde: it is abomination.
23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast, to defile thy selfe therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie downe thereto: It is confusion.
24 Defile not you your selues 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 doe visit the iniquitie thereof vpon it, and the land it selfe vomiteth out her inhabitants.
26 Ye shall therefore keepe my Statutes and my Iudgements, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your owne nation, nor any stranger that soiourneth among you:
27 (For all these abominations haue the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled.)
28 That the land spew not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spewed out the nations that were before you.
29 For whosoeuer shall commit any of these abominations, euen the soules that commit them, shall be cut off from among their people.
30 Therefore shal ye keepe mine Ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customes, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not your selues therein: I am the Lord your God.
Unlawful marriages and fleshly lusts.
- Here is a law against all conformity to the corrupt usages of the heathen. Also laws against incest, against brutal lusts, and barbarous idolatries; and the enforcement of these laws from the ruin of the Canaanites. God here gives moral precepts. Close and constant adherence to God's ordinances is the most effectual preservative from gross sin. The grace of God only will secure us; that grace is to be expected only in the use of the means of grace. Nor does He ever leave any to their hearts' lusts, till they have left him and his services.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.