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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Leviticus 18:22 You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/leviticus/18-22.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/18/03_Lev_18_22.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Leviticus 18:22 - Unlawful Sexual Relations" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/leviticus/18-22.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/leviticus/18-22.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/leviticus/">Leviticus</a> > <a href="/leviticus/18.htm">Chapter 18</a> > Verse 22</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad2.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/leviticus/18-21.htm" title="Leviticus 18:21">◄</a> Leviticus 18:22 <a href="/leviticus/18-23.htm" title="Leviticus 18:23">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/leviticus/18.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/leviticus/18.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />&#8220&#8217Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/leviticus/18.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/leviticus/18.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/leviticus/18.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/leviticus/18.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it <i>is</i> abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/leviticus/18.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It <i>is</i> an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/leviticus/18.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />You shall not sleep with a male as one sleeps with a female; it is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/leviticus/18.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8216You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/leviticus/18.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/leviticus/18.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />And you shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/leviticus/18.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />You shall not lie [intimately] with a male as one lies with a female; it is repulsive.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/leviticus/18.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />You are not to sleep with a man as with a woman; it is detestable.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/leviticus/18.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />You are not to sleep with a man as with a woman; it is detestable.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/leviticus/18.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/leviticus/18.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />It is disgusting for a man to have sex with another man. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/leviticus/18.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/leviticus/18.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Never have sexual intercourse with a man as with a woman. It is disgusting.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/leviticus/18.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/leviticus/18.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />You are not to have sexual relations with a male as you would with a woman. It's detestable."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/leviticus/18.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/leviticus/18.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman; it is a detestable act.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/leviticus/18.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />"'You shall not have sexual relations with a male, as with a woman. That is detestable.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/leviticus/18.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/leviticus/18.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />“‘You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. That is detestable. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/leviticus/18.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And you do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it [is] an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/leviticus/18.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And with a male thou dost not lie as one lieth with a woman; abomination it is.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/leviticus/18.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And with a male thou shalt not lie on a woman's bed: it is abomination.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/leviticus/18.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, because it is an abomination. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/leviticus/18.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />You shall not commit sexual acts with a male, in place of sexual intercourse with a female, for this is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/leviticus/18.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/leviticus/18.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/leviticus/18.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; because it is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/leviticus/18.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And do not lie down with a male in the lying down of a woman, because it is defiled.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/leviticus/18.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/leviticus/18.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman, for it is an abomination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/leviticus/18-22.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NWs_V1RyMFo?start=4886" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/leviticus/18.htm">Unlawful Sexual Relations</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">21</span>You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. <span class="reftext">22</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">You must not</a> <a href="/hebrew/7901.htm" title="7901: ṯiš·kaḇ (V-Qal-Imperf-2ms) -- To lie down. A primitive root; to lie down.">lie</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: wə·’eṯ- (Conj-w:: Prep) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self.">with</a> <a href="/hebrew/2145.htm" title="2145: zā·ḵār (N-ms) -- Male. From zakar; properly, remembered, i.e. A male.">a man</a> <a href="/hebrew/4904.htm" title="4904: miš·kə·ḇê (N-mpc) -- Place of lying, a couch, act of lying. From shakab; a bed; abstractly, sleep; by euphemism, carnal intercourse.">as with</a> <a href="/hebrew/802.htm" title="802: ’iš·šāh (N-fs) -- Woman, wife, female. Feminine of 'iysh or 'enowsh; irregular plural, nashiym; a woman.">a woman;</a> <a href="/hebrew/1931.htm" title="1931: hî (Pro-3fs) -- He, she, it. ">that</a> <a href="/hebrew/8441.htm" title="8441: tō·w·‘ê·ḇāh (N-fs) -- Or tonebah; feminine active participle of ta'ab; properly, something disgusting, i.e. an abhorrence; especially idolatry or an idol.">is an abomination.