3. MoseKapitel 18

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The LORD said to Moses:

Speak to the Israelites and say to them: I am the LORD your God.

You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their statutes.

You shall carry out my ordinances and keep my statutes, walking in them. I am the LORD your God.

Keep my statutes and my ordinances; the one who does them will live by them. I am the LORD.

No one is to approach any close relative to uncover their nakedness. I am the LORD.

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.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, whether your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, born at home or born elsewhere.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's close relative.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's close relative.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother; do not approach his wife, for she is your aunt.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are close relatives. It is depravity.

You shall not take a woman as a rival to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.

You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during the impurity of her monthly period.

You shall not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her.

You shall not give any of your children to be passed through the fire to Molech, and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is detestable.

You shall not have sexual relations with any animal and defile yourself with it, nor shall a woman present herself to an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion.

Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.

The land became defiled, so I punished it for its guilt, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.

But you are to keep my statutes and my ordinances and must not commit any of these detestable acts—neither the native-born nor the foreigner residing among you.

For the people who lived in the land before you did all these detestable things, and the land became defiled.

So do not let the land vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

For anyone who commits any of these detestable acts—every person who does them must be cut off from among their people.

Keep my charge, then, and do not practice any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you, and do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.

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Zusammenfassung2

Kapitel 18

Main Theme: God's laws regarding sexual purity and holiness that set Israel apart from the Egyptians and Canaanites.

Content: The Lord commands Moses to speak to the Israelites, instructing them not to follow the customs of Egypt or Canaan. The chapter lists prohibited sexual relationships with close relatives, as well as prohibitions against sexual intercourse during menstruation, adultery, homosexual practices, and bestiality. It also forbids offering children to Molech. God warns that the land will "vomit out" those who do these things, just as it did with the nations before them.

Key Terms/Images:

To uncover someone's nakedness: A Hebrew expression for sexual intercourse, used consistently throughout to describe forbidden relationships.
The land vomits out: A powerful image indicating that sin defiles the land itself, causing it to reject its inhabitants (vv. 25, 28).
Molech: A Canaanite deity who received child sacrifices; this prohibition shows that the chapter addresses more than just sexual ethics.
Toevah (abomination): A Hebrew term for actions that are detestable to God and violate the covenant relationship.
"I am the Lord": A repeated formula emphasizing that God's identity and authority form the basis of all these commands.

Historischer Kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Leviticus 18

Events and Customs

The chapter contains detailed laws concerning sexual relations and stands in sharp contrast to practices in Egypt and Canaan (v. 3). The text reflects a time when Israel had to define its identity as distinct from surrounding cultures. The laws regarding incest (vv. 6–18) were stricter than in many neighboring societies. In Egypt, sibling marriage was known among royal families, and in Mesopotamia certain forms of kinship marriage were accepted. The biblical prohibitions cover both blood relatives and relatives by marriage, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of family bonds.

The prohibition against "giving one's offspring to Molech" (v. 21) refers to child sacrifice. The expression לְהַעֲבִיר לַמֹּלֶךְ (leha'avir lamolekh, "to cause to pass through for Molech") is debated, but it likely refers to sacrifice by fire, a practice documented in Phoenician and Canaanite cultures. This prohibition is notably placed among sexual laws, which may indicate a connection between fertility cults and these practices.

Key Terms

The expression "uncover someone's nakedness" (Hebrew: גַּלּוֹת עֶרְוָה, galot ervah) is a euphemism for sexual intercourse and appears repeatedly throughout the chapter. The term עֶרְוָה (ervah) literally means "nakedness" or "shame" and is consistently used to describe forbidden sexual relations.

The word תּוֹעֵבָה (to'evah), often translated as "abomination" or "detestable thing" (vv. 22, 26–30), is a central term describing actions fundamentally incompatible with Israel's covenant relationship with God. The term is used in the Old Testament for both religious and ethical transgressions, particularly those linked to Canaanite religion and cultic practices.

The expression that the land "vomits out" (קָאָה, qa'ah) its inhabitants (vv. 25, 28) is a powerful metaphor personifying the land itself as a moral agent. This reflects the idea that the land is holy and cannot tolerate persistent impurity.

Chapter-Specific Findings

Archaeological excavations at the tophet sanctuary in Carthage (a Phoenician colony) have uncovered thousands of urns containing burned remains of children, along with stelae dedicated to Baal Hammon and Tanit. Similar findings have been made at other Phoenician sites. This confirms that child sacrifice was a real practice in cultures related to the Canaanites and provides historical background for the prohibition against Molech offerings in verse 21.

Hittite laws (ca. 1650–1180 BCE) contain parallel lists of forbidden sexual relations, but with significant differences regarding which relationships are prohibited and what penalties are imposed. The comparison shows that such regulations were common in the ancient Near East, yet the biblical laws have their own distinct profile and theological basis tied to Israel's call to holiness.

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Schlüsselwörter7

Sexual Relations — In Leviticus 18 this refers to rules and restrictions concerning sexual behavior and relationships between people.
Close Relatives — This term refers to family members who are closely related, such as parents, siblings, children, and other relatives.
Incest — Sexual relations between close relatives, which is regarded as a serious sin according to the Bible.
Offspring — Children or descendants of a person.
Foreign Woman — A woman who is not a close relative, and thus permitted to enter into a sexual relationship with according to biblical rules.
Sacrifice — An action or object that is offered to God, often as a symbol of devotion, gratitude, or atonement for sins.
The Land of Canaan — The area that the Israelites were to occupy after leaving Egypt, and where they were to live in accordance with God's laws and commands.