Leviticus 20:19 Meaning: The Case God Keeps for Himself
“‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s sister, for he has made his close relative naked. They shall bear their iniquity.
And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister; for he hath made naked his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
`And the nakedness of thy mother's sister, and of thy father's sister, thou dost not uncover; because his relation he hath made bare; their iniquity they bear.
And the nakedness of thy mother's sister, and of thy father's sister shalt thou not uncover; for he hath laid naked his near relation: they shall bear their iniquity.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Leviticus 20:19 forbid relations with an aunt? No civil penalty is given; instead, God reserves judgment. Find out why He kept this case for Himself.
Context
Leviticus 20 lays out penalties for the sexual sins first listed in chapter 18. With each forbidden relationship, the chapter says who is responsible and what the consequence will be. For some sins, the penalty is death or being cut off from the community. But verses 19 through 21 are different. They describe relationships, with an aunt, an uncle’s wife, a brother’s wife, that carry no civil punishment. Instead, the phrase is simply “they shall bear their iniquity.” Scholars note that here God was reserving the judgment to Himself. The law did not order the community to act; God would act in His own time, often through childlessness. This shift is more than a footnote. It tells us something about the seriousness of these boundaries and about God’s own role as the judge of what happens in hidden places.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight of this verse. First, erwah, translated “nakedness,” means more than physical nudity. It points to the shame of exposing what should remain covered within a family. Second, the phrase “near kin” comes from she’er, which means “flesh” or “blood relation.” An aunt is your own flesh; the bond is too close for marriage to be safe or honoring. Third, the verb “bear” is nasa, a word that can mean to carry, to lift, or even to forgive. But here it describes taking on the full weight of guilt and its consequences. Together, these words paint a picture: some family lines are not to be crossed, and when they are, the guilty party must carry the burden, not just embarrassment, but the real weight of having wounded a sacred bond. There is no quick resolution. That is what makes the warning so sobering.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian commentators across traditions read this verse very similarly. The Cambridge Bible notes that these verses add penalties to the prohibitions of Leviticus 18. Keil and Delitzsch observe that no civil punishment was ordered for marriage with an aunt; instead, God reserved the penalty to Himself, a judgment that could include childlessness. Matthew Henry’s commentary treats the whole chapter as a serious call to holiness, not distinguishing penalties by severity. Gill, writing from a Baptist tradition, explains that the rule applies equally to both sexes: a woman with her uncle bears the same guilt. There is no debate about whether the prohibition stands. The question is simply why God chose to enforce some boundaries directly rather than through human courts. And on that point, the commentators agree: some sins are so hidden that only God can judge them rightly.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this verse contradicts Exodus 6:20, where Moses’ father Amram married his aunt Jochebed. But that marriage took place before the law was given at Sinai. The law established new boundaries to set Israel apart from surrounding nations. What happened before the law is not a license to ignore it afterward. In fact, the verse itself, by naming the aunt as a forbidden relative, shows that the earlier practice was now closed.
Living This Out
You may never face the choice this verse describes. But it still asks something of you. It asks you to honor the family boundaries God has drawn, even when you do not fully understand why they exist. It asks you to trust that God sees what no human court can see. There are sins that happen in secret, wrongs that no one will ever prosecute. This verse says: God keeps those cases. He will weigh them. He will carry out what is just. So you do not have to take revenge or expose every hidden thing yourself. You can leave it to Him. That is hard trust, but it is the trust He deserves.
Main takeaway: God draws clear boundaries for our protection, and He alone judges the sins that no human court can reach.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God made families. He wants them to be safe. That is why He says some people are too close to marry.
For ages 9, 12
This verse is part of God’s plan to protect families. He gave rules about who can marry whom so that relationships stay healthy. When people disobey, sometimes God handles the punishment Himself because He sees what happens in secret. You can trust that God knows all the hidden things and will do what is right.
Questions People Ask
Why does this verse not have a civil penalty like other sexual sins in Leviticus 20?
The verse uses the phrase 'they shall bear their iniquity,' which means God reserved the punishment to Himself. There was no order for the community to execute judgment. This might be because such relationships could happen in secret, where only God could see. Sometimes the penalty was childlessness, as seen in the following verses.
What does 'bear their iniquity' mean in this context?
The Hebrew word for 'bear' (nasa) can mean to carry, lift, or forgive. Here it means carrying the guilt and facing the consequences of sin. In this case, the consequence was not a human punishment but a judgment from God, sometimes resulting in childlessness or other divine discipline.
How is this prohibition consistent with Moses' parents being aunt and nephew (Exodus 6:20)?
Amram married Jochebed, his aunt, before the law was given at Sinai. The law established new boundaries for Israel that were stricter than previous customs. What happened before the law does not set a precedent to ignore the law afterward. The law was given to set Israel apart from surrounding nations, including their previous practices.
Is the prohibition of marrying an aunt still relevant for Christians today?
Many Christians see the moral principle of respecting family boundaries as enduring, grounded in God's design for the family. The specific civil laws of Israel no longer apply as national law, but the call to honor close family relationships and avoid sexual relationships with near relatives is widely considered a permanent ethical standard.
What does 'uncovers his near kin' mean?
The phrase 'uncovers his near kin' is a respectful way of describing sexual relations with a close relative. The word 'uncover' (arah) means to lay bare or expose, and 'near kin' (she'er) means flesh or blood relative. So it refers to violating the boundary God set around close family members, bringing shame to that relationship.
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