Leviticus 20:17 · Bible study
Leviticus 20:17 Commentary: Incest with a Sister and the Meaning of ‘Cut Off’
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the penalty for brother-sister incest in Israel. Why 'cut off' instead of death? Explore meaning, grammar, and pastoral implications.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A man who has sex with his sister (full or half) commits a shameful act and will be cut off from the community.
- Key words: “Take” (יִקַּח) can mean marry or have sexual relations; “nakedness” (עֶרְוָה) is a euphemism for genitals; “cut off” (כרת) implies removal by death or excommunication.
- Main debate: Whether “cut off” means death (by God or human justice) or a lesser penalty like childlessness/excommunication. Different commentators take different sides.
- Theological theme: Holiness requires clear boundaries in the most intimate relationships; sin separates from God’s people but the punishment varies with the offence.
- Best use: To teach the seriousness of incest, the importance of family boundaries, and the principle of communal accountability in a covenant community.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
If a man marries his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister; he shall bear his iniquity.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“‘If a man takes his sister—his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter—and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a shameful thing. They shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity.
KJV King James Version 1769
And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And a man who taketh his sister, a daughter of his father or daughter of his mother, and he hath seen her nakedness, and she seeth his nakedness: it is a shame; and they have been cut off before the eyes of the sons of their people; the nakedness of his sister he hath uncovered; his iniquity he beareth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And if a man take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness, that is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off before the eyes of the children of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
If any man take his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother, and see her nakedness, and she behold her brother's shame: they have committed a crime. They shall be slain, in the sight of their people, because they have discovered one another's nakedness. And they shall bear their iniquity.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y cualquiera que tomare á su hermana, hija de su padre ó hija de su madre, y viere su desnudez, y ella viere la suya, cosa es execrable; por tanto serán muertos á ojos de los hijos de su pueblo: descubrió la desnudez de su hermana; su pecado llevará.
Qualquer um que tomar a sua irmã, filha de seu pai ou filha de sua mãe, e vir sua nudez, e ela vir a sua, coisa é execrável; portanto serão mortos à vista dos filhos de seu povo: revelou a nudez de sua irmã; levará consigo o seu pecado.
Si un homme prend sa sœur, fille de son père ou fille de sa mère, s’ il voit sa nudité et qu’ elle voie la sienne, c’ est une infamie; ils seront retranchés sous les yeux des enfants de leur peuple: il a découvert la nudité de sa sœur, il portera la peine de son péché.
Wenn jemand seine Schwester nimmt, seines Vaters Tochter oder seiner Mutter Tochter, und ihre Blöße schaut und sie wieder seine Blöße, das ist Blutschande. Die sollen ausgerottet werden vor den Leuten ihres Volks; denn er hat seiner Schwester Blöße aufgedeckt; er soll seine Missetat tragen.
En als een man zijn zuster, de dochter zijns vaders, of de dochter zijner moeder, zal genomen hebben, en hij haar schaamte gezien, en zij zijn schaamte zal gezien hebben, het is een schandvlek; daarom zullen zij voor de ogen van de kinderen huns volks uitgeroeid worden; hij heeft de schaamte zijner zuster ontdekt, hij zal zijn ongerechtigheid dragen.
Se uno prende la propria sorella, figliuola di suo padre o figliuola di sua madre, e vede la nudità di lei ed ella vede la nudità di lui, è una infamia; ambedue saranno sterminati in presenza de’ figliuoli del loro popolo; quel tale ha scoperto la nudità della propria sorella; porterà la pena della sua iniquità.
Kto by też pojął siostrę swoję, córkę ojca swego, albo córkę matki swej, i widziałby sromotę jej, i ona by widziała sromotę jego, rzecz haniebna jest; przetoż wytraceni będą przed oczyma synów ludu swego; sromotę siostry swej odkrył, nieprawość swoję poniesie.
Если кто возьмет сестру свою, дочь отца своего или дочь матери своей, и увидит наготу ее, и она увидит наготу его: это срам, да будут они истреблены пред глазами сынов народа своего; он открыл наготу сестры своей: грех свой понесет он.
