Leviticus 18:7
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The verse doesn't just prohibit sex with your mother; it emphatically states her "nakedness" is the same as your father's, highlighting the profound unity of marriage where the parents become "one flesh." This isn't merely about a biological link, but a sacred bond that makes such an act a deep violation of that foundational unity and a profound dishonor.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger section where God is laying out the laws for the Israelites, distinguishing them from the surrounding nations. Immediately before and after this verse, God prohibits sexual relations with close relatives, emphasizing the importance of maintaining purity within the community. The text makes it clear that a man is not to have sexual relations with his mother, an act considered deeply abhorrent and a violation of the foundational family structure.
This verse sounds straightforward, but its phrasing reveals a deeply ingrained understanding of family unity. It's not just about what you do, but what you represent.
Leviticus 18:7 is a foundational command against incest. The phrase 'uncover the nakedness' is a euphemism for sexual relations.
A Unified Command
The verse says, 'The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.' While it mentions both father and mother, the structure highlights the prohibition against a son having relations with his mother. The repetition and clarification ('she is thy mother') emphasize the gravity of this specific relationship violation. The ancient understanding, as reflected in the commentary, often saw this as covering both a daughter with her father and a son with his mother, viewing them as one prohibited union.
Why So Severe?
This prohibition is rooted in the sanctity of the family unit, established at creation when 'a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh' (Genesis 2:24). Incestuous relationships destroy the natural order and the distinct roles within a family, blurring lines that are meant to be clear and sacred.
The prohibition against uncovering a parent's nakedness extends beyond biological ties, touching on the sacredness of relationships formed through marriage. It’s about respecting established bonds.
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While Leviticus 18:7 directly forbids sexual relations with one's own mother, the broader context of Leviticus 18 and surrounding passages clarifies that this principle extends to relationships by affinity—those formed through marriage.
The Stepmother Principle
Commentaries point out that Leviticus 18:8 ('You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness') directly follows, demonstrating that the prohibition against incest with one's mother implicitly includes a stepmother. Because a father and his wife are considered 'one flesh,' the wife's 'nakedness' is, in a sense, the father's nakedness. This establishes that the prohibition isn't solely based on blood relation but also on the sacred bond created by marriage.
Protecting the Household
These laws were crucial for maintaining the moral and social fabric of ancient Israel, protecting families from the destructive potential of forbidden relationships. They aimed to prevent the kind of chaos and moral decay that characterized some surrounding nations.
This passage directly illustrates the sin prohibited in Leviticus 18:7, showing Lot's daughters engaging in incest with their father after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Deuteronomy 27:20This verse pronounces a curse on the one who uncovers the nakedness of his father's wife, further defining the boundaries of prohibited sexual relations within the family structure.
1 Corinthians 5:1The Apostle Paul addresses a similar situation of severe incest within the Corinthian church, highlighting how such practices were not only prohibited by God's law but were also scandalous even among non-believers.
Ezekiel 22:10This prophetic passage lists incest, including having relations with a father's wife, as one of the grave sins that led to the judgment of God upon Israel.
gillLeviticus 18:7: "The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness."
The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shall thou not uncover,.... By uncovering a father's nakedness is not meant anything similar to what befell Noah, which Ham beheld with pleasure, and the other two sons of Noah studiously and with reverence to their father covered; nor any sodomitical practice of a son with his…
barnesLeviticus 18:7: "The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness."
Or - It might be rendered "and", or rather, even; that is, which belongs to both parents as being "one flesh" ( Genesis 2:24 ; compare Leviticus 18:8 , Leviticus 18:14 ). These prohibitions are addressed to men.
The verse doesn't just prohibit sex with your mother; it emphatically states her "nakedness" is the same as your father's, highlighting the profound unity of marriage where the parents become "one flesh." This isn't merely about a biological link, but a sacred bond that makes such an act a deep violation of that foundational unity and a profound dishonor.
This passage is part of a larger section where God is laying out the laws for the Israelites, distinguishing them from the surrounding nations. Immediately before and after this verse, God prohibits sexual relations with close relatives, emphasizing the importance of maintaining purity within the community. The text makes it clear that a man is not to have sexual relations with his mother, an act considered deeply abhorrent and a violation of the foundational family structure.
This passage is part of a larger section where God is laying out the laws for the Israelites, distinguishing them from the surrounding nations. Immediately before and after this verse, God prohibits sexual relations with close relatives, emphasizing the importance of maintaining purity within the community. The text makes it clear that a man is not to have sexual relations with his mother, an act considered deeply abhorrent and a violation of the foundational family structure.
"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 verse doesn't just prohibit sex with your mother; it emphatically states her "nakedness" is the same as your father's, highlighting the profound unity of marriage where the parents become "one fl…
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Last reviewed October 2026