</a> </span><span class="reftext">23</span>You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/1-26.htm">Romans 1:26-27</a></span><br />For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. / Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/6-9.htm">1 Corinthians 6:9-10</a></span><br />Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_timothy/1-9.htm">1 Timothy 1:9-10</a></span><br />We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, / for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/19-4.htm">Genesis 19:4-5</a></span><br />Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house. / They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jude/1-7.htm">Jude 1:7</a></span><br />In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/judges/19-22.htm">Judges 19:22</a></span><br />While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_peter/2-6.htm">2 Peter 2:6-8</a></span><br />if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; / and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless / (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/23-17.htm">Deuteronomy 23:17-18</a></span><br />No daughter or son of Israel is to be a shrine prostitute. / You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/16-49.htm">Ezekiel 16:49-50</a></span><br />Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy. / Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_kings/14-24.htm">1 Kings 14:24</a></span><br />There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_kings/15-12.htm">1 Kings 15:12</a></span><br />He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/23-7.htm">2 Kings 23:7</a></span><br />He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of the LORD, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/1-27.htm">Genesis 1:27-28</a></span><br />So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. / God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/19-4.htm">Matthew 19:4-6</a></span><br />Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ / and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? / So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/10-6.htm">Mark 10:6-9</a></span><br />However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ / ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, / and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ...</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">You shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/leviticus/20-13.htm">Leviticus 20:13</a></b></br> If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood <i>shall be</i> upon them.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/19-5.htm">Genesis 19:5</a></b></br> And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where <i>are</i> the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/judges/19-22.htm">Judges 19:22</a></b></br> <i>Now</i> as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, <i>and</i> beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/leviticus/11-42.htm">Abomination</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-43.htm">Detestable</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-43.htm">Disgusting</a> <a href="/leviticus/15-33.htm">Female</a> <a href="/leviticus/15-33.htm">Lies</a> <a href="/leviticus/16-5.htm">Male</a> <a href="/genesis/7-21.htm">Mankind</a> <a href="/leviticus/18-20.htm">Relations</a> <a href="/leviticus/18-20.htm">Sex</a> <a href="/leviticus/20-13.htm">Womankind</a> <a href="/exodus/38-8.htm">Women</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/leviticus/19-7.htm">Abomination</a> <a href="/leviticus/18-26.htm">Detestable</a> <a href="/leviticus/18-26.htm">Disgusting</a> <a href="/leviticus/25-6.htm">Female</a> <a href="/leviticus/19-20.htm">Lies</a> <a href="/leviticus/19-21.htm">Male</a> <a href="/leviticus/20-13.htm">Mankind</a> <a href="/leviticus/18-23.htm">Relations</a> <a href="/leviticus/18-23.htm">Sex</a> <a href="/leviticus/20-13.htm">Womankind</a> <a href="/leviticus/21-7.htm">Women</a><div class="vheading2">Leviticus 18</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/leviticus/18-1.htm">Unlawful marriages and unlawful lusts</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/leviticus/18.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/leviticus/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/leviticus/18.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>You must not lie with a man as with a woman;</b><br>This phrase is a direct commandment found within the Holiness Code, a section of Leviticus that outlines moral and ceremonial laws for the Israelites. The context of this command is the broader call for Israel to be distinct from the surrounding nations, particularly the Canaanites and Egyptians, whose practices were considered detestable by God. The phrase "lie with" is a euphemism for sexual relations, indicating a prohibition against homosexual acts. This command is part of a larger set of laws intended to maintain the purity and holiness of the Israelite community. The cultural context of the time viewed family and procreation as central to societal stability, and any sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage was seen as a threat to this order. This command is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such as <a href="/romans/1-26.htm">Romans 1:26-27</a> and <a href="/1_corinthians/6-9.htm">1 Corinthians 6:9-10</a>, where similar prohibitions are reiterated, emphasizing the continuity of this moral standard.<p><b>that is an abomination.</b><br>The term "abomination" is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe actions that are detestable or repugnant to God. In the context of Leviticus, it often refers to practices that are ritually or morally impure. The use of this term underscores the severity with which God views the act described. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the word "abomination" was used to describe practices that were not only religiously offensive but also socially disruptive. Theologically, this term indicates a violation of the created order as established by God. The concept of abomination is linked to the holiness of God and His desire for His people to reflect His character. This phrase serves as a reminder of the call to holiness and the importance of adhering to God's standards. The use of "abomination" in this context is consistent with other biblical passages that address sexual immorality, reinforcing the idea that such actions are incompatible with a life dedicated to God.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/m/moses.htm">Moses</a></b><br>The author of Leviticus, Moses was the leader of the Israelites and the mediator of God's laws to His people.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/i/israelites.htm">Israelites</a></b><br>The recipients of the laws in Leviticus, the Israelites were God's chosen people, set apart to live according to His statutes.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/c/canaan.htm">Canaan</a></b><br>The land where the Israelites were headed, which was inhabited by people whose practices God deemed abominable, including those mentioned in <a href="/bsb/leviticus/18.htm">Leviticus 18</a>.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The ultimate lawgiver, who provided these commandments to guide the moral and spiritual conduct of His people.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/e/egypt.htm">Egypt</a></b><br>The land from which the Israelites had been delivered, known for practices that God warned against, including those related to sexual immorality.