「人 若 娶 他的姊妹，無論是異母同父 的，是 異父同母 的，彼此見了 下體， 這是 可恥的事；他們必在本民 的眼前 被剪除。他露了 姊妹 的下體，必擔當 自己的罪孽。
And if a man takes his sister, daughter of his father or his mother, and has sex relations with her and she with him, it is an act of shame: they are to be cut off before the children of their people; he has had sex relations with his sister, and his sin will be on him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 20:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Leviticus 20:17 prohibits sexual relations or marriage between a man and his sister, whether full or half-sister. The word “take” (יִקַּח) can refer to marriage or to a sexual encounter, and “see her nakedness” is a standard euphemism for intercourse. The penalty is being “cut off” (נִכְרְתוּ) from the people. Barnes and Gill note that “cut off” likely means public expulsion or excommunication, possibly accompanied by death. The phrase “in the sight of the children of their people” suggests a public action, visible to the community. The act is called a “shameful thing” (חֶסֶד), a word that normally means “kindness” but here carries the sense of a disgraceful deed. The verse closes with “he shall bear his iniquity”, meaning the man carries the guilt and its consequences. The difference from the death penalty given for other sexual sins in this chapter (e.g. adultery, homosexuality) is the main point of discussion. Most commentators see this as a real, severe penalty, one that separates the offenders from God’s people, whether by execution, expulsion, or divine judgment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- “Cut off” as public execution: Leans on the phrase “in the sight of the children of their people” and parallels with death penalties in the chapter; supported by Barnes and some older commentators.
- “Cut off” as divine judgment (kareth): Jewish tradition and Keil & Delitzsch argue that the penalty is carried out by God, not human courts; the lack of a specific death method (stoning, burning) supports this.
- “Cut off” as excommunication/expulsion: Gill and many modern scholars see it as removal from the camp or congregation, possibly with social death but not necessarily physical death.
What is clear: Incest with a sister is forbidden and the offender faces a severe, public penalty that separates them from God’s people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of “cut off” (כרת) | It is a severe penalty that removes the offender from the community, with public consequences. | Some (Gill, Barnes) see it as excommunication and possibly death by human hand. Others (Keil, Targum of Jonathan) interpret it as death by divine action (pestilence) or childlessness. |
| Whether “take” refers to marriage or fornication | The term יִקַּח covers both marriage and sexual encounter. | Wesley argues it clearly means fornication or adultery, not marriage. Others (Gill, BSB) include marriage in the prohibition. |
| Why the penalty is lighter than for other sexual sins | All agree the act is sinful and punished, but the degree differs. | Some commentators (Matthew Henry) suggest that incest with a sister is less direct a violation of another man’s rights than adultery. Others see a distinction in the impurity categories: this offence defiles the individual but does not pollute the land as severely as some others. |
| Applicability to Christians today | Most Christian traditions consider incest morally wrong based on natural law and the Old Testament prohibition. | Some see the penalty as part of the civil law of Israel, not directly transferred to the church. Others apply the principle of excommunication (Matthew 18:15-17) to maintain purity. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 20 sits within the Holiness Code (chapters 17, 26), a section that calls Israel to be holy as God is holy. The chapter lists sexual offences and their penalties, creating a clear boundary between Israel’s conduct and that of the surrounding nations. Verses 10, 16 prescribe death for adultery, incest with a father’s wife, homosexuality, and bestiality. Then verse 17 deals with brother-sister incest and prescribes being “cut off”, a different penalty.
The word “cut off” (כרת) appears elsewhere in the Pentateuch for violations like eating blood (Leviticus 17:4) or neglecting circumcision (Genesis 17:14). In those contexts it usually means being removed from the community or dying prematurely by God’s hand. The Targum of Jonathan, cited by Gill, interprets “cut off” here as death by plague. The formulation “in the sight of the children of their people” stresses public accountability: the community witnesses the punishment and learns from it.
Culturally, brother-sister marriage was known in the ancient Near East. Egyptian pharaohs married sisters to preserve the royal line. Abraham himself married his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12), a practice the later law explicitly forbids. The legislation thus marks a progression: what was tolerated in patriarchal times becomes unacceptable for the covenant community. The penalty for sister-incest, while severe, is expressed differently from the death penalty for other sexual sins. This may reflect a distinction in the gravity of the offense against the family structure. The cross-reference in Deuteronomy 27:22 places a curse on anyone who lies with his sister, reinforcing the prohibition. Ezekiel 22:11 condemns the same act as part of Israel’s general unfaithfulness.
The penalty “cut off” leaves room for divine rather than human execution. Wesley suggests that “see her nakedness” here means a sexual encounter, not marriage, and that the punishment applies to any such act. The public dimension underscores that Israel’s holiness requires visible boundaries, even in the most private relationships.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Leviticus 20:17. The main textual discussions in the chapter (Lange’s commentary mentions variants in verses 4, 6, and 9) do not affect this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, the penalty of being “cut off” (kareth) was understood as premature death or childlessness, imposed by God rather than by human courts. This view is reflected in the Targums and later rabbinic writings. The early church, through figures like Augustine, used this law to argue against incest as a violation of natural order. Medieval Christian commentators (e.g., Aquinas) saw the prohibition as part of the moral law, binding on all people. Reformation commentators such as Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasised the holiness standard for the covenant community, reading the penalty as a call to discipline. In modern interpretation, the verse is often cited in debates about the limits of civil vs. moral law and the role of church discipline. The seriousness of the prohibition has been consistently upheld across traditions, though the application of the penalty has varied.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God sets boundaries for family relationships. This verse protects the most intimate bonds from confusion and harm.
- Sin has public consequences. Offenders are “cut off in the sight of the people”, the community is involved in upholding holiness.
- Grace does not erase accountability. The offender “bears his iniquity”, but the covenant community continues, purified.
Five-point outline
- Clear command: No sexual relationship with a sister.
- Unique penalty: “Cut off” signals removal from God’s people, whether by death or excommunication.
- Contrast with other sins: Why is this not death? Possibly because the offence is within a different category of impurity, or because God reserves the final judgment.
- Public visibility: The punishment takes place “before the eyes” of the people, teaching the whole community.
- Personal responsibility: “He shall bear his iniquity”, each person answers for their own actions.
Illustration hooks
- Boundaries in sports: A referee draws a line, players know they cross it at their own risk. God’s law draws a line around family relationships.
- Trust in a family business: If a family member breaks trust, the whole business suffers, and the person may be removed. The community of Israel depends on trust in family bonds.
- Public consequences of hidden sin: A scandal in a church becomes known; the person is set apart for discipline. This is a painful but protective action.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why is incest treated so seriously in the Old Testament but often ignored today?
- Does this verse apply to Christians? How do we honour the principle of protecting family relationships?
- What does “cut off” look like in a church setting today? Is it church discipline, or something else?
Leading a Discussion
This verse opens a window into how seriously God takes the boundaries He sets for family relationships. It also raises questions about the nature of punishment in the Old Testament community. Read Leviticus 20:17 together with Leviticus 18:9 and Deuteronomy 27:22. As you discuss, pay attention to what is stated clearly and what the different penalties suggest about God’s character.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase “take his sister” include in this context? Marriage, a sexual encounter, or both? (Look at the Hebrew verb יִקַּח.)
- Why do you think the penalty for incest with a sister is “cut off” rather than death, as in the surrounding verses? What does that difference tell you?
- The verse calls the act a “shameful thing” (חֶסֶד). How does that word shape your understanding of the seriousness of the sin?
- How would the public nature of the punishment (“in the sight of the children of their people”) affect the community’s attitude toward holiness?
- Jesus said that the law’s intent goes beyond outward actions (Matthew 5:27-28). How does this principle apply to this prohibition?
- In what ways does the church today need to establish and maintain boundaries in family relationships?
- How does the final phrase “he shall bear his iniquity” speak to personal responsibility and the hope of forgiveness?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 20:12 | Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. |
| Leviticus 18:9 | “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad. |
| Deuteronomy 27:22 | ‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ |
| II Samuel 13:12 | She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me! For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don’t you do this folly! |
| Ezekiel 22:11 | One has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife, and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. Another in you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads the phrase "cut off" here as pointing to a specific public form of excommunication, one that likely involved expulsion from the camp. He distinguishes this from a more routine spiritual exclusion, noting the fuller expression suggests a solemn, community-enforced removal.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes that while the instructions here largely repeat those found in Leviticus 18, they go a step further by adding explicit penalties for each transgression. This addition underscores the seriousness of these commands by linking them directly to consequences.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that incest with a sister is a wicked act, and the punishment is public removal: the offenders are cut off in the sight of their people. This highlights both the severity of the sin and the communal dimension of judgment, as the man bears his own iniquity.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the law forbids marrying or lying with a sister, whether she is a full sibling or a half-sister by either parent. He clarifies that the phrase "see her nakedness" refers to the actual act of intercourse, not merely an immodest look. The punishment is being cut off from the people, either by death or by dying childless.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch clarify that the burning commanded for certain capital offenses in the law means burning the corpse after execution, not death by fire. The punishment was stoning, followed by cremation of the body, which heightened the dishonor of the crime.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that this chapter is not merely an appendix to the prohibitions in chapter 18. Its central idea shifts from keeping the theocratic seed holy to keeping the holy land itself clean. The land will spue out the Israelites if defiled by the same abominations that drove out the Canaanites.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley argues that when the Bible mentions "uncovering nakedness" in these passages, it clearly refers to fornication or adultery, not to the legitimate intimacy of marriage. His point is that the phrase must be understood as describing sexual sin, not the marriage relationship itself.