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_god's_design.htm">Understanding God's Design</a></b><br>God created male and female with distinct roles and purposes. This verse underscores the importance of adhering to God's design for human relationships.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/holiness_and_separation.htm">Holiness and Separation</a></b><br>The Israelites were called to be holy and separate from the practices of surrounding nations. This call to holiness extends to Christians today, urging us to live according to God's standards.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/cultural_influence_vs._biblical_truth.htm">Cultural Influence vs. Biblical Truth</a></b><br>While cultural norms may shift, God's Word remains constant. Believers are encouraged to hold fast to biblical truth despite societal changes.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/compassion_and_truth.htm">Compassion and Truth</a></b><br>While upholding biblical standards, Christians are called to approach others with love and compassion, offering grace and truth in discussions about difficult topics.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/r/repentance_and_redemption.htm">Repentance and Redemption</a></b><br>The Bible offers hope for all who turn from sin and seek God's forgiveness. Emphasizing repentance and the transformative power of the Gospel is crucial.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_leviticus_18.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Leviticus 18</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_love_reconcile_lev._18_22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 condemns same-sex relations; how can this be reconciled with the New Testament emphasis on love (John 13:34–35)? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_being_gay_a_sin_in_religion.htm">Is being gay considered a sin in religion?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_the_queen_james_bible_gay-friendly.htm">Is the Queen James Bible a gay-friendly version?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_does_leviticus_18_22_say_on_men.htm">What does Leviticus 18:22 mean about male relations?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/leviticus/18.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(22) <span class= "bld">As with womankind.</span>--This was the sin of Sodom (<a href="/genesis/19-5.htm" title="And they called to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men which came in to you this night? bring them out to us, that we may know them.">Genesis 19:5</a>), whence it derived its name, and in spite of the penalty of death enacted by the Law against those who were found guilty of it (see <a href="/leviticus/20-13.htm" title="If a man also lie with mankind, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be on them.">Leviticus 20:13</a>), the Israelites did not quite relinquish this abominable vice (<a href="/judges/19-22.htm" title="Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into your house, that we may know him.">Judges 19:22</a>; <a href="/1_kings/14-24.htm" title="And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.">1Kings 14:24</a>), to which the surrounding nations were addicted and which was so prevalent in the time of the Apostles (<a href="/romans/1-27.htm" title="And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.">Romans 1:27</a>; <a href="/1_corinthians/6-9.htm" title="Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,">1Corinthians 6:9</a>; <a href="/galatians/5-19.htm" title="Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,">Galatians 5:19</a>; <a href="/1_timothy/1-10.htm" title="For fornicators, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for enslavers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;">1Timothy 1:10</a>). By the law of Christ those who are guilty of this sin are excluded from the kingdom of God (<a href="/context/1_corinthians/6-9.htm" title="Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,">1Corinthians 6:9-10</a>), whilst the laws of civilised Europe rightly inflict the severest penalties upon offenders of this kind. . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/leviticus/18.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 22.</span> - The fourth prohibition forbids the sin of Sodom (see <a href="/genesis/19-5.htm">Genesis 19:5</a>; <a href="/judges/11-22.htm">Judges 11:22</a>; <a href="/romans/1-27.htm">Romans 1:27</a>; <a href="/1_corinthians/6-9.htm">1 Corinthians 6:9</a>; <a href="/1_timothy/1-10.htm">1 Timothy 1:10</a>). The penalty is death (<a href="/leviticus/20-13.htm">Leviticus 20:13</a>). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/leviticus/18-22.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">You must not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹ֥א</span> <span class="translit">(lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">lie</span><br /><span class="heb">תִשְׁכַּ֖ב</span> <span class="translit">(ṯiš·kaḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7901.htm">Strong's 7901: </a> </span><span class="str2">To lie down</span><br /><br /><span class="word">with</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאֶ֨ת־</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’eṯ-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_854.htm">Strong's 854: </a> </span><span class="str2">Nearness, near, with, by, at, among</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a man</span><br /><span class="heb">זָכָ֔ר</span> <span class="translit">(zā·ḵār)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2145.htm">Strong's 2145: </a> </span><span class="str2">Remembered, a male</span><br /><br /><span class="word">as with</span><br /><span class="heb">מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(miš·kə·ḇê)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4904.htm">Strong's 4904: </a> </span><span class="str2">Place of lying, a couch, act of lying</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a woman;</span><br /><span class="heb">אִשָּׁ֑ה</span> <span class="translit">(’iš·šāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_802.htm">Strong's 802: </a> </span><span class="str2">Woman, wife, female</span><br /><br /><span class="word">that</span><br /><span class="heb">הִֽוא׃</span> <span class="translit">(hî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1931.htm">Strong's 1931: </a> </span><span class="str2">He, self, the same, this, that, as, are</span><br /><br /><span class="word">[is] an abomination.</span><br /><span class="heb">תּוֹעֵבָ֖ה</span> <span class="translit">(tō·w·‘ê·ḇāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8441.htm">Strong's 8441: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something disgusting, an abhorrence, idolatry, an idol</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/leviticus/18-22.htm">Leviticus 18:22 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/leviticus/18-22.htm">OT Law: Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a man (Le Lv Lev.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/leviticus/18-21.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Leviticus 18:21"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Leviticus 18:21" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/leviticus/18-23.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Leviticus 18:23"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Leviticus 18:23" